A trend probably coming to a workplace/panopticon near you: cubicles fitted with Walkstations
Discuss, if you’re able.
Jesus.
Talk about a rat in a maze! Maybe they’re generating their own electricity to run their computers!
She’s trying to pull the guy on the left under his desk.
So where does one sweat? Just imagine the sweat everywhere!
OK, ladies don’t sweat, they perspire. 
“Horses sweat, men perspire, ladies merely glow”
It reminds me of my days in the army. My OC was a Sandhurst graduate and he told a joke along the lines of “Officers and their ladies, NCOs and their wives, men and their wenches…”
Not PC, but funny… then.
Why does she have two phones and two keyboards? The guy on the left only has a book. The woman in the top right has been walking too much.
Nice perk for fat people and those with simple, mindless jobs, but it would definitely get in the way and reduce productivity and/or the quality of work for many employees. Including me. Sure I’d like to try it – I’d feel I wasn’t wasting my life in the office so badly if at least I was getting exercise at the same time. But I’m certain I wouldn’t work as well. Besides, I exercise before work. Others should be able to do the same. That way they can work when they’re at work (how’s that for a novel idea).
And, while it gives a nice image that the employer cares about its people and their health and wants them to have balanced lives, it also gives the image that the company and its employees are not all that serious about their jobs, which is not the image I’d want to project as an employer (or even as an employee). The article referred to one employee who feels it’s a little rude to keep walking with his back to a visitor, and speaking over his shoulder, when someone walks in to his cubicle, so he turns around and walks backward while he speaks with the visitor. Well fuck him. That’s rude. He should get off the damn exercise machine, greet the guest and treat them in a businesslike manner. It is an office, after all, not a gym.
As I said, I’d be happy to try it if they gave us free treadmills at work, but for most workers/companies I think it’s a stupid idea.
Why not put the treadmills in a basement gym? That way you could go after work, or before work. Or at lunch time.
I stayed in an apartment block with a pool and a gym once. It was actually quite a good way to burn off the stress.
you guys is being 2 harsh. i have a herniated disc in my back that can only get worse from sitting in a cubicle…this is exactly what i need, excuse me whilst i place an order…
I bet it has an OFF button?
Anyways surely this is a joke? I mean if you slipped and fell imagine the employers liability!!!
No, but the manager version can be set to a lower speed. Also you’re not shackled to it.
This is absolutely a fantastic idea, one whose time has come. As someone who spends 12 hours at a desk every day, I’m going to look into doing something like this.
[quote=“Mother Theresa”]And, while it gives a nice image that the employer cares about its people and their health and wants them to have balanced lives, it also gives the image that the company and its employees are not all that serious about their jobs, which is not the image I’d want to project as an employer (or even as an employee). [/quote]So you prefer the image of a slave driver that stifles any creativity that employees might have? Sounds like the type Taiwanese policy that a well rested and motivated workforce is a danger to the economy. Much better to squeeze every ounce of life out of your employees.
On the other hand, this company tries to give employees an pleasant place to work: google.ch/support/jobs/bin/s … id=gallery , obviously a very lackluster and unsuccessful company. They even give people the day off sometimes :loco:
A treadmill under the desk is a bit stupid though.
Put it this way: imagine you have a serious legal problem that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, a nasty protracted lawsuit and years of headaches, so you decide to hire a top-notch law firm to represent you, despite your misgivings because the lawyer appointed to the case – while he appears to be well qualified – charges an astronomical US$600 per hour, because you are hopeful he will attack the case swiftly and diligently, putting an end to it in quick order.
After an initial phone conference, you schedule an appointment and travel to his firm, the receptionist escorts you to a cubicle and there he is, in shorts and t-shirt, running on a treadmill. The receptionist announces your presence, he grunts acknowledgment, says “just a sec, gotta finish this interval,” as he sprints along, huffing and puffing, a pool of sweat beneath him on the treadmill and air stinky with sweat.
You wait a few moments as he finishes his sprint, before gradually slowing it down to a fast walk, before he turns to you and smiles, “got get the heart racing for 1 hour per day, doctor’s orders.”
Without slowing his pace, he grabs a towel that was draped over the cubicle wall, wipes his face, and throws it back over the wall. “You run,” he asks.
“Nope.”
“You should. Best thing I’ve ever done,” he says. “I used to be a fat slob and look at me now.”
He’s still a fat slob. A fat sweaty slob.
“Sure, I’m no Brad Pitt, but I lost twenty pounds since the company installed the treadmills.”
His Saucony’s keep pounding the treadmill and his belly bounces up and down with each stride. Large circles of sweat emanate from his armpits and chest. Even his groin is sweaty, and you nervously cast your glances around the office, not even wanting to look at his fat, sweaty face.
