Employee Refusing New Monitors

trev likes bargains on 03/09/2018 - 12:30
Last edited 05/09/2018 - 16:04 by 1 other user

I requested that one of my colleagues be given two high res screens. He currently has two 19 inch low res screens. As a technical person, this is very unproductive to work on.

He said he didn't need them when I offered him awhile ago but I proceeded anyway because they are so old and are not good for productivity.

Any ideas as to what the real reason might be? I asked him once and he said that the end of the screen will be too far away!

Update 05/09/2018

Thanks all for your support and constructive criticism. We have agreed to trial the new screens and will switch back to the old screens if required.

Education & Work

closed Comments

      • netsurfer on 04/09/2018 - 11:13

        They do. Do your maths. Total surface area. Anything closer to a square would have more total surface area. Wide screen is a cost saving exercise (good marketing).

        19 inch 4:3 : 1280x960
        19 inch 16:9 : 1280x720

        Both 19 inch, 4:3 needs more pixels (33.333% (1/3) more surface area). Basic maths 101.

        • jno on 04/09/2018 - 11:46
          -2

          Man basic maths is 1+1 i have no idea what you just said

        • netsurfer on 04/09/2018 - 13:31
          -1

          @jno: The last sentence is still too hard for you?

          Both 19 inch, 4:3 needs more pixels (33.333% (1/3) more surface area).

          Basically, making a 16:9 wide screen monitor instead of a old 4:3 monitor saves manufacturer 33.333% of the LCD screen cost.

          4:3 = 16:12. Thus, old monitors are 16:12. New wide screen monitors are 16:9. Hence the 33.333% reduction in total surface area.

          Too hard to understand, isn't it? That's why it works a treat for manufacturers.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2018 - 17:33
          -4

          @netsurfer

          Are you on drugs?

          I guess they're also cheating you when they make higher res screens in the same size because the pixels are smaller?

        • AustriaBargain on 05/09/2018 - 02:17

          But a 4:3 screen will be huge if it were 33.33% bigger, and it'd be hard to compare the size of them just by looking at the their surface area instead of their dimensions.

        • Bonsaichop on 05/09/2018 - 08:45
          +1

          Actually it's more, a 19" 4:3 is usually 1280x1024 which works out to be around 42%.

          This is coming from someone who uses 3x 2007FP in portrait which are 5:4 1600x1200. I'll never stop using these!

        • Munki on 05/09/2018 - 10:23

          @Bonsaichop: Yeah but those bezels though.

        • rocketpoweredmice on 05/09/2018 - 15:40

          @netsurfer:
          33% less pixels, not 33% less surface area
          Number of Pixels =/= surface area

          19 inch 4:3 is 173.29 square inches
          19 inch 16:9 is 154.25 square inches

  • lost in transit on 04/09/2018 - 11:10
    +3

    Might be a ploy for a bloody PAY RISE

    • Indomietable on 04/09/2018 - 12:33

      Or a coup .. He then can report to the management that his manager have to ask bunch of cheapskate on how to read minds rather than direct communication.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2018 - 11:28
    +4

    Focusing on your own monitors is also good for productivity.

  • cuteseal on 04/09/2018 - 11:32

    Does he use terminals or command line windows for his work? Maybe he likes keeping his windows maximised and if it's too wide, text will start spreading across the screen.

    I've seen some weird behaviour in my office. We mainly have laptops plus two external monitors.
    - One guy has two monitors but just uses one, I think the other one isn't even plugged in
    - One guy rotates one 90 degrees, and uses it for documents. That way he can see a full page without scrolling.

  • Dr Techno on 04/09/2018 - 11:36

    maybe aspect ratio, I still prefer 16:10 for work. somethings might be best not explained. everyone is different, simply that was his preference. something that I think is awesome may not be to someone else.

  • blehgg on 04/09/2018 - 12:24
    +10

    Hypothetically the dude started his job with the monitors back when he was married and had 2 kids.

    When he join the company, he took 3 photos which he sticky taped to the side of the screens to remind him of what he had waiting at home.

    Due to working too much, his wife left him and took his kids away.

    From the emotional pain, he stripped the photos away and in haste, threw them into the insert local river here.

    He regretted this but it was too late, the photos were gone.

    All that reminded him of his kids now were the sticky tape markings on the side of his monitors.

    Think of the children!

    • Ghost47 on 04/09/2018 - 23:03

      This is definitely the most plausible reason here.

  • OzTightArse on 04/09/2018 - 13:45

    I am like him. I dislike high resolution screen as in their native resolution all text etc. will look very small.

    I also prefer 4:3 screens, hence my laptop for work is stil IBM X61 and IBM T60

  • shangoz on 04/09/2018 - 13:49

    unless you spend at least A$800 per monitor, otherwise may be the new cheap one not as good as old one. One monitor just need to open up, clean up inside, suck all dust out, then it will continue work.

  • Peel on 04/09/2018 - 13:59

    I think most possibilities have been covered,this idea is bit left of field but if your colleague is very environmentally conscious they could think it's wasteful in regards to the new monitors environmental impact to produce and disposing of the old ones. Not to mention the cost associated for something they don't believe they need.

