Open office formats are incurring collateral damage in the Canada-U.S. trade war. Workplace satisfaction surveys routinely uncover a certain level of disgruntlement with the design concept, but some facilities managers report they’ve sensed a new silent but deadly undercurrent of ill will in recent weeks.
Indoor environmental quality specialists trace the disaffection to the surging Buy Canadian movement and uptake of domestically grown legumes and cruciferous vegetables. Emerging data from operational call centres shows a general increase in ventilation-related requests, while, anecdotally, there appears to be more non-smokers idling in outdoor spaces than is typical for the cold weather months.
“Some people are in a funk, for sure, and we do have some concerns that it might rip through our team cohesiveness,” acknowledges Mae Wreek, facilities and workplace well-being coordinator with Platform: Urban; Gregarious; Hip (PUGH), a social media marketing firm. “We’re heartened, however, that noise migration is now ranking as a lesser irritant among staff.”
Another celebrated plus is PUGH’s recent Forward-Accelerating Results & Trends certification — awarded to influencers that meet rigorous standards for global situational awareness across a range of economic, social and environmental categories. Wreek credits staff’s shift in dietary habits for the extra points the firm earned for healthy eating and considering the public good ahead of personal comfort.
“There is a poignant new air about us, which is a fitting response to the barrage of insults the U.S. administration has been hurling Canada’s way,” she maintains.
Reflective of its elevated status, PUGH just secured a contract to promote the Truss-to-Trump Botanical Betting App, a line of wagering that gives a nod to both vegetative outcomes and dubious economic strategies. It’s currently offering 6/5 odds that the U.S. commerce secretary will take stress leave before a cabbage rots; 4/9 odds that it’s easier to slice through a raw turnip than to explain to the White House press secretary how tariffs actually work; and 1/1 odds that Jack will grow a beanstalk to the giant’s lair before a mass influx of manufacturers is seen in the United States.