“Hey, but you’re not hear to talk about running,” he says. “I understand. Let me get your file.”
Without losing a beat, he keeps striding along, while he leans over the side of hte machine and grasps for a file on the corner of his desk. A paper slips from the file and flutters to the floor. “Oops.”
He balances the file on the front of the machine, opens it wide, and a large drop of flat falls, SPLAT, right in the middle of the paper that is secured in the file. He brushes it aside with a fat, sweaty finger, only smudging the spot larger, and then, only slightly out of breath from his exertions, he commences to discuss with you the case.
IMPRESSED HUH? Is that the lawyer you want to represent you? Not me.
But you’re like that anyway 
[quote]Anyways surely this is a joke? I mean if you slipped and fell imagine the employers liability!!!
I bet it has an OFF button?
Anyways surely this is a joke? I mean if you slipped and fell imagine the employers liability!!![/quote]
Surely you’re also joking?
Treadmills usually have one of those little clips that shuts it off if you fall or anything like that. They could also put in speed controls if they thought employees were going too fast for safety. I’ve spent quite a bit of time around runners and haven’t heard of anything worse than twisted ankle on a treadmill
Besides, I’d say it’s equally likely for an emplyee to sue because of working conditions like long hours in cubicles that hurt their back or leave them overweight as it is for hurting themselves on a company treadmill.
MT’s SNL skit description aside, there are lots of people who could maintain a light-to-moderate walk and still do whatever it is they need to do, and in fact maybe do it better because they aren’t sitting there half-awake while doing it.
I agree, anyone who does use a treadmill in their office should arrange it so they can face people who come in, or better yet just turn it off for a few minutes. Otherwise it’s just rude.
My office has a brand new, state of the art gym. Also yoga and pilates classes all the time. Something about reducing anxiety, depression and sick leave, increasing energy levels and concentration. Makes sense, and it’s quite a perk, in the UK, where these things cost 3000NT+ a month, roughly.
As long as people aren’t pressured into doing stuff, overtly or covertly. Loathe pilates, stepping machines, myself (Nooo, B! Reaaaallly?). Like running, jumping, swimming, hitting boys with bamboo sticks.
[quote=“Mother Theresa”]Put it this way: imagine you have a serious legal problem that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, a nasty protracted lawsuit and years of headaches, so you decide to hire a top-notch law firm to represent you, despite your misgivings because the lawyer appointed to the case – while he appears to be well qualified – charges an astronomical US$600 per hour, because you are hopeful he will attack the case swiftly and diligently, putting an end to it in quick order.
After an initial phone conference, you schedule an appointment and travel to his firm, the receptionist escorts you to a cubicle and there he is, in shorts and t-shirt, running on a treadmill. The receptionist announces your presence, he grunts acknowledgment, says “just a sec, gotta finish this interval,” as he sprints along, huffing and puffing, a pool of sweat beneath him on the treadmill and air stinky with sweat.
You wait a few moments as he finishes his sprint, before gradually slowing it down to a fast walk, before he turns to you and smiles, “got get the heart racing for 1 hour per day, doctor’s orders.”
Without slowing his pace, he grabs a towel that was draped over the cubicle wall, wipes his face, and throws it back over the wall. “You run,” he asks.
“Nope.”
“You should. Best thing I’ve ever done,” he says. “I used to be a fat slob and look at me now.”
He’s still a fat slob. A fat sweaty slob.
“Sure, I’m no Brad Pitt, but I lost twenty pounds since the company installed the treadmills.”
His Saucony’s keep pounding the treadmill and his belly bounces up and down with each stride. Large circles of sweat emanate from his armpits and chest. Even his groin is sweaty, and you nervously cast your glances around the office, not even wanting to look at his fat, sweaty face.
“Hey, but you’re not hear to talk about running,” he says. “I understand. Let me get your file.”
Without losing a beat, he keeps striding along, while he leans over the side of hte machine and grasps for a file on the corner of his desk. A paper slips from the file and flutters to the floor. “Oops.”
He balances the file on the front of the machine, opens it wide, and a large drop of flat falls, SPLAT, right in the middle of the paper that is secured in the file. He brushes it aside with a fat, sweaty finger, only smudging the spot larger, and then, only slightly out of breath from his exertions, he commences to discuss with you the case.
IMPRESSED HUH? Is that the lawyer you want to represent you? Not me.[/quote]
LOL! :roflmao: :roflmao: :bravo:
How could you possibly concentrate on the screen/document? How could you type? To each his own, but I think this is an incredibly bad idea.