are you sure your teachers other half isn't part of the management team where you work.
all of your points about the cube are very valid. didn't mean to offend ya. i know exactly what you mean. we design circuit boards on puters. we have the maintenance guys remove most of the lights over our cubes to get rid of the glare. and we have them raise or lower the desks on the little rails in the "walls"
sorry didn't realize you were currently still working on your bus.
one more thing. honest question what do you mean "calibrate" the screen? make it so that the color on the screen is exactly right?

 

Yup hehe. When I calibrate my screen properly and then move to a location where it's too bright I can't see anything anymore so I turn up the brightness. But when I print stuff it looks terrible lol. Not my problem since I told them about it via email...

I'm just here to pay off some debts then I'm gone. I want to start my company properly.

 

now you're talking. deal with the crap now and success will be that much sweeter.
that would stink about the printing though.
every now and then we print out our boards in color. by default our computers colors don't match the plotters pens at all. (red could be green etc) and then they'll say "no make it look like on the screen". what a nightmare.
again good luck with your business.

 

Dude I have worked in a cube environment and it does suck!

Although it does sound like you need to lighten up a bit. How long have you been there? Have you paid your dues? It sounds like you require a lot of exceptions to do your job, make sure you don't whine about it. Just work hard until A. they give you what you want or B. your own company can support you.

Good luck!

Peace-

 

maybe lol

I've been here almost a year but the president called me up and asked me to come work here. I had conditions, they must be met.

Life isn't about living for a job, the job is supposed to work for your life. I just want to be happy, if my jobs makes me mad or whatever I'd might as well find another one, and another, and another until I get the perfect one

 

Is there anything you can do to make the working conditions a bit more tolerable? Can't you get someone to raise the desk and monitor? How about doing what wildchild said about removing some overhead lights? How about covering the walls of your cubicle with some neutral cloth or paper that won't screw up your screen?

Don't know about Canada, but in the US, we have something called OSHA. If the working environment isn't safe, they have regulations that forces a business to fix the workplace. It even covers ergonomics, which seems to be your problem.

When dealing with bosses, you gotta do two things. Confront them with the problem face to face, and follow it up with a hardcopy with the problem, what you dicussed, and what the result of that meeting was. The hard copy is important should there ever be a question as to what went on.

I've used the above technique for years as an employer and have never lost a labor dispute. My employees never figured out that they could use the same technique on me.

 

He's right you know.
Write down everything you find difficult about your current situation. Write possible solutions, keeping in mind current resritctions.
Place those things that have quick solutions at the top of the list. If possible volunteer to do these yourself.
Place those highest on the annoyance scale, but with more involved solutions below that.
Now ask yourself if the above were remedied, could you put up with the rest of the annoyances?
What will happen is when they see the first few are easy, (like raise desk, ect) they'll go "OK we'll get right on it" Or you could tell them that you will do this yourself.
That will keep them reading the list. Kinda like bait and switch.
Then, while you are demonstrating that you are doing your part, they can get maintence to remove or turn off the overhead lights for you ect.
Tell them you are sure they will want this done to improve efficiency, plus less lighting means less operating costs for them and more production for you. In other words make it a win-win deal.
After all, most bosses don't even know how to use computers and think all you have to do is stick somebody who does infront of one to get some work done.
Last resort, go here for your amusement.
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Thank you all for letting me get this off my chest!

I am now known as Cubicous the loard of the cubicules.

 

Listen to all your phonemail via your speaker phone.

Conduct all telephone conversations via speaker phone.

Hold all of your meetings in your office -- regardless of lack of space for partipants.

Call 'maintenance' to re-arrange your cubicle at least once per pay period.

Move everything out of your office (get rid of the flippers and lateral files).

Move your printer outside of your office.

Then -- schedule conference rooms -- and conduct all of your 'real work' there.

 

Push for a home office. It's a no lose situation for them.

I do signs and graphics for a living and I know exactly what you mean about a creative environment, calibrating your monitor (someone else does that LOL), and being able to focus.

I do a lot of my design work at night. Few interuptions, peace and quiet. Sometimes for more creative projects I throw the bike in the truck, take a ride at the beach, and sketch out design concepts. That way when it's time to jump on the 'puter I'm not staring at a huge monitor drawing a blank.

One of the local design firms I sometimes do work for allowed all their graphic artists to opt for home offices. Then come in for two hours in the morning, and even that is flexible. Even after compensating them enough to upgrade their home computers, cable modems, extra phone lines it saved the company big time. The workers got more benefits, the company saved money and everyone was happy.