Are Offices More Or Less Stressful Places Than They Used to Be?

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Is the modern office a more stressful place than the office of the pre-computing era?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never worked in a non-computerised office, so how would I know?

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The Java tool which we used to update content onto our website is playing up yet again - argh!

Sure I can post or lurk on ilx, look at all the other websites that our workplace doesn't block and e-mail friends, but that still doesn't change the fact that I want things to work and I have to sit around and wait whilst they don't. It is all accompanied by a feeling of powerlessness. The people who host our content and support the Java tool are in the US and what's more in the western US which means that their working day doesn't coincide with ours AT ALL and even if we do tell them something is wrong they seem unable (or is it unwilling?) to fix the problem.

But is this any worse than it was when it was all mimeographs, typewriters etc? Indeed, are things better now?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I sense I would get a lot more irritated using a typewriter than PC so that's one point for "no". Old offices would still suffer the curse of telephones so yet again another "no"... unless you are a receptionist who had 10 numbers to work with and now has 10 GABILLIONG.

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

i think they used to be both more boring and more stressful. when i worked for a law firm there were several kinds of documents that had to be typed on a typewriter. oh, the pain.

at another temp job there was no internet and they'd even taken solitaire off the computers. i don't know how people used to spend all day at work!

― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:10 (twenty-two years ago)

If I didn't have ILX at work, I'd surely go mad. (Or at least email, before there was ILX.)

In one way, I suppose it's actually a good thing, because although I probably used to work harder and get more done in pre-internet jobs, I used to have a MUCH higher turnover rate at jobs. I think I stay at jobs longer, and am less insubordinate and cranky because I have the pressure valve of being able to let off steam on the internet.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, more stressful. E-mail means more useless and irrelevant communication and less productive time. I think the biggest contribution to stress is the sheer amount of *stuff to do* and far fewer people compared with 10 years ago. Faster communication contributes by making everything 'urgent'.

I have various tactics to reduce the e-mail avalanche : a) delete about half of them unread. If it's important they'll be back. b) of the other half ignore about 50%. Many 'urgent' issues simply go away if ignored.

As far as getting work done - then obv everything is so much better with computers.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:16 (twenty-two years ago)

there was more walking about in jobs in the past wasn't there? E-mail, servers which enable people to share files, FTP and the interweb reduce the need for faxing, photocopying, maybe even meetings. This job is the most sedentary I've ever done. I hardly ever walk about. I think this makes it more stressful.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I prefer that I don't walk about. I can huddle in my cave, I mean veal vattening pen, I mean CUBICLE and hide.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr. C OTM. I use similar tactics on my e-mail stack. Unfortunately I can also be IMed which is a tad more difficult to ignore.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

My favorite e-mail tactic is to clear the post-holiday stack of several hundred in one huge delete.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

As a hapless secretary, the fact that my boss has adopted Dr C and robster's practice is the cause of 90% of my work stress as 4000 people ring me to find out why he hasn't responded to their mail.

We are in the middle of moving offices therefore stress is high especially as the sticky labels we have been given to stick on everything we want moving are not sticky and are falling off.

― Emma, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

My boss left a box of bullets on his desk this morning. I shit you not.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Now's your opportunity to frame him for a crime he didn't commit.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

What about mental crimes?! What about those?!

He likes to kill cute little deer. CUte little bambi moms.

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Only worry if your names and the names of other employees are carved on them...

(If they are, you are probably working for Anton Newcombe, in which case, you'd be worried already.)

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Emma where are you moving to? I paid a visit to Topshop at work, are you moving to the SHOP FLOOR?

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 12:47 (twenty-two years ago)

(If they are, you are probably working for Anton Newcombe, in which case, you'd be worried already.)

LOL, but now you did it, he will google this thread eventualy.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

ARRGGGHH!! No, Zac, you have the power! Please googleproof that!

(THough I would like to see Ant0n vs. Momus: FITE!)

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Did you know he has a new album out?
And who keeps giving his album 4 stars on AMG? They are not all that good. Some are better...

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! I swear to god I fixed that indexing problem! ARGH! Okay, now I am pissed off.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you going to transport Ant0n Newc0mbe into the future now?

Poor future!

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Only Andrew has the time travel technique. I am merely mystified by it all. Thought if the number 147 ends ub in there again I am going to be blaming the Masons.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Now, Zac, you know that the Masons are all about the number 22.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't they have other numbers too? Can I blame the Shriners then?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Sarah, I'm moving from right next to TS to right behind TS and right next to the Kerala curry place that has a lunchtime buffet. num num.

― Emma, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Top jums. I have just seen what looks like a pretty good curry place round my way wot does mahousive takeaway boxes for cheap. Everyone else stinks the place out with tomato soup so I might as well stink up the office with nummy curry. Hurrah!

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always felt this office was pretty low stress, but I think that's more the nature of the job than whether or not it was computerized. But having switched a lot of stuff over to strictly on-line/intranet procedures has certainly freed up a lot of time!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

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