"My previous company moved from a traditional layout where I had my own office to a smaller, open office space. At first, I was excited about the change because we really didn't need the big office we were renting. Unfortunately, the move turned out to be a big mistake. My company tried to fit too many people into a limited amount of square footage. I wound up with a desk barely three feet wide with what should have been an exit behind me. Since my desk was too close to the door for it to swing open, their solution was to lock the door so no one could go in or out. Quarters were so tight that when I stood up from my desk I'd often hit my hip on the door handle, which meant I had a gnarly bruise for months on end. Whenever someone had to go to the bathroom, head to a meeting, grab lunch —you know, the normal things people do in an office — everyone in that row had to stand up or otherwise smash themselves into their desks to create enough space to walk by. My new office is also open-concept, but there is a significant lack of safety concerns, so despite the fact that it's nearly impossible to concentrate for all the chatter and my neighbor shaking his leg to the point where my screen rattles, I think I can endure."