Lots of companies do try to create fun, relaxed atmospheres... I wonder how they can let people know (and why shouldn't they?) without getting lumped in with the type of company you mention?
Which means my last chance to accomplish critical tasks before the weekend is hosed, because there's a bunch of noisy, unproductive, drunk idiots around who won't answer questions and keep trying to push their idiot-sauce onto me.
> ping-pong in the break room whenever you need a break
So whoever sits near the break room can't get anything done because there's always noisy, unproductive, screaming idiots hitting a ball around.
> getting lumped in with the type of company you mention
As if the type you mentioned is superior?
Yes, break rooms should have proper acoustical isolation, or be adequately placed apart.
Beyond that, noise cancelling headphones does wonders!
If you want to interpret it that way, fine. I really don't care. You interfere with my work and try to shove an addictive, brain-freezing drug on me (no matter how many times I tell you my family history says stay the fuck away). Yes, you're noisy idiots. If you like, I can come up with different, even more insulting descriptions that I think fit even better.
> Yes, break rooms should have proper acoustical isolation, or be adequately placed apart.
They don't. Welcome to the real world.
> Beyond that, noise cancelling headphones does wonders!
I shouldn't have to isolate myself from an environment intended for doing work in order to do work.
It's an office. If it's not for getting work done, why am I in it? Why can't I just work from home? Why is the business spending money on it in the first place? Get rid of it and use the savings to pay me more.
</sarcasm>
I actually don't want to work somewhere like that and I also have a family history, but it's not necessary to call it idiot-juice and act like these businesses have done me personal harm and these people are all stupid for enjoying it.
Two of them have done me serious personal harm. I can quantify the financial harm (it's somewhere north of $200,000 at this point). I can't quantify the psychological harm, nor, at this point, can I quantify the stress-related physiological harm.
Why do you want to do anything in the break room, apart from... you know, having a break / fun while away from the keyboard?
What kind of utopia do you live in? Just getting out of a cubicle on the wrong side of the building with three extremely loud people took months.
> I think you're making the problem bigger than it actually is.
I'm so happy that you are omniscient and know exactly what it was like and can authoritatively state how big a problem it is. You make my life complete. Please continue to tell me which other things I just imagined to have destroyed my psyche, since you are obviously so qualified to dictate what I have or have not experienced in my life.
None of these things were discussed during the hiring process. They are a nice little bonus.