‘What is the proper etiquette for an open-plan office?’

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By Legal Cheek on

19

One junior solicitor has reached their limit

open plan office
In the latest instalment of our Career Conundrums series, a recently qualified solicitor shares their struggle with the law firm trend of open-plan working.

“Hello Legal Cheek. I’m a recent NQ, and I’m at my wits’ end with my firm’s open-plan office. This setup is relatively new, introduced as part of an office refurbishment about halfway through my TC. I won’t name the firm, but it’s the regional office of a large national law firm.”

“Anyway, I absolutely hate it! There’s constant chatting, people coming up to discuss things or ask for my opinion, and I find it nearly impossible to focus, even with an expensive pair of noise-cancelling headphones. The office has ‘focus’ breakout rooms, but I prefer working at my desk with my second screen. And why should I be the one to move?”

“I’m curious about other readers’ experiences with open-plan offices and whether there’s any etiquette for dealing with this situation.”

If you have a career conundrum, email us at tips@legalcheek.com.

19 Comments

Anon

Easy, make people want to give you space.

Don’t shower except on Friday evenings, and take up running to the office, changing immediately into your work clothes without so much as a baby wipe on the pits. For good measure leave your running kit on your desk to air out.

Next, go to your local fishmonger and stock up on their reduced to clear cod filets, and bring one in a think curry sauce to work as lunch. Microwave that glorious concoction and eat at your desk, as is your right, and don’t be afraid to let out any blenches that ensue.

Finally, shoes are overrated, and so are socks. The Japanese are on to something with this whole “no shoes inside rule” and you will find success with the same. On calls, or when contemplating complex legal questions, feel free to let lose and let your toes enjoy the freedom your hands boast of, get those feet on the desk and proud.

Before long, you will have the peace and quiet you crave. Good luck!

Al

I’ve always been someone who loves spending time in the office and see my colleagues as friends first, colleagues second. So an open plan office suits me down to the ground. When I haven’t got much to do, I can stroll round the office stopping at everyone’s desk, cracking jokes (sometime pretty risky ones lol), engaging in some banter, making general chat about weekend plans etc.

I don’t understand why someone would go into the office if they’re just going to sit staring at a screen for 8 hours.

Lots of people were like that when they first joined but I’ve managed to bring them out of their shells and I think they’re better off.

Anon

Hate to break it to you, but you are the person in the office that everyone hates.

You are a drain on people’s valuable time, and every time you approach them they are full of dread, as they know the next half an hour will be full of awkward chat whilst they try to politely tell you they want to get on with work.

When you leave your colleagues sigh with relief. They all wonder how you have so much capacity and long for a round of cuts in the team to see you gone.

A dose of truth.

Sorry Al, but no colleague is your friend, not until one of you has left the firm.

Reuben

Al, you bloody legend. You sound just like me. I hate all these wet flannels who aren’t on board with this sort of decent office vibe.

Wayitiz

The proper etiquette is for the junior staff to be there for 95% of their waking hours and for the partners to check in from the Cotswolds intermittently.

What?

Why are you flexing by showing off your set of “expensive” noise cancelling headphones. Clearly you can’t deal with first world problems given mummy and daddy raised you with a silver spoon .

Another NQ

The point being made was clearly that the headphones are good quality and therefore to emphasise how loud the office is… If you couldn’t see that then I’m not sure if law is the right career for you. While you’re at it, dust that chip off your shoulder on the way out.

Egg breath

Oh f*** off you pretentious p***k.

Sally

Feel for you – open plan can be hellish

You don't have to stay

Probably time to look for a lateral move…

Anon

I completely understand your frustration. It’s kind of ridiculous that we’re expected to do quiet, focused work in this noisy, call centre-like setting.

