Stressed-out introvert's whine: We did a tour of our new workplace across town, where our entire department will be moving in January, yesterday - it's very shiny and glossy and I hate it so much it makes me itch.

It's on a completely open office plan -- not even the doctors have private offices, and the little conference rooms scattered throughout have all been filled with chairs specifically constructed to be too uncomfortable to sit in for more than an hour. Plus, due to the open office plan it’s going to be incredibly noisy once it’s fully occupied, so there’s an overhead sound system pumping white noise incessantly to muffle conversation. Plus plus, since research involving HIPAA-protected info happens in the building, the whole thing is secured - not just the entrance, but every single floor. We're only on the 5th floor, but we have to take elevators up those 4 measly flights; no more healthy leg-stretching stair climbing ever again, and not even a silent stairwell to retreat to from all the talk and the fans and the hum.

If I don't manage to transfer to another department (which I don't want to do; despite crabbing occasionally about them, I *like* these people -- I don't want to work with them in a fishbowl with a wind machine whooshing overhead eight hours a day, but I like them and I like the job), I am going to turn into a weird little snarling troll who wears earplugs and hides behind her Les Nessman tapemarks on her cubicle floor, I just know it.

Dread.

No stairs to your floor? What about exiting in the case of a fire?

JZ, I got moved to an open office and it can get distractingly noisy. They did make a rule that all cell phones have to be on mute/vibrate and anyone listening to music has to use earbuds/earphones ... but some people don't. And if anyone gets loud it can be bad. On the other hand, you can get used to it, although we have "huddle rooms" where you can retreat for a bit of quiet.

And you know, from my experience in a previous open office, it may well turn out that the doctors will dig in their heels and demand construction to give them enclosed offices.

It's all constructed, and there's no money left (apparently someone on the lower floors blew through the floor design budget, so 4-8 have a choice of either open office, doctors pay for their own construction, or we hold a hell of a lot of bake sales).

There are emergency exit stairs, but they're all alarmed - where we are now some are alarmed, a few aren't, and most have key card access to disable any alarms, but the new place will be all alarmed, all the time, no key cards.

Our open office plan, even with the "quite rooms" is a big part of why I continue to work from home. I am in the Salt Lake City office more than I am ever in the Denver office. In SLC, I take over one of the larger "quite rooms" and have people in and out for meetings, but in between - it is all mine and QUIET.

I hope you find a workable way to deal JZ. When I'm in the Denver office, my headphones are usually enough to keep me sane. And if I didn't have the option of working at home, I'm sure I would find some way to adapt.

Ugh JZ. What about sound-cancelling earphones?

I could do those, definitely. But part of the issue is that I'm really a very low-level office drone for whom phone duty is part of the job. I really can't ask to work from home, and all of this is going to be icky and depressing but not enough so to raise it to legally-entitled-to-accommodation status. It's just going to make me hate work again.

Also, I'm already the office weirdo of our tiny division, and I'm kind of anxious that sound-cancelling earphones will clearly mark me as the office weirdo of the entire open-plan floor (plus, bad for the phone work).

To be fair, hating the work environment is a whole lot better than hating and fearing the rage-explosive co-worker who has more power than I do; nothing can ever, ever be as bad as that was.

Are there any rooms that get used for scolding people in private? Are all the supervisors and managers out in the open as well?

Having worked with a lot of doctors, I find the fact that they didn't give them offices RIDICULOUS! Also, suspect they will throw shitfits soon enough.

My hunch is if you can stick it out for a few months others will handle the complaining.

I would also see if you can find out how desk assignments are made and see if you can get in a lower traffic area.