  • Aneurism on 04/09/2018 - 14:08
    +2

    Reason would be OHS neck pain from twisting head from side to side. But seriously, if you are his manager, you could just do what normal managers do and talk to him honestly about your reasoning and find out his reasoning. I pretty much find it a sign of poor management skills if managers have to come to random forums to determine what their employee is thinking.

    Offer him a 38" Curved high res monitor.

  • thord on 04/09/2018 - 14:09
    +1

    Any ideas as to what the real reason might be?

    He doesn't want them?

    Why can't you just let him do his work? Why are you getting in his business?

  • Bid Sniper on 04/09/2018 - 14:15

    Here I am working on a curved 49"…

    • trev likes bargains on 04/09/2018 - 14:15
      +1

      Luckily you are a Sniper

      • Bid Sniper on 04/09/2018 - 14:24
        -1

        I'm the manager its my call, even got a 1060GTX to power it. People thought it was excessive but I told them it was cheaper than some POS Apple PC, what would they prefer?

        this 4K panel can run 4 full screen 1080p simultaneously, its great for teamviewer and viewing technical schematics. Multi monitors is too cluttered IMO

        • Peel on 04/09/2018 - 14:44
          +1

          I'm not one to defend Apple but comparing a monitor to an Apple PC is comparing apples with oranges.

        • happirt on 05/09/2018 - 12:33

          why are you running hardware designed for gaming and 3D at work? are you a game dev?

        • Bid Sniper on 05/09/2018 - 14:20

          @happirt:
          Nope, 4K with multiple windows, high res schematics, virtualization, PS and occasional sketchup.

          I need a system to be stable and responsive to throw whatever at it. for $300 that peanuts.

  • happirt on 04/09/2018 - 14:29
    +1

    low-res monitors makes workers unproductive? wtf….

    • trev likes bargains on 04/09/2018 - 16:30
      +4

      You are getting a 15 inch 800x600 monitor for xmas

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/09/2018 - 19:39
        +1

        Yissss perfect for Doom 2

        • happirt on 05/09/2018 - 12:24

          at least doom2 players know how to handle a console… OP self proclaims he is a tech, but probably just a point and click tech….

          a good craftsman never blames his tools for what ultimately is a lack of skills and creativity.

      • picklewizard on 05/09/2018 - 14:16

        Except that's not what this employee has… just let him have his screens?

  • idonotknowwhy on 04/09/2018 - 14:37
    +2

    This is simple really.
    1. Less neck/back pain from looking at corners of the screen.
    2. Less distractions (only 1 window in the foreground at a time), alt-tab to switch tasks.
    3. As he said, he doesn't need the extra space. Why waste the company's money?

    Mind your own business and leave him alone.

    • trev likes bargains on 04/09/2018 - 16:29

      He needs to be able to see his solutions in the way the clients see it.

  • skywards on 04/09/2018 - 14:50

    Don't ask him for his opinion, change the screens anyway.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2018 - 16:25

    Check to see if he has a request in, he may value the item above the monitors and doesn't want you wasting money on something he feels he doesn't need over something he does. Better still ask him if there is anything he needs.

    • trev likes bargains on 04/09/2018 - 16:28

      I have spoken to him. He says he very happy with everything.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2018 - 16:30

        I'm at a loss, unless he just doesn't want to be any trouble.

        • trev likes bargains on 04/09/2018 - 16:31

          That's what we thought as well. We have ordered them in and it will get delivered soon.

  • cameldownunder on 04/09/2018 - 17:07
    +9

    He wants a decent salary, not 2 new monitors !

    • neonlight on 04/09/2018 - 18:07
      +1

      This

    • elgrande on 05/09/2018 - 10:37

      And a boss thats less of a prick

  • ruddiger7 on 04/09/2018 - 17:13
    +2

    Give him a week with the new monitors, If he doesn't like them after that, switch them back.

    • Flanders on 04/09/2018 - 18:19
      +1

      Best idea yet .. Ask him my nicely to please give the new monitors a go for 1 week, and explain to him he can switch back after 1 week if he still doesn't like them.
      During this time, assess productivity, if after 1 week on new monitors productivity shows significant improvement over the old monitors, then show him such evidence and reason with him accordingly.
      If productivity equalls same with new monitors compared to old monitors, then you have no reason to deny him if he wants to change back.
      And don't have like an "I told you so" kind of attitude about this. Just ask him nicely to give it a go for 1 week (or maybe 2 weeks) then be happy and content with the outcome, regardless of whether you were right or wrong about your speculation of monitors improving his productivity .

  • macrocephalic on 04/09/2018 - 17:25

    Tell him that the old monitors are no longer covered by IT support and he needs to upgrade.

  • kyoba on 04/09/2018 - 17:53
    +2

    Real reason: full screen porn too obvious now

  • Qlander on 04/09/2018 - 18:35

    Question is, is his productivity low? or you think it can be better than what it is now?