Some things you could try:
– see if you’re able to WFH on days when you require intense concentration;
– come into the office much earlier than others to get work done in silence;
– ask to move to a quieter corner away from secretaries, printers, exits etc;
– find an “Escape Desk” – a desk in a different team (can even be on a different floor) that is quiet (maybe because they are a smaller team or the team WFH on a particular day) – no one will know you there so you can get some quiet work done for a few hours and still be in the office;
– politely tell people who are having extended conversations near you to please find the kitchen to hold their conversation;
– tell people you are on a very tight deadline and cannot talk until later;
– tell people you are in the middle of something and would prefer that they sent you an email about instructions/task and you can follow-up with them later;
– make it known that you need quiet in order to focus and that you are happy to socialise and catch-up with others at lunch/work drinks etc.

I don’t think there is an etiquette until a partner walks past in which case everyone will scurry to their desks. Sadly, it is up to you to set the tone about how you want to work. Sure, you might annoy a few people, but decent people will respect and understand where you are coming from. You could discuss the matter with management and see if there can be rules applied like silence in the open plan pen during X and X hours but I’ve never seen that happen anywhere yet. If nothing improves, you might want to consider moving to a different law firm that values quietness. A lot of the US firms have smaller teams so less people and like their staff to have smaller offices vs open plan office.

Bill

Gateley. It’s clearly Gateley,

c

Kennedys. It’s clearly Kennedys.

Anon

It’s just one of the additional challenges of working in modern law firms. Not only do you have matter related hours targets, business development objectives, the whole “we don’t value face time” but “oh it was another late one last night”, now we are expected to work in an open plan environment because just like our matter related utilisation needs to be high and rising, so does office space utilisation. Sadly it is just what it is. I used to love having an office. Now, you’re lucky if the desk has all the IT kit let alone the luxury of thinking time.

Practical tips are if you have a choice about wfh and in office days, try to work in the office on a Monday / Friday and wfh mid week; look in diaries and see when people are likely to be in and try to do the tasks that require less concentration during those times; consider using quiet rooms or meeting rooms – not all day but, say, for an hour to get started on drafting.

You have my sympathy as open plan is rubbish.

Jane

I would hate it. Almost my whole career I have had my own office just me with a completely wood door I can close and no one can even see in. I did share as a trainee with one other and in the first 2 years with one other person. More and more people where they are given the option will work from home (one of my lawyer children who still lives at home only has to go in one day a week but usually goes in 3 – the days he goes in he gets much less work done but has a lovely time chatting to people)

Grin and bear it?

Until you make your way as Partner where you can demand your own office, I’m afraid your choices are to grin and bear it or to quit and go somewhere that doesn’t have open plan.

If it’s just working environment preference, I’m afraid that’s a call for the firm to make. You might find your line manager can make some allowances, eg use the meeting room from time to time but you’ll have to weigh up what matters more to you: having two screens or having the peace and quiet.

You might be able to get everyday colleagues to understand your preferences – eg when I really need to concentrate, I’ll have my headphones on which is ‘please shut up around me’ and a DND, Otherwise, you are free to approach me. Do keep in mind the firm has chosen an open plan model because it sees the benefits of open communication etc, so constantly keeping headphones on (unless you have a med condition) sends not a great signal to the firm and your colleagues.

Hope it works out.

Alan

Stop being such a girl’s blouse. If the noise cancelling on the headphones was actually any good, then you’d hear none of the office chat. Do a bit of research and buy a better pair.

Bella

Unfortunately this thread is just a perfect example of the reality that post-Covid people have come back into the working environment and completely forgotten how to exist in an environment where they might be expected to have basic decency and a minimal level of consideration for other people that work with them.

I work in the same kind of office where just simple good manners would suggest people should at least keep their voices low while pretending they’re in the office to work 🙄 sadly no. I have to listen to a day full of whining parents that come to the office to sermonise on what little Timmy ate for breakfast that morning and how expensive the Tesco shop has become. Much like a number of people in the replies, we now exist in a society where just expecting people to behave like a decent human being will get you labelled “a girl’s blouse”.

I wish I had good tips for you. If you find any amongst the paragraphs of childish nonsense above, it would be great if you could pass it on. Good luck!

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