The Office Has Changed! A Look At The Past 50 Years
To many, it seems as if offices have been around since the beginning of time. But, the offices shown in beloved family comedies, such as The Lucy Show and The Dick Van Dyke Shows or the offices to where our grandparents made their daily commutes are drastically different in many ways to offices of today. Long gone are the days of fax machines, piles upon piles of files, Rolodexes, dress codes and smoking in the office. The modern office today incorporates open office spaces, snack bars and employee benefits, and many tasks can be completed remotely or via smartphone. As the traditional office is evolving, we’ve gathered some of the ways offices have changed in the last fifty years!
Computers!
Before computers became the workhorse of the office, employees relied on a variety of gadgets to get their work done. Today most tasks are done electronically and online. You can now work from anywhere; your home office, a coffee shop, even across the world! This blog by Oeveo shares the Cultural Impact of Computers on the Office.
Meetings!
Long gone are the days when you had to travel to attend a meeting. The introduction of virtual meeting rooms, such as Zoom, Google Meets and other networking have allowed for better collaboration and easier communication and meetings between people. You can now meet with professionals and co-workings in completely different counties all at the click of a button. This has opened up opportunities for many businesses to pull better resources from around the world and gain ideas and talent from anywhere.
Travel to Close Business Deals? No More!
You no longer need to travel or be in the same room as someone to sign your name on the closing partnership of the century. Documents can be virtually signed in seconds from anywhere, right at your fingertips from a smartphone or tablet.
Women’s Role in the Workplace
Did you know pregnancy could have been a career ending in the 50’s and 60’s? Before the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, employers could fire expectant moms to save the company’s bottom line from the added expense of time off and health benefits. In the mid-1960s, only 44% of first-time mothers worked during pregnancy, compared to more than 65% today, according to the Department of Labor.
Education! Education! Education!
The amount of people who have college level education in the workforce has majorly increased. In 1960, only 7.7% of adults had a college degree compared to today, with 40% holding a college degree. This statistic and standard has increased qualifications for many jobs.
What’s a Cubicle?
Back in the 1960s, cubicles were standard office practice. But, the modern office has taken a shift to open office plans and collaborative spaces. Did you know the workspace in 1995 was estimated to be 75 square feet bigger compared than the modern office now? The smaller offices of today may be due to: more flexibility in schedule means less space needed at all times, hot-desking popularity, working from home, and the fact that many professionals work with laptops instead of monitors and equipment that take up too much space.
He vs She?
In the 1950s, the gender divide was prominent–men dominated essentially all aspects of society. Men held high-ranking positions in the workplace while women most often worked as secretaries or shorthand-typists before they were married, after which they left the workforce to be full-time homemakers. Women holding executive positions were essentially unheard of.
- On average, women earned 63% of what men were paid
- The ratio of women to men in the workforce was 30:70 respectively
Pajamas? Suit? Yoga Class?
Of course this depends on the office in which you work, but generally, office dress codes have loosened significantly. Where casual Fridays were an exciting benefit in office's where suits were the daily attire, now jeans and even leggings (when modestly worn!) are seen as totally acceptable on a regular day in many offices and showing up in business wear may turn a few eyes and prompt a few curious questions.
Oeveo in the Office?
Despite how offices have changed and will continue to change, Oeveo is ready to help. We develop technology support products known for their sleek finish, ease of installation, and Made in the USA quality. We’ve gathered a few of the ways that Oeveo keeps up with technological changes in the office.
- Oeveo takes care to keep up to date with mounts that support home office, business office, or modular work environments. We have mounts for every application, from audio encoder mounts, laptop mounts, UPS mounts, PC mounts and more!
- Research and development of new products to solve problems before they arise.
Our design team takes care to ensure that we offer solutions for problems when they arise and to stay in the knowledge of newly released home and office technology. When we heard of the Mac Studio release back in 2022, we were the first to market with a Patented Mac Studio Mount to solve a problem for new computer owners before it even arose!
- Using consumer feedback to constantly improve product offerings.
Here at Oeveo, we strive to make our customers happy. We are constantly listening to our customers and their feedback on improvements of existing products or new, innovative products to satisfy their needs.
- Focusing on product quality and customer experience to combat non-domestic options.
Oeveo, a Short Run Pro brand, prides itself in having our mounts completely “home grown” in a business sector that is saturated with lower quality, foreign made products. The entire process, from an idea in our ThinkTank to delivery at your door is kept right here, in the United States. This is vitally important to us as a company. During times of uncertainty in a global market, it becomes increasingly important for the American people to invest in and buy American-Made products. Buying American-Made products surpasses simple patriotism, but further helps to contribute to a brighter and more stable future for the entire country through your support of Oeveo. Supporting local businesses does much more than you may even realize. Supporting local businesses reinforces the strength of local communities. This strengthens our Nation from the inside out. It provides the best solution for building our National economy by building the most solid foundation imaginable: American citizens once again buying American-Made products.
- Working with affiliates to garner feedback from the widest possible audience.
We work with emerging and popular youtubers to help share our products and gain a bigger audience in order to hear more feedback on improvements or other ideas from a community of individuals from a variety of backgrounds, from tech professionals to hobbyists. You can find some of our amazing Oeveo affiliates below!
Johnny Mcclung - An amazing photographer and videographer with calming, informational reviews of tech, and tech related products, such as computer desk mounts and cable management options.
SPX Labs - A long-time Oeveo supporter who creates awesome tech video reviews and tutorials in his home lab. Stefano is notable for his honest takes on tech.
Scott Hardesty - Scott’s channel features tech, e-bikes and everything in between! Scott has some great Oeveo reviews on his channel.
Oeveo is excited to continue to thrive and provide quality, American Made solutions across all aspects for both home and commercial applications with 650,000+ products manufactured to date and growing.
To contact us, please use the form HERE.