  • CallumS on 04/09/2018 - 19:12
    +1

    I can relate. I have had many different monitor setups and have never enjoyed two 16:9 monitors. It's always results in a configuration that is just too wide or without enough vertical realestate. And, while some may disagree, I think 16:9 rotated is just silly high most of the time.

    The best setup I've found after many is a single 4k 32" display. It allows effectively and easily snapping/displaying 4 applications at once without any need for neck turning, requires no Windows or application scaling, and is brilliant for reading documents on one side and taking notes or developing on the other. The second best setup I've had was a 30" 2560x1600 monitor in the middle with 20" 1200x1600 monitors on either side. Ergonomic, comfort and productivity wise, they've both been WAAAAY better than any 16:9 dual screen setup I've seen/used/had.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/09/2018 - 19:44
    +2

    Heh sounds like my old work. Certain staff wouldn't give up their old dinosaur slow PCs as they CBF copying shortcuts and links. We'd image the machine and remove the RAM. Get the support call next morning "uh oh it's dead! New machine time. Luckily we run backups every night!"

  • milde12 on 04/09/2018 - 20:10

    What's considered low res? I can't imagine a 19" lcd monitor having less than 1280 x 1024 or at the very least 1024 x 768 in the 4:3ish ratio. Business apps tend to require only 768 minimum vertical resolution, so I can't imagine having more real estate horizontal ways would change much. And there's the horrible scaling that Windows tries to do.

    I personally like high res, working on a pair of 34" ultra wides with no scaling. looking to upgrade to a 4k curved when they eventually make it.

    • macrocephalic on 04/09/2018 - 22:18

      The OP has stated that the employee is a dev working primarily in visual studio. VS has a lot of windows and toolbars, trying to use it on a 1024x768 monitor would be painful.

  • kaleidoscope on 04/09/2018 - 21:02

    In my last client site they had these tiny 15-19” monitors fixed to tables … i never bothered using them as the macbook pro screen was better and more productive than using them tiny ones 😂

  • Plug on 04/09/2018 - 22:16

    Do the 19" monitors still meet OH&S requirements? If they do then no issues.

  • FittyFitty on 05/09/2018 - 02:46

    When push comes to shove, I suppose what one really has to ask is what came first, the chicken or the rooster? I have always personally advocated that it was indeed the rooster that came first; all over the chicken's beak, in fact.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2018 - 06:04

    OP is trying to suss out who among us is his colleague.

  • fruxo on 05/09/2018 - 09:40

    I don't see what the confusion is about. He is happy with his monitors so he doesn't want to change them. Whenever there is a change or upgrade, there is ALWAYS extra work involved. And uncertainty. He doesn't want to deal with it since he is happy with what he got. He wants to maintain the status quo that he know and is happy with.

    From your perspective, it might seem silly, it's just a monitor! But he is clearly not technologically savvy.

    That said, it also seems silly to go behind his back against his wishes. You should have explained to him your problems with his current monitors, how it affects you and others, and why you will buy new ones from him. Maybe you need to work on your management style as well as what you've done will not improve your (already poor?) relationship.

    Also worth noting that I doubt whatever issue you have with him will go away just because you upgrade the monitors.

    • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2018 - 10:23

      well as what you've done will not improve your (already poor?) relationship. They clearly have a poor relationship. Earlier on on the thread the employee was described as an idiot. OP's slightly mean response was, 'good one'.
      I would have to seriously dislike my colleague to behave like that, behind his back, on a public forum over such a trivial issue.

      • elgrande on 05/09/2018 - 10:39
        +1

        Agree.

      • happirt on 05/09/2018 - 12:37
        +1

        im pretty sure he is more concerned about his relationship with his monitors than humans.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2018 - 14:37

          He monitors the monitors of others.

  • Munki on 05/09/2018 - 10:23
    +1

    Maybe he's comfortable with the size of his monitors. Are you suggesting bigger monitors are more productive? Are you perhaps overcompensating?

  • herysoe on 05/09/2018 - 12:22
    +2

    Next thread will be, "There is this IT guy at work kept asking me to upgrade my monitor but I don't want too, what exactly is his reason?"

  • groot on 05/09/2018 - 14:22

    He might be planning to leave the company,so doesn't want to take burden of your favor or he is a minimalist and doesn't want to increase trash

  • THICKnSLOW on 05/09/2018 - 15:03

    Your colleague is an alien.

    Report him to ASIO straight away

  • hotdog679 on 05/09/2018 - 15:38

    Maybe he wanted to keep as low a profile at work as possible. Minimal expenses = maximal job security? Something my dad would do

  • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2018 - 15:50

    You are complaining that someone doesn’t want to change something that already works and waste money on resources that already work?
    I think the validity of this forum is inexistent

    • trev likes bargains on 05/09/2018 - 16:01

      That's like never upgrading a computer until it breaks?

  • trev likes bargains on 05/09/2018 - 16:03

    Thanks all for your support and constructive criticism. We have agreed to trial the new screens and will switch back to the old screens if required.

  • Moderatorscrimshaw on 05/09/2018 - 16:08

    Thread closed. OP has found a 'resolution' to his monitor dillemma after 'screening' the comments.

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