Photos of your kids on your work desk
Discussion
My place of employment is a fairly big office of 200+ people but I work in a private 'side office' that I share with 2 colleagues and we were just discussing this the other day.
We realised that none of us have any photos of family in our office at all, and agreed that we didn't feel the need to have any as we tend to see them every day anyway!
I do have photos of my cars as wallpaper on my computer screens though
Saves me looking at the very limited selection of Windows wallpapers.
Some people do take the piss though and literally have family/kids photos plastered all over their workstations which I think looks pretty unprofessional, especially if you have an office where other companies will come to discuss business, but thats just my opinion.
They recently banned babies from the office though so will the workstations plastered with A4 sized family photos printed using the office colour printer be next??
We realised that none of us have any photos of family in our office at all, and agreed that we didn't feel the need to have any as we tend to see them every day anyway!
I do have photos of my cars as wallpaper on my computer screens though
Saves me looking at the very limited selection of Windows wallpapers.Some people do take the piss though and literally have family/kids photos plastered all over their workstations which I think looks pretty unprofessional, especially if you have an office where other companies will come to discuss business, but thats just my opinion.
They recently banned babies from the office though so will the workstations plastered with A4 sized family photos printed using the office colour printer be next??
Mobile Chicane said:
Mannginger said:
Nice, one different opinion and straight into personal attacks, well played PH.
Not everyone likes children. Those who don't have them end up picking up the slack when their colleagues have a cast iron excuse to leave at 5 'because they have to pick up their child from nursery' or have to 'work' from home because it's ill. Understandably, it causes resentment.
NinjaPower said:
They recently banned babies from the office
Entirely sensible, IMO.I've worked at a number of organisations where all activity ceased for a morning/afternoon while a bunch of hormonal wimmins - and to be fair some men too - cooed over a mewling, puking new-born baby rat.
Tell them that there are only two types of new-born babies: 'Churchill', or 'Ghandi', but theirs looks like Dean Richards.
That will go do down well.
(I know.)
Mobile Chicane said:
NinjaPower said:
They recently banned babies from the office
Entirely sensible, IMO.I've worked at a number of organisations where all activity ceased for a morning/afternoon while a bunch of hormonal wimmins - and to be fair some men too - cooed over a mewling, puking new-born baby rat.
Tell them that there are only two types of new-born babies: 'Churchill', or 'Ghandi', but theirs looks like Dean Richards.
That will go do down well.
(I know.)
I didn't particularly have an issue with Baby visitors as I don't sit out in the main open plan office so could shut the door to block out the crying noises but I can see the logic behind the ban.
Tribal Chestnut said:
Mobile Chicane said:
Not everyone likes children.
Those who don't have them end up picking up the slack when their colleagues have a cast iron excuse to leave at 5 'because they have to pick up their child from nursery' or have to 'work' from home because it's ill. Understandably, it causes resentment.
More fool you then. If this is happening with such regularity as to cause you upset, then you should be feeling resentment towards the company, not a colleague whose commitment to their offspring is such that they don't put in the additional unpaid hours that you feel are appropriate.Those who don't have them end up picking up the slack when their colleagues have a cast iron excuse to leave at 5 'because they have to pick up their child from nursery' or have to 'work' from home because it's ill. Understandably, it causes resentment.
I also work week and weekend evenings when I have an abundance of work, this generally goes unpaid but not un-noticed and keeps me in promotions and payrises even though I slope off at 5.00.
I'd hazard a guess that Mobile Chicane is confusing parents with lazy people, when in fact lazy people that have kids become lazy parents, I worked hard before I had a child and I'll continue to do so, just at more regimented hours than previously.
AlmostUseful said:
Quite. I finish at 5.00 because I need to pick my daughter up, however to remedy this I start half an hour earlier than those that do finish at 5.30.
Girl at work is supposed to do this, but is invariably 15-20 minutes late, then spends 20 mins chatting to her mate before actually sitting down to work. Then on Fridays she leaves at 16:30 for no discernable reason.And somehow she still manages to bank all 6 flexi days every year. I really wish I was her manager so I could see how.
MLH said:
To start with i don't have any kids so my views may be a bit biased.
My latest contract is based in an open plan office where about 12 of us are working. I noticed as soon as i started that everyone had photos of their kids (i hope they are their kids!) attached to the divider things between the desks. Over the weeks these photos have grown in number on each divider.
