Are open-plan offices bad for your health?

[Movehut]

Many modern offices are open-plan. But are they bad for your health?

 

A study has found that an open-plan office layout can reduce a workers happiness levels by 32 per cent and reduce their productivity by 15 per cent.

 

With the lack of privacy and increased conversations about last night’s soaps, no wonder people find it hard to concentrate.

 

What do you think about open-plan offices?

[rainbow2411]

Anyone who worked at bt's call centre at Hillsborough would agree with this premise. An open plan office, no windows, around 100 other operators with half a dozen managers keeping a close eye on you, not to mention the people who kept interrupting us wanting phone numbers! all of this made it really difficult to hold a conversation but yet somehow we managed to.

[virgoen18]

Yep I agree. It's a lot easier to get your head down and concentrate if you don't work in an open plan office. Open plan offices lack privacy and are more distracting. I'd love my own little booth to work in, i'd get a lot more work done.

[Movehut]

I'd love my own little booth to work in, i'd get a lot more work done.

 

But wouldn't you feel on your own?

 

I like those office dividers that you can have round desks, so you have more privacy etc, but you are still able to communicate with people.

[Gothic_Angel]

I've worked in both types and always preferred having my own office. More places (ime) seem to be open plan these days. Certainly makes it harder to have a 5 minute skive

 

But seriously, I prefer my own office because there are far less distractions. I don't know whether it affects my health though...I just find it vaguely irritating in open plan offices.

[Harleyman]

Cant beat cubicles. A stolen twenty-five minutes of snooze time after luch break is good for your health AND (say experts) has been proved to increase employee productiviry in the afternoo hours when energy levels are normally at their lowest ebb.