4 ms·

Apple staffers reportedly rebelling against open office plan at new HQ (2017)

29 points by coldseattle 8y ago

mankash666 8y ago
But but, Steve Jobs and Johnny Ive personally decided it's better for the employees. How can they possibly have gotten it wrong?
- m-p-3 8y ago
  They'll have their own office, they don't care.
  - coldseattle 8y ago
    Steve Jobs certainly has a private office now.
- dang 8y ago
  Please don't post unsubstantive comments here.
  - mankash666 8y ago
    No humor allowed?
    - dang 8y ago
      Humor's fine, but the bar is high. Most is lame, and lame humor is the kudzu of the internet forum. Most people overestimate how funny their comments are. scott_s said it best: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7609289 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7609289
Thriptic 8y ago
Open offices are fine if you have noise cancelling headphones...thereby eliminating the point of the open office.
- werkjohann 8y ago
  Not to mention being uncomfortable if worn constantly, and the distraction of whatever you play.
- codycraven 8y ago
  No, open offices are never fine. I wear glasses, noise cancelling options are limited to on ear or in ear, neither are good for long periods of time. Not to mention many women have brought up discomfort issues related to being visible at all times—which sounds 10,000% justified.
  - Zach_the_Lizard 8y ago
    > Not to mention many women have brought up discomfort issues related to being visible at all times—which sounds 10,000% justified. This is an entirely new negative aspect of open plan offices to me. As a man I never thought about this, but I could see how it could be uncomfortable for women. Seems to go against the stated goals of achieving a more balanced workforce
    - watmough 8y ago
      Wow, new to me too. I had never thought of that. Oh Christ, it could be awful. Luckily, and as an unremarkable looking male, I'm still clinging to a cube, and the noise there is bad enough.
  - dingaling 8y ago
    I'll be contrary and say that I can't see how that's any way justified. My employment contract didn't include any provision for being non-visible during working hours. How is a workforce supposed to be cohesive and collaborative if half of it doesn't know when it's allowed to look at the other half? Perhaps in the future both men and women will wear burqas to the office. But then we'll all have to agree one one 'non-intimidating' colour.
- abecedarius 8y ago
  Maybe fine for some. Visual noise destroys concentration in others like me.
kerng 8y ago
There is an excellent book called Peopleware by Tom DeMarco. Management should read it.
dang 8y ago
Url changed from https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/apple-employees-hate-apples-5-billion-open-plan-o.html https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/apple-employees-hate-appl..., which points to this. Submitters: when an article links to another one which is clearly its source, could you please submit that other URL instead? This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.
praseodym 8y ago
This is from August 2017, only a little after the new HQ was opened (in April). Maybe (2017) should be added to the title? Also, previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14962663 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14962663
- dang 8y ago
  Good catch! Thanks.

29 points by coldseattle 8y ago

But but, Steve Jobs and Johnny Ive personally decided it's better for the employees. How can they possibly have gotten it wrong?

m-p-3 8y ago
They'll have their own office, they don't care.
- coldseattle 8y ago
  Steve Jobs certainly has a private office now.
dang 8y ago
Please don't post unsubstantive comments here.
- mankash666 8y ago
  No humor allowed?
  - dang 8y ago
    Humor's fine, but the bar is high. Most is lame, and lame humor is the kudzu of the internet forum. Most people overestimate how funny their comments are. scott_s said it best: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7609289 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7609289

Thriptic 8y ago

Open offices are fine if you have noise cancelling headphones...thereby eliminating the point of the open office.

werkjohann 8y ago
Not to mention being uncomfortable if worn constantly, and the distraction of whatever you play.
codycraven 8y ago
No, open offices are never fine. I wear glasses, noise cancelling options are limited to on ear or in ear, neither are good for long periods of time. Not to mention many women have brought up discomfort issues related to being visible at all times—which sounds 10,000% justified.
- Zach_the_Lizard 8y ago
  > Not to mention many women have brought up discomfort issues related to being visible at all times—which sounds 10,000% justified. This is an entirely new negative aspect of open plan offices to me. As a man I never thought about this, but I could see how it could be uncomfortable for women. Seems to go against the stated goals of achieving a more balanced workforce
  - watmough 8y ago
    Wow, new to me too. I had never thought of that. Oh Christ, it could be awful. Luckily, and as an unremarkable looking male, I'm still clinging to a cube, and the noise there is bad enough.
- dingaling 8y ago
  I'll be contrary and say that I can't see how that's any way justified. My employment contract didn't include any provision for being non-visible during working hours. How is a workforce supposed to be cohesive and collaborative if half of it doesn't know when it's allowed to look at the other half? Perhaps in the future both men and women will wear burqas to the office. But then we'll all have to agree one one 'non-intimidating' colour.
abecedarius 8y ago
Maybe fine for some. Visual noise destroys concentration in others like me.

kerng 8y ago

There is an excellent book called Peopleware by Tom DeMarco. Management should read it.

dang 8y ago

Url changed from https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/apple-employees-hate-apples-5-billion-open-plan-o.html https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/apple-employees-hate-appl..., which points to this. Submitters: when an article links to another one which is clearly its source, could you please submit that other URL instead? This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.

praseodym 8y ago

This is from August 2017, only a little after the new HQ was opened (in April). Maybe (2017) should be added to the title? Also, previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14962663 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14962663

dang 8y ago
Good catch! Thanks.