Office Noise Proven To Increase Business Costs

Anyone who's ever worked in a busy office knows how much office noise and conversational distractions waste company time, decrease productivity, increase the number of avoidable errors, and increase stress levels too. Recent studies prove that the common experiences of office workers are seen all over and provide employers a lot of rationales for investing in those systems which are made to decrease office noise.

According to a recent study conducted by Cornell University researchers and published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, even low levels of office noise caused an increase in stress levels, a decrease in motivation and a decrease in productivity. Researchers speculate that these increases in stress levels, as indicated by increases of adrenaline in the bloodstream, could, over time, contribute to more serious health problems, like heart disease. Aside from the cost to the employer due to the decrease in productivity, there could be an additional burden because of the health care costs related to this issue.

Another study, done by the American Society of Interior Designers, found also that worker productivity declined when ambient noise levels went up. This study also found excessive noise particularly problematic in modern, open-office environments, where frail cubicles have taken the place of walled offices and electronic gadgets simply added to the noise levels.

Mixed office environments pose particular problems for the modern office worker. For example, a sales person making phone calls from a nearby cubicle can prevent a technical writer, who requires considerable focus and concentration, from producing his or her best work in the allotted time.

Many solutions exist for the serious issue of excessive office noise. Distracted workers usually turn to wearable means of muffling sounds, like ear muffs or plugs, or else desktop white noise gadgets. But by indiscriminately muffling every sound, these devices can also decrease worker productivity. Headphones with active noise canceling technology will alleviate distracting noise but without muffling all the important sounds.

The wise business decision to help with loud offices noise begins with the correct office design, proper sound insulation, or a well working installment of a sound masking system. The cost for systems have dropped quite a bit over the past years. With the information and the cost being low, a smart employer has no reason to ignore the problem of loud workplace noise.

If you've ever worked in a busy office you know how distracting office noise can be. Even low levels of noise slow down productivity, increase stress, and cause employee mistakes. Even conversational distractions at work, such as the person talking in the next cubicle, are a negative factor. Employees might use white noise machines, but since they stifle all sound they also tend to reduce staff efficiency. The smart solution for reducing noise begins with the design and sound insulation of the office. Employers can really not afford to let their office be noisy and distracting.

- Frank Barnett