The 1980s office was a world of huge computers, beige cubicles, and endless stacks of paper. Work back then demanded a different rhythm: less digital, more slow, and often hilariously analog.

Women in shoulder pads and men in wide-lapel suits navigated landlines and rolodexes, all while plotting the next big sales pitch. At McDonald’s, the uniformed crew hustled behind counters without touchscreens, flipping burgers and taking orders with handwritten tickets, where speed and accuracy were everything. Meanwhile, video stores were bustling hubs of pop culture; employees organizing rows of VHS tapes, recommending movies, and fending off late fees with a mix of patience and sass.

Every job carried its own style, its own energy, and its own unspoken rules, painting a vivid picture of a decade where the workplace was both chaotic and unmistakably colorful.