You can forget that coffee!

Well, things are taking an interesting turn here in the office.

For a long time, we've had a 'kitchen' area to one side of the office, away from everything else. It had a microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge, even a fire alarm. We've also got a sink not even 10ft away from the kitchen, up maybe 5 steps, just by the toilet. The sink is marked as "for washing hands only, no kitchenware."

A couple of days ago, there was a company cleaning the drains, and we were informed that the toilets in this building are no longer usable for health and safety, so we now have to walk two buildings away (small ones), then up a flight of stairs & through two offices to use the toilet in our other building. Fair enough, can't do much about that, the drains are in a crap condition apparently, and contractors will be out ASAP to fix it.

This morning, one of the directors strolls in, and announces that the Directors in their meeting have now decided that the 'kitchen' in our office is in breech of Health and Safety regulations. The sole reason for this apparently is the fact that we don't have a sink to wash pots etc, the kitchen area is always kept clean & tidy (we have a nazi for a HSE).

So now, should we want cups of coffee/tea (or toast, or anything chilled) we have to walk up two flights of stairs to the nearest kitchen (just outside the directors offices - handy that) and carry everything back down. That means hot cups of coffee walking down stairs that look like they've seen better days.

Hmm... does anyone know where to get a Personal Injury claim form from so I can start filling it out now?

(Non of this really bothers me, as personally, I can live without coffee/tea, and we'll soon be working from home - should start 1st of next month).

[Luckypants]

Working from home, 10 second commute! It rocks!

To me, that sounds exactly like a licence to take 20 minutes to fetch a drink.

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Working from home, 10 second commute! It rocks!

I did it for 18 months a couple of years ago. Ok, the getting up and responding to my emails at 8am made me look good and then being able to work naked while eating toast till 9 meant an easy start to the day, but the loneliness absolutely drove me mad.

Originally Posted by Baph

we have a nazi for a HSE.

equal opportunities employer? thats good to hear.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Carsick

I did it for 18 months a couple of years ago. Ok, the getting up and responding to my emails at 8am made me look good and then being able to work naked while eating toast till 9 meant an easy start to the day, but the loneliness absolutely drove me mad.

Loneliness can be a problem, but the missus sometimes works from home, we use video conferencing etc, so not too much of an issue for me.

And I'm an anti-social git!

20 minutes? Blimey you're fast!

When the dept is fully staffed, that's 7 of us. Throw in a couple of developers sat down here working on issues, and a meeting in the 'small office' and you're now looking at least two kettles full just to make enough drinks.

I'm sure that can fill the better part of an hour, afterall, it'd be rude not to make drinks for everyone whilst you're there, so we usually take it in turns anyway.

As for the loneliness working from home, I'm going to have to try & find some. Folks on the forum know what my 2yr old is like (well, he's not even quite 2 yet) re: mobile & toilet. There's another two kids in the house, and the Mrs, and the computer is in the same room as the TV.

For the summer I'm looking at setting up a microwave setup or similar so that I can pick & choose which beach I'm sitting on to work. Now that'll be a commute worth doing...

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Baph

nearest kitchen (just outside the directors offices - handy that)

Start cooking up some smelly food if you want to go back to how it was

After reading the first bit, I thought it was going to be "...and since it takes 20 minutes to get to the toilet they've banned coffee due to its diaretic effect."

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Carsick

To me, that sounds exactly like a licence to take 20 minutes to fetch a drink.

Damn right.

Our free coffee bar has now been closed to save costs. I can get undrinkable tea from a vending machine, slightly tainted hot water from a different machine that has a pile of t-bags in a dish beside it made worse by UHT "milk" in little pots, or overpriced fresh tea with fresh milk from the canteen. We've been told NOT to bring in our own kettles or mini fridges and to just get used to it. Sod that. Big flask full of hot water and little flask full of fresh milk every day (box of PG in the drawer). I am NOT going to subsidise the dire food they serve in the canteen!!!!! I know we're not automatically entitled to free beverages but after so many years of it you get used to it!!

[\rant]