Does that open office plan boost communication and team spirit? Nope. What workers REALLY think of them...

 

That trendy new open-office space may look cool, but it gets old, fast.

 

According to 42,000 U.S. workers surveyed, workers with private office space were much more productive and satisfied. Open office workers were fed up with distractions, noise and lack of privacy, even when dividing screens were available. Spaces that weren’t too noisy were often too quiet, with workers resorting to headphones with little or no communication or sense of team spirit.

Some companies are beginning to pay heed to staff dissatisfaction with open office setups. While old-fashioned individual space may not be an option, more companies are starting to zone off the open space, offer a quiet or private workspace on demand or allow employees to work off-site on occasion.