Encyclopedia Brown & the Case of the Shrinking Cubicle

Well, this is just sort of a bummer, man. Your office space is shrinking:

Feeling a little cramped at work? Do you no longer enjoy the elbow room you used to? Well, you’re not alone. According to the International Facility Management Association, the average American office worker had 90 square feet of work space in 1994, but by 2010, that same worker was down to just 75 square feet of personal space in which to stretch out on the job.

Nor are office drones the only casualty of this spacial downsizing trend. Senior company officials have seen their offices shrink as well, from an average of 115 square feet in 1994 to 96 square feet in 2010. Oh, the humanity!

The shrinking workplace is yet another cost-cutting measure that employers have pursued for years under the theory that smaller workstations are cheaper to maintain to especially as commercial rents spiral upward.

10 Annoying Cubicle Habits

The blog of the Houston Press tackles the 10 things you do from your cubicle that irritate your coworkers the most. See the entire post for further explanations of each. Hopefully, you’re not guilty of any of these.

10. Eating too loudly
9. Hovering
8. Talking about your wonderful, fantastic, not-at-all average kids
7. Flirting on the phone
6. Endless throat-clearing
5. Violating basic headphones etiquette
4. Eat lunches that have the pungency of a Mumbai spice market
3. Engage in endless discussions about reality shows or fantasy football
2. If you at any time have been told you have a unique laugh or giggle, DO NOT EVER BE AMUSED BY ANYTHING
1. Coming back from lunch wearing someone else’s perfume