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When I was hired, my firm had its main office in the suburbs. I felt pretty good about the location and environment and purchased a house nearby. At that time, many employees and managers lived in the area. Since then, the firm has changed hands, and the original office space, as part of an ineffectual cost-saving move, has been reduced in half. Ineffectual because the new lease no longer included utilities. The "savings" were spent opening a new office in the city, and a bunch of young sales hires were made for a small bullpen type office. There are no cubicles in the city, and the few offices are reserved for a handful of lucky first movers. Now they are looking for cost savings again. The firm's plan is to shut down the office in suburbia because "having everyone in the same location inspires the best ideas."
Can someone point to some research (e.g., from HBR [Harvard Business Review] or similar) indicating that R&D teams may be best served by being in distraction-free environments separated from the gossip and hubbub of sales? Or that accommodating workers who want to be away from the city may save on labor expenses and employee turnover?
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday August 17 2017, @04:46PM
I think the ship has sailed on making this company into your perfect career for life. Do investigate other options, and move when a good one presents.
Meanwhile, "take one for the team," let them know you prefer to stay in the suburbs, that you will be more productive with an insulated work environment, and that sales can bloody well start a teleconference, complete with video presence, if they ever want to communicate something without driving their butts out to the suburbs, and that making R&D drive into the city 5 days a week is silly. Maybe even suggest that R&D can work from home, if this is something they might entertain and you want, but... throughout it all, make it clear that you love the company and are willing to do whatever it is that they think is best for the working arrangement - give them no reason to suspect that you'll be jumping ship. Because: it takes a while to find a better opportunity, you want to keep your present paycheck rolling in while you do that search and you want the power of negotiation with the new place that you already have a paying gig, you'll have to give professional notice, etc. etc.
"Proving them wrong" with research will only piss them off and is unlikely to change any outcomes in a desirable direction for you.
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