The Differences Between Offices Today and Offices in the 80’s

Office life has changed significantly since the 1980s. The last 30 years have seen remarkable advances in technology and social attitudes, which have dramatically transformed day-to-day life in the workplace.

Without a doubt it is the invention of the PC that has had the most impact on office life. Tasks that would have taken 1980s staff hours to complete can now be automated and done in seconds. What’s more, email and the internet have saved companies time and money whilst also allowing many of them to conduct business all over the world.

But it isn’t just technology that has evolved; attitudes towards women in the workplace have also changed significantly over the last 30 years. While it was not uncommon for a 1980s woman to be happy in her role as a secretary, her modern counterpart can enjoy better job prospects, a higher salary and more respect.

In fact, the general treatment of all office employees has improved significantly thanks to modern health and safety laws that protect us from potential accidents in the workplace. Not only do these new laws have employees’ best interests at heart, they also save companies millions of pounds in damages each year.

An office supplies order in the 80’s would have consisted mainly of pens, pencils, paper etc. Now they include things such as printer ink and toner, laptop risers and memory sticks.

In the heat of summer, 1980s workers would also have had to endure uncomfortably high office temperatures. In today’s modern offices, however, workers can adjust the temperature and enjoy the cooling effect of air-conditioning.

In the 80s, it would also have been common to spend the work day breathing in the second-hand smoke of your colleagues, as anti-smoking laws were non-existent. Today, workers must make their way to designated smoking areas outside if they wish to smoke.

So much has changed over the last 30 years. As technology and society have evolved, so have our workplaces. From keeping cool in the summer to getting an instant reply from an email or even being able to work in a clean and safe environment – today’s offices are a much more pleasant and efficient place to work.

Source by Laura Scott Davis

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