5 things you didn’t know about office acoustics
Despite the ongoing trend towards working from home and remote meetings, many of us still spend our working days sat at our desks in open-plan offices. This means that these offices spaces are some of the most vital spaces to get acoustics right. A poor approach to acoustics can have a variety of consequences in the workplace that most people don’t think.
In this article we’re going to discuss the following 5 things you didn’t know about office acoustics:
- Co-workers are more distracting than you think
- Open-plan office problems
- Earphones can makes things worse
- Poor acoustics can cause bodily harm
- Too much peace and quiet can also hurt productivity
1. co-workers can be far more distracting than you think
Did you know that just one nearby conversation can make you 66% less productive? Now imagine you’re sat in an open-plan office of 20 odd people, all chatting about what they’re working on, what they did at the weekend and how far they’re up to on the latest hit TV series. Good luck getting any work done!
Optimising your acoustics can help drown out these distracting nearby conversations, helping your employees focus more easily.
2. open-plan office problems
Those who work in these noisier offices take 70% more sick days than home workers. Excessive noise levels can make you stressed and tired, so it’s a major factor contributing to days missed and a dip in productivity.
If you’re operating your business within an open-plan office environment, we highly recommend looking into areas where you can improve your office acoustics.
3. earphones can make things worse
Many of us have probably tried to hide away from noise by plugging in our earphones and drowning out the office with music, however this can boost noise levels by 9dB, creating even more noise and impacting on your hearing. It can also increase the likelihood of being distracted from the task at hand, particularly when listening to fast-paced music with a lot of lyrics.
4. poor acoustics can cause bodily harm
You’re more likely to slouch when working in a noisy office opposed to a quiet one. If noise levels in your office are at a constant high it means you may be slouching all through the working day, five days a week. This increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, which can cause pain and discomfort throughout the rest of your life.
Considering improving the acoustics in your office for the wellbeing of your employees.
5. too much peace and quiet can also hurt productivity
A reasonable amount of background noise can help foster creativity and collaboration between co-workers. Not only this, but it can help new employees feel a bit more comfortable. People tend to feel more self-conscious in a silent environment, so a low murmur of noise can help, especially in industries that require you to frequently speak on the phone.
Achieving this perfect balance can be difficult without liaising with acoustic experts. This is where Oscar Acoustics can step in and help.
how to get your office acoustics right
We have the most extensive range of acoustic products to help you get acoustics in your office right. Whether it be for a fit-out, refurbishment or new build, taking office acoustics seriously and removing distractions caused by excess noise will ensure workspaces sound as good as they look with a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
For more information regarding our reverberation control range or if you have any questions regarding acoustics you can call us direct on 01474 854902 or fill in our contact us form and a member of our friendly team will get back to you as soon as possible.