As I read this article I sit in an open office environment where us engineers trying our best to focus on what we are doing. We use to have our own offices but

As I read this article I sit in an open office environment where us engineers trying our best to focus on what we are doing. We use to have our own offices but those are now empty because the interior designer told our CEO that packing everyone into a big open space was, of course, cheaper but also happens to be a great environment for knowledge workers to "work together to solve problems". The engineer that acts as support for common problems and constantly gets phone calls and loud talking floor workers sits right in the middle of us. Being on the edge of the open area and having a wall to my back wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for said wall having big huge windows so people can see what I'm doing and I can't hear them walking up behind me. Ever since the move over to this open space I have honestly thought about quitting my job. One guy already has left after they moved him from his office with a nice view out the window to sitting facing a corner. I always feel like I'm being watched and that I can't even check my email really quick without being thought of as a slacker. A part of me wants to build a case from research to show my boss how bad this kind of environment really is but I know that nothing will change (even though the last CEO is long gone).