Loud Open Offices Break Productivity. Here’s Why

It was an office design trend that’s been destructing productivity since it kicked off in the early 1960’s, before modular offices worsened it even further in the 80’s. Open plan offices with no meeting rooms, private offices, break rooms or any sort of walls hinder quality work – especially when it’s an office which requires communication and a functioning phone. Fortunately, our experts in office design know exactly how to mediate it but firstly, we have outlined the reasons why your loud open office is not helping your business:

Lack of Privacy

Noise pollution and lack of privacy are consistently noted as the biggest bugbear for employees. For employees working in open-plan offices, the number one frustration is a lack of sound privacy. Open-plan office spaces risk the disclosure of confidential information, not just to employees but also visitors. Our glass walls have a low sound transmission, providing you with much-needed discretion and privacy.

Decreased Productivity

Multiple studies have highlighted that excessive noise levels can lead to a decrease in employee productivity and concentration levels. Gensler found that 77% of employees crave quiet time during the workday, and 69% are dissatisfied with noise levels. Haworth found that employees are losing up to 28% of their productive time due to interruptions and distractions. Once distracted, it can take more than 20 minutes to refocus, which means we’re losing as much as 86 minutes per day, per employee, due to noise distraction alone.

Modern Office Design

Inspiring office spaces are crucial to motivating and engaging staff. By choosing glass partitions, the office won’t feel smaller, natural light can travel and the environment still feels open.

Applied Workplaces’ expert design and glass partitioning knowledge can bring your visions to life with stunning glass partitions. Our glass walls are completely customisable, so you can pick from a variety of finishes and add your corporate colours and logo.

Demountable Partitions

One of the reasons open-plan offices became so popular was due to the ability to cater for the ever-changing workforce. With our flexible range of demountable partitions, you can quickly upgrade or move the glass walls to suit your changing needs.

Does your loud, open office need glass wall partitions? We can manage every aspect of your project from design to installation. Contact us for an estimate and once you’re happy, we’ll send a surveyor to measure up and confirm costs. Call us today on 01202 577776 or get a free, no obligation partition wall cost quote.