The Workplace


The Workplace
If you can stretch your memory to revisit your school days, you’ll recall that language subjects used to have essay-writing. And essays on ‘Railway-station’ or ‘Bus- stand’ would invariably be there every year. On similar lines, it occurred to me that the place where most grown-ups spend a major part of their lives- an office- could make for an interesting topic. And thus my thoughts began flowing…
To make it clear, when I mention ‘office’, I would like to refer to typical workplaces of considerably sized companies having large offices or fully occupied campuses. Most IT companies and MNCs would boast of such workplaces, either owned campuses or leased floors in a complex or SEZ.
To start with, getting into your work-place is like an adventure video game which, typically, has multiple levels that you need to overcome before reaching your end-goal. The process begins at the entrance where you need to be armed with necessary inventory to proceed further. The entrance security will check your identity card, vehicle parking sticker, helmet and the vehicle before allowing you inside the parking area. Parking lots have an uncanny knack of being either way below the ground or way above (second, third floor), but never on the ground. Once in, you have to combat a complex contraption of intertwined slopes & steep curves that will take you to the parking space. Even there, the parking admin will never allow you to park at the nearest spot. You’ll be guided to a cramped space between two vehicles as if they want to check your skills. In that too, they’d ask you to take your car in reverse and park. Congrats! Level 1 cleared.
Heaving a sigh of relief, you move on to the next stage. Here you have to take on the inflow of people and beat them to the elevator queue. Once in, the elevator invariable will stop at every single floor before it’s your turn to step out. You now face the entrance to your particular workplace in the office. Here, you will be subjected to further checks. This level of the game is relatively easy if your inventory is stocked with the essential ammo- I-card, laptop pass etc. But if you somehow do not possess any of these, you have to negotiate a bonus level before you can finish the game. This level comprises travelling to the office reception/ admin for temporary i-card/pass. Almost always, this particular area would be the farthest from your own workplace. Finally, after requisite formalities, you are through. Welcome to your workplace!
 Workplaces are a vibrant lot. They are filled with rows of cubicles surrounded by other functionalities on the sides. These would include conference rooms, libraries, washrooms, printer/ stationery rooms, systems/admin etc. I must say, printers and copiers are amongst the most obstinate lot I have ever seen. They will never co-operate with you the first time. Either drivers would be missing else they’d be low on ink/toner or out of paper. If nothing else, they’ll simply get jammed with paper. Lobbies are amongst the most interesting places. You’ll find stiff security personnel sitting there, a couple of house-keeping staff members would be having a word as they sweep the floors while the receptionist would be always on the phone. As you look further, there would be a serious looking fellow going through the Economic Times and he would be accompanied by a jolly looking fellow who has a newspaper in his lap but is making jokes on his cell. Then a young female employee would be talking on her mobile while pacing about the corridors like a caged tigress. Interestingly, every time you go the lobby, you have a high chance of spotting her. As you move towards the areas housing the washroom and pantry, a hassled looking manager would come out barking on his phone. A group would be enjoying a cup of coffee relaxing in the sofas while some others would be indulging in a water-cooler chat.
Coming back to our story, as you successfully enter the workplace, having negotiated all levels, the cool air-conditioned ambience greets you. As you make way through the maze of cubicles towards your desk, you’ll see people engaged in various activities. A look at most computer screens will make you ponder whether Facebook is the major area of work in your company since those seriously engrossed in their monitors have the familiar blue-white interface of the social networking site staring back at them. Further on, there will be people gathered for a chat at a desk while corporate screensavers make merry on computers around them. People on conference calls with speakers ‘on’ is yet another frequent sight. Finally you reach your desk. A peculiar fact is that in most offices, electric power-points are strategically placed at the remotest corner so that you have to bend, kneel, crawl, stretch and squat before you can plug-in your adapter. I guess, it’s a healthy way to start your day!
As you start your machine, your inbox is inundated with mails. Most of them are from internal communications, HR, Admin, Systems, etc. Sandwiched inconspicuously in between is that one important mail that will clearly set the tone for your work. As you decide to get started, a colleague asks you whether you know that yet another wicket has fallen. Quite interested, you open espncricinfo to check the latest score. Meanwhile another friend pings you on IM (instant messaging) informing that Infosys results are out and the stock might plunge. Immediately, you open moneycontrol in another tab of your browser. Suddenly, your wife calls to remind you about the bills to be paid. So, you get yourself to do that. In between, pesky tele-marketers try to sell credit-cards & insurance to you. As you manage these multiple engagements, it’s time to go for a coffee. And when coffee is done, lunch time is not far behind. As you get back, you realize that you have hardly started any of your work. So, you admonish yourself and get down to work only to be interrupted by a conference call (a call in which you simply have to be on mute and use facebook side-by-side). The call is followed by a tea break.
Office romance is an interesting thing. Invariably, the best girl on your floor is never in your team and will always sit at the farthest desk. You’ll never ever have any common area of work to even mail or converse. So you plan to synch your water cooler timing to hers. Innocently you reach the cooler right when she does only to find that your courage has suddenly deserted you and words no longer come out from your mouth. So, you simply gulp down water and return back to your desk wondering how your friend found his mate in his office!
So now, you enter the slog overs phase of the game. You are an hour from 6.30 pm and almost the entire work is left. So you somehow manage to put up something and send it over at 6.29 pm, thankful that you avoided staying back late. You follow the exit routine of unplugging the adapter, security checks and the final departure from the parking lot. As you leave, you feel fatigued by the multi-tasking. But there is a sense of deep satisfaction regarding the way you have managed to handle everything well and yet are leaving on time for a nice fresh home-made cup of tea!

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