Noisy offices affecting worker health, survey finds

Mark Glover - SHP Editor

Findings from a new survey suggest noisy offices are lowering productivity and impacting worker health.

A study of office workers shows noise in the workplace is contributing to missed deadlines and negatively affecting employee wellbeing.

The report from Oscar Acoustics surveyed 2,000 office workers with one in three admitting to missed project deadlines and resorting to poor quality output.

The main source of noise (38%) was cited as other colleagues talking to each other with a third saying their mood was negatively affected by ongoing distractions.

Only a quarter of those questioned said their space had been well designed for their job with 8% reporting they were working in a quiet office.

Employer’s reactions to noise issues were seen as minimal by respondents with only 20% saying that their immediate managers took action.

Commenting on the study, Ben Hancock at Oscar Acoustics said while the issue may seem minimal, firms need to take its impact seriously, “[Employers] have to consider how people work and ensure that there are spaces for collaboration, concentration and connection. Noise may seem a minor irritant, but not addressing this could hurt your business’s bottom line and put your employee’s health at risk.”

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