Open-plan offices may be bad for the health, according to research findings by Ipsos and the Workspace Futures Team of Steelcase. The study found that 85 percent of workers are dissatisfied with their working environment, admitting that they cannot concentrate.
Among the 10,000 workers across 14 countries who participated in the survey, 95 percent admitted that working privately was important to them, yet only 41 percent said that they could do so with their present working environment. Due to this, 31 percent of the participants often have to leave their office just to be able to complete their work.
The key findings of the study also discovered that office employees are losing an average of 86 minutes each day due to environmental distractions; many of them are unmotivated, unproductive, and overly stressed; and have little capacity to think and work constructively and creatively.
The survey also found that open-plan offices may not only be bad for the employee's productivity, but for his or her overall health and wellbeing as well. Such findings are not just a matter of opinion or assumption; the Canada survey actually found that employees who worked in open-plan offices took over 70 percent more sick days than those who worked from home. This was also affirmed by a study conducted by a team from University of Arizona, which revealed that an employee who comes into work sick can easily spread the virus through commonly touched surfaces such as telephones, tabletops, doorknobs, photocopier, or elevator buttons.
With these findings, it is recommended for employees to have more flexible working environments, balancing collaborative spaces with private working areas that allow a worker to concentrate on his or her tasks and optimize productivity and wellbeing.
Employees are also encouraged to speak up and assert their working needs, such as their need for a private space. If employers reject it, reporting one's concerns to management or HR is advisable.