Ive worked away a lot and noticed the kiddy pics on desks before but thats understandable as the guys/parents are away for weeks on end but in this latest job they are out of the house for 8hrs a day. Also most of these pics are poor quality print outs not your normal framed affair taking pride and place in the middle of the desk.
Is this just one big willy waving contest or do parents really miss their kids that much during the space of 8hrs that the need a reminder of them all day long?
I don't see the problem with it. I work in an open plan office and lots of people have photo's up, or personalise their space in such a way. You spend the majority of your life working so why not make it a bit homely. I don't have kids but have a picture of my dad before he passed away on my laptop desktop. My latest contract is based in an open plan office where about 12 of us are working. I noticed as soon as i started that everyone had photos of their kids (i hope they are their kids!) attached to the divider things between the desks. Over the weeks these photos have grown in number on each divider.
Ive worked away a lot and noticed the kiddy pics on desks before but thats understandable as the guys/parents are away for weeks on end but in this latest job they are out of the house for 8hrs a day. Also most of these pics are poor quality print outs not your normal framed affair taking pride and place in the middle of the desk.
Is this just one big willy waving contest or do parents really miss their kids that much during the space of 8hrs that the need a reminder of them all day long?
I doubt people are using it as a willy waving contest. They would be a bit sad if they did.
None of the people in my team of 6 have photos of their kids on their desks, although one has her sons as a desktop on the pc
I think ill change it to the BMW 
pork911 said:
Single guys should have a pic of this week's hooker / rent boy or whatever they spend their money on
I used to have my Elise as my desktop I think ill change it to the BMW Edited by Cotty on Monday 26th January 17:37
I've pics of my kids here - they make me smile even when I'm being (metaphorically) kicked about on the floor by clients - there one in particular of my daughter from when she first started smiling - she's got a HUGE smile, it takes over her whole face - I could be having the worst day ever and it makes me smile - frankly it also helps remind me that all this work b
ks is just that - bks, it's never as important as it seems when you're in the thick of it.
I've also got pictures of me on my bike.
ks is just that - bks, it's never as important as it seems when you're in the thick of it. I've also got pictures of me on my bike.
DeuxCentCinq said:
AlmostUseful said:
Quite. I finish at 5.00 because I need to pick my daughter up, however to remedy this I start half an hour earlier than those that do finish at 5.30.
Girl at work is supposed to do this, but is invariably 15-20 minutes late, then spends 20 mins chatting to her mate before actually sitting down to work. Then on Fridays she leaves at 16:30 for no discernable reason.And somehow she still manages to bank all 6 flexi days every year. I really wish I was her manager so I could see how.
I pretty much have to leave at 17:00 on the dot to collect kids, I'm often 'late' in 09:10ish - and I work from Home Friday mornings - but then I'm good at my job so I can still do everything I need to do, and more between those hours.
Do we really still grade hard work in terms of hours and minutes and not output in 2015?
Edited by P-Jay on Monday 26th January 14:39
Interested in the views on this thread. I've always thought it a bit strange and unnecessary to have family photos on your work desk and wondered why people liked to. Love photos of kids and hearing about them but wouldn't want them on my desk I don't think. Each to their own though, it is harmless after all. :-)
I have a photo of my cat.
I used to have a photo of Mrs DS in a microsopic white frock at a previous employer, until one of my colleagues came into the office one morning at about 5am and found the security guard having a wk over it with his pants round his ankles. At his disciplinary he said that his "belt had just snapped" 
I used to have a photo of Mrs DS in a microsopic white frock at a previous employer, until one of my colleagues came into the office one morning at about 5am and found the security guard having a w
k over it with his pants round his ankles. At his disciplinary he said that his "belt had just snapped" P-Jay said:
Perhaps she achieves all her given tasks and goals within the timeframes you mention?
I pretty much have to leave at 17:00 on the dot to collect kids, I'm often 'late' in 09:10ish - and I work from Home Friday mornings - but then I'm good at my job so I can still do everything I need to do, and more between those hours.
Do we really still grade hard work in terms of hours and minutes and not output in 2015?
Yes, when her job is to cover an IT Helpdesk, which has set hours, and all her colleagues have to be there at the same time.I pretty much have to leave at 17:00 on the dot to collect kids, I'm often 'late' in 09:10ish - and I work from Home Friday mornings - but then I'm good at my job so I can still do everything I need to do, and more between those hours.
Do we really still grade hard work in terms of hours and minutes and not output in 2015?
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