A study has published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Health Management has concluded that the switch to open-plan has led to lower productivity and higher worker stress.
“The high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity, there are privacy issues because everyone can see what you are doing on the computer or hear what you are saying on the phone, and there is a feeling of insecurity.”, sais Dr Vinesh Oommen from the Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
In 90 per cent of the research, the outcome of working in an open-plan office was seen as negative, with open-plan offices causing high levels of stress, conflict, high blood pressure, and a high staff turnover
According to this study, working in an open-plan office could contribute to higher blood pressure and an increased risk of illnesses as bugs such as the influenza virus were more swiftly passed around.
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