Your Work Environment

I'm curious, how is the environment where you work at the moment? Good, bad, same as always?

Both DH and I feel our workplaces have become much more pressured over the last year. It's to the point where my job is almost unworkable given the hours I was told I would need to work originally (it's actually not so much more in terms of total hours, but more evenings, weekends, etc.). This is due to people not being replaced as they retire. His job involves a lot more time in total hours this year. He works for a large corporation, I work in a civil service position in a town on Long Island.

I know we are both lucky to have jobs, don't get me wrong. But we both liked our jobs previously. It's a shame the rotten economy gives so many places license to not treat employees decently, or at least this is our point of view on this. Thoughts?

Re: Your Work Environment

I'm extremely fortunate as I have a very good work environment right now. (KNOCK WOOD! )
It's really a blessing that I try to count every day.

We are also hiring like mad and my boss and I were just discussing how the salaries of the people we hire are going up like crazy and not down.

I am in IT and it seems our particular business is on the upswing for now.

DH is a NYC cop. So I don't have to say how HIS work environment is
BUT on the flip side- he will be retiring at 41 with a pension and benefits for life so in all honesty- we can NOT complain!

Message edited 12/22/2011 2:38:33 PM.

Re: Your Work Environment

Old job: Terrible pressure, stressful and hostile working environment

New job: Wonderful, relaxed and no stress

Re: Your Work Environment

The only stress that my jobs comes with happens twice a year, during finals. Other than that, it's usually pretty calm.

But, as for our environment:
-Our office space is too small for our needs. -We do not have enough storage for the amount of filing we need to do.
-The layout is not favorable for the amount of traffic we have in here.

Re: Your Work Environment

Posted by DumpsterBaby

Old job: Terrible pressure, stressful and hostile working environment

New job: Wonderful, relaxed and no stress

Re: Your Work Environment

Love my job and my work environment. Stress level mostly comes from the work itself, dealing with other lawyers and clients, but our boss is really nice and we have a lot of happy hour after-work events, office holiday/birthday parties, and a professional environment.

My old firm was a nightmare - worked for a solo who let his paralegal run the entire office and everyone was always walking around on eggshells (she would call you out in public if you were even 5 min late coming back to the office from your lunch hour.. ). The worst was seeing 3 secretaries quit or get fired after only 4-6 weeks into the job...that was my hint to GTFO..

Re: Your Work Environment

I'd say that both environments are great. Everyone is very friendly, and I love what I do.

Re: Your Work Environment

Sounds like DH and I both need new jobs--I think we were kind of assuming every place is lean and mean these days since that's our experience (and many of our friends are in the same field, so same situation). My field is dry, nothing out there at the moment. His field, a little better.

Good to know some places are still decent to work for out there!

Re: Your Work Environment

Ever decreasing. We're in the same boat here. There used to be 10 people in my dept. (which was a little excessive, 8 would be my magic number) and now we have 5. They never hire any support staff but there's usually at least one or two people let go from the support staff each month. Morale is way down, people are just getting plain catty- throwing each other under the bus. It's sad. As far as attorneys, we didn't merge with another firm, but it almost feels that way since so many of them are newer and don't intereact with the people who have been here longer. It's a huge divide. I actually enjoyed working here the first year and now it's slow torture.

Re: Your Work Environment

i work at a public school in NJ. the last couple years, it hasn't been great as governor christie tries to cut public budgets everywhere. it seems like the teacher's have been able to rise above it for the most part though, and just keep on doing our jobs.
in my specific district... we are working without a contract now, so there has been a LOT of BS going on with the negotiations with the school board and them not wanting to settle.... not striking, but "job actions" that are suposed to get the school board to want to settle.... its crazy!

Re: Your Work Environment

Luckily it's the same as always where both DH & I work. It's good for the most part!

Re: Your Work Environment

Re: Your Work Environment

I can't complain, I work with great people and we all work as a team. My boss can drive me crazy sometimes but he is very approachable and lenient with certain things like lateness and days off. Our office is just me and another girl and we get along so well. Stress level at work is up and down.

Re: Your Work Environment

I work in an awful environment. My boss is the most negative human I have ever met.

Re: Your Work Environment

I've been with my company for over 5 years now and like 85% of the people I work with. That's a lot since we had around 150 people normally. I also really love my boss.

However, we are a project office and things are slowing down considerably and we downsized twice since june and are now around 85 people.

There is definitely a different air in the office and all those empty cubicles is pretty depressing.

The plus side is DH and I work in the same office so he improves the work environment for me a thousand percent.

Re: Your Work Environment

Good environment. I report directly to a(CMO/Pres.) and I am blessed to have found a job within my career that is very satisfying. Positions below my ranking seem happy as well. This lets me know I made the right decision.

ETA: I just opened my envelope from my boss and feel extremely thankful!

Message edited 12/22/2011 2:53:50 PM.

Re: Your Work Environment

I have my days.

I've been at my current job for almost 5 years. In that time a LOT has changed. I've been through about 4-5 rounds of layoffs, some massive "restructuring", etc. My job started out as being academic and customer service, recruiting and sales. Now it's all SALES SALES SALES. If you don't make sales or call goals you can be essentially put on probation. There's so much pressure, yet we still have all of the other responsibilities as well, and those have changed without much training being given to us. People have gotten laid off so everyone is really insecure. It stinks.

We used to work in offices and the office culture was very laid back, fun and friendly. Now we all work from home, so that interaction with co-workers is gone. We used to have partes for people's birthday, drink wine on fridays, go to farmer's market's together. It was more fun from the company too. There used to be costume contests, christmas parties, etc, and now there's really nothing. We barely have meetings. Just not the same togetherness and culture because the focus is on how to run the business most efficiently.

Re: Your Work Environment

The inmates run the asylum. Very senior people focus on the wrong things.

It's frustrating and the bigger bosses just expect everyone else to deal with it.

Re: Your Work Environment

My direct office is good natured and friendly. The administration I work for is very stressful and unfriendly....basically everyone keeps their head down and doesn't dare ask any questions about anything.

Re: Your Work Environment

My office is NO good right now. The morale is at an all time low.

We have had a really tough year revenue wise, its been a roller coaster. Now we're in major cash crunch mode where they're talking about laying people off. I had the best year ever, sales wise, and I doubt they'll recognize it at all.

Its sad. When I started there it was a really fun company. We got bigger and bigger and now the growth is slowing and our owners are not happy. Eventually growth slows, it is what it is.

Re: Your Work Environment

My work environment has deteriorated since my direct supervisor went out on FMLA...he definitely protected me from the craziness of administration and now I am sort of at their mercy. It sucks...I really hope he comes back.

Re: Your Work Environment

I work in a clothing store, aside from dealing with nasty customers now and then I would say its pretty awesome! We all get long so great and I have known these folks over 10 years. We treat one another like family