Workspace

I've become aware that some companies don't provide a set workspace for at least some of their workers; in a bid to migrate to the so-called "paperless office" as well as to eliminate employee personal possessions, some companies provide workspace that's available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Meaning that you must bring everything you'll need from home because you're no longer allowed to stash it at work. I don't know if I could work like that in a permanent position; it reduces the worker to a commodity even more so than the conditions at a document review.

How do I reach that conclusion? In a document review, temporary attorneys are a commodity. We're there for the length of the project and don't necessarily have the ability to leave personal items in the workplace. My personal items are limited to small, inexpensive items, easily replaced and not at all personal. This is due to the nature of the work and the sort of workspace that has been provided to us.

It would be much more difficult to work under circumstances like this in a permanent position; with the first-come, first-serve workplaces, I would feel that I was ahead of the game at the document review, because I was at least returning to the same desk every day. I would feel like I was definitely a commodity because the company doesn't care enough to provide me with a consistent workspace. That's not a good message to share with employees.

Another trend is for companies to have workstations available for people who aren't generally in the office, such as sales people who come in a few days per month, rather than having an unoccupied space all the time. That makes far more sense to me.