Are mandated office returns harming your firm’s productivity simply down to noise and lack of acoustic design? Perhaps consider that employees actually want to work well and will generally find the best space in which to do that.
Workplace Acoustics: How Noisy Offices Reduce Productivity and Keep Workers Away
Noise Stifles Productivity
Only 36% of employees are satisfied with the noise levels in their offices and workplaces. (Leesman 2022) and 60% of employees are unable to concentrate, delivering poor quality work, due to noisy workspaces. (Oscar Acoustics, 2022). A quarter of workers report the onset of stress due to high noise levels and whilst 10% of respondents have reportedly resorted to violence as a result, most simply decide to work from home as much as they possibly can.
Noise can hugely stifle productivity and creativity – so why are more employers not fully addressing the problem, especially when trying to get workers back into the office?
Employees Distracted
Excessive noise in offices can lead to decreased concentration, increased stress levels, and overall dissatisfaction among employees. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), noise is a primary environmental issue that affects the health and quality of life of people worldwide. In the context of workplaces, surveys indicate that nearly 70% of employees believe their productivity would improve if their office environment were less noisy.
Employee dissatisfaction with noise is particularly pronounced in open-plan offices. A survey by Future Workplace and Poly found that 75% of employees identified noise as the top distraction, with 32% of them regularly using headphones to block out office noise. The shift to remote and hybrid working patterns has also highlighted the importance of managing noise. While working from home offers a quieter environment for some, it introduces new challenges for others, such as household noises and lack of dedicated workspace.
Nanofibre
Nanofibre technology is emerging as an innovative solution to noise pollution in the workplace. Furniture incorporating nanofibre materials can significantly reduce ambient noise levels. These materials have excellent sound absorption properties, helping to create a quieter and more conducive working environment. For instance, chairs, pods and partitions made with nanofibre can dampen sound waves, reducing reverberation and echo in open spaces.
Nanofibre for Workplace Acoustics
Silence is Not Always Golden
Certain work tasks are particularly sensitive to noise. Activities requiring deep concentration, such as writing, coding, and data analysis, are most affected by excess noise. Additionally, tasks involving phone or video calls suffer due to background noise, leading to communication difficulties and reduced effectiveness.
But it should also be noted that deathly silence can be just as distracting to many workers. To cover this silence the use of carefully placed speakers, providing uniformly distributed sound can be used transmitting sounds in the mid-range frequency, similar to the sound of wind in the trees or running water. Using this sort of system alongside acoustic furnishings and lighting can help create a very naturalistic soundscape conducive to concentration and hence productivity. A study by JLL Work Dynamics found Gen X workers (aged 35-44) were far more disturbed by noise than their Boomer, Gen Y or Gen Z colleagues, so it will pay not to design your office around a generic view of employees.
Noise and Health & wellbeing
The impact of noise on wellbeing cannot be overstated. Chronic exposure to high noise levels is associated with increased stress, anxiety, and even cardiovascular problems. According to a study by the American Institute of Stress, noise pollution in the workplace can lead to a 66% increase in stress-related illnesses. Therefore, addressing noise pollution through innovative solutions like nanofibre technology is crucial for enhancing employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall health.
If excess noise is the problem and total silence isn’t the solution, then a halfway house solution needs to be found for each individual workplace.
Utilise broken-plan approaches to large spaces. Introduce areas where noise is blocked or masked for focus tasks but try and incorporate levels of noise abatement to allow for different character types, working styles and types of focus and attention and also consider ‘Me’ spaces and ‘We’ spaces in your planning.
Biophilic Principles
Introducing biophilic design principles can help the subconscious mind with Auditory Selective Attention for example. Using a large overhead acoustic light, (HUSH or Nectar) provides the element of biophilic refuge that will help the brain filter out extraneous sound.
A desk, even with a simple desk screen (Crestline's Kowhai) or with a full acoustic wrap (PARK or Return Focus Pod) will decrease those higher frequency noises that can be irritating, as well as shielding the user, even in an open environment.
The use of sofas, carpet and hanging fabrics will create a womb-like homely environment for individual or collaborative focus.
Choose between levels of acoustic performance in furnishings too. Pick those with nanofibre fabrics for very noisy areas or to save money use simpler acoustically treated pieces, using standard foams and fabrics (Share Pod Lite or Return Focus Pod Lite) where noise is more manageable.
Conclusion
The tension between employers wanting people back in the office and employees looking for the best place to do their own work is not going away. Poor acoustics can be a deal-breaker for many workers, so it makes sense to address this issue by listening to them and carefully planning a response to improve the workplace. It's not just an annoyance: employee wellbeing and the firm's bottom line are at stake.
