I read recently about the new Fairfax offices in Pyrmont Sydney. Apparently Rupert Murdoch is painted on the pillars - quite hilarious! Now, diverting from that to an insider tale: A good friend of mine who is a highly regarded sales exec started work there 2 months ago. He describes the place as a cotton mill / nightclub. He says it is an awful working environment. Apparently everyone is herded together like caged hens and the CEO has an office overlooking all the workers! Very Victorian - like a cotton mill! Why on earth would you work there? My good friend is leaving, he likes the products, he gets paid ok. He is not a hen(.) Just wondering if anyone has any similar tales of modern day working horrors?

Dear Freshter,

I guess most of us have a few 'horror' stories regarding working conditions. I remember working in an architect's office a few years ago - in an old building, heritage listed, where the temperature in summer used to reach the over 30 degree mark inside my room. The only air-conditioning was in the director's and senior partner's offices, and sweat used to pour down my face landing on the drawings and wrinkling the paper. We'd end up with severe headaches by the end of the day and feeling nauseous.

In Winter, the temperatures would drop, we'd have electric heaters near our feet, but my legs were always cold, and sooner or later I'd
come down with the most awful colds.

Needless to say someone eventually reported them and I believe that
conditions did improve. But I'd left by them.

The other incident happened when again I worked in an architect's
office where the two partners did not get on. My desk was located
between their two offices and of-course both took it in turns to
give me different instructions for the same job. Eventually I
mentioned to one of the partners (as tactfully as I could), that his
senior had given me a different set of instructions and could he
check with the guy before I began changing things. I was simply told
to do as he said or else.

I didn't last long in this job.

Air-conditioning and heaters?
I was an aircraft engineer, working in Sydney for quaintarse. While it was when constellations were first being delivered, yes that long ago,
we had sou westers on issue to maintain the aircraft for "dailies" maint. there was no hanger space. If one aircraft was already hangered it required its removal to accommodate the second and there was only one hanger to accommodate the aircraft.
The super connie's, when doing engine trials after inspection, requied an engineer, standing on a ladder, to have his head in the engine bay while the engine was run at "take off" revs while facing into the wind. This was to adjust the exhaust recovery turbines.
I remember falling, partially unconscious, to the ground when the south wind was blowing one night. I lasted only about three months before finding a job where I retreated to a coffee lounge if it sprinkled rain.
fluff4