Wacky workplace "amenities"

[diaglo]

This is likely the coolest post I have read in a long time.

That's just freaky, man.

my workplace has one of the last freezers on Earth with smallpox.

my workplace built in 1953 has a penthouse that was supposed to be the home for the astronauts when they return from space. even though we hadn't even gone into space when it was built and the first man, Yuri Gurgagin(sp?) wouldn't until April, 1961.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

My workplace is going through a remodel and in order to keep the new stuff looking new are forbidding people from decorating their areas for Christmas (you can put some small stuff inside your cubicle, but no real decorating).

Since we are a mail order company that specializes in gifts (especially Christmas Gifts - our motto: We Deliver The Magic Of Christmas Year 'Roun), it would only make sense that we be allowed to decorate for Christmas.

So, the company has designated certain "public" areas as places to decorate. Included in this list - restrooms.

So far, I believe that nobody has volunteered to decorate the restrooms. I wonder, do you think that throwing a beard and red hat on a urinal would suffice?

"Hey Santa, Merry Christmas this..."

 

[Desdichado]

my workplace built in 1953 has a penthouse that was supposed to be the home for the astronauts when they return from space. even though we hadn't even gone into space when it was built and the first man, Yuri Gurgagin(sp?) wouldn't until April, 1961.

The first man in space... THAT YOU KNOW OF!!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

How about amenities you would think they'd provide:

I work for a major pharmaceutical company that makes a very well known over-the-counter pain medication, but in the first-aid kits around the buildings they only provide a generic version made by somebody else.

 

[buzzard]

Classic example of not thinking something through very thoroughly before implementation.

I remember hearing (maybe apocryphal?) about a new university library that was built, but the architects forgot to factor in the weight of a million books on shelves once the structure was complete, and so the foundation was insufficient or the supports had to be re-engineered or something.

Warrior Poet

This is actually a true case. The University of Pittsburgh Law Library's architect made this boneheaded error. The building was designed without accounting for the weight of all the books on shelves. Hence ALL of the books are kept on moving shelves in the basement. You can see this when you walk by the building. The window to the basement are on the street and the tightly packed moving shevles are right there. Us ornery CMU folks always got a chuckle out of it.

So, if any of you folks happen to be in Pittsburgh, in the Oakland neighborhood in particular, the building is right on Forbes Ave, on the right side of the street if you happen to be walking towards the Carnegie.

buzzard

 

[der_kluge]

At Wal-Mart, in the IT department, the CIO bought a couple of fancy movie-theater like popcorn machines and left them in the breakroom. So people could go in and make popcorn anytime they wanted. That was pretty neat. They did that in response to people burning microwave popcorn all the time. Otherwise, amenities at Wal-Mart are basically non-existant.

Capital One has these uber cool bathroom sinks. They are like hills and valleys, with a slit in the "valley" to drain the water. Very posh. It's a brand new campus, so in general it's very nice. The building I was in before that had free cocoa. So, in the mornings I could go in and make myself a cup of cocoa. That was nice.

I worked briefly for the government (that contracted ended). They had a water cooler. I would get water out of it occasionally. Then one day a co-worker told me that I needed to stop, because there was a monthly fee of $5 to get into the group of people who had access to it. I thought he was joking. He wasn't. I guess I should be glad that they didn't waste taxpayer money with extravagances like bottled water.

 

[Tinner]

Free cocoa? Showers?
Heck I just started a new job last week, and I'm ecstatic because I actually have an office with a DOOR!
First time I haven't been a cubical farmer in 15 years!

 

[Thunderfoot]

"Annoying amenities"?

Does disaffected co-worker prattle count?

 

[buzzard]

At Wal-Mart, in the IT department, the CIO bought a couple of fancy movie-theater like popcorn machines and left them in the breakroom. So people could go in and make popcorn anytime they wanted. That was pretty neat. They did that in response to people burning microwave popcorn all the time. Otherwise, amenities at Wal-Mart are basically non-existant.

Hmm, you know I didn't even think of the free popcorn they give out here at the community college I work at. I guess I don't consider it an amenity since I got sick of it from eating it every day once they started offering it. Go figure.

I guess the fact that I can get cold water and ice from the food court for free might be considered an amenity.

buzzard

 

[werk]

The corp. that I currently work for has free coffee. Good coffee (Steep and Brew), multiple 'flavors' (french, kona, columbian...) as much as you want to drink, you make it strong as you want, free sugar and creamer, cups, stirs, you name it. I sit like 7 feet away from this coffee area and really appreciate this ammenity (except for the uncontrollable twitching and heart palpatations) largely because I love coffee and have never had this before.

Can you imagine how many times per day I hear people complain about the coffee?


Edit: We have popcorn too, same deal, but I don't like popcorn