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Workers in open-plan offices are more active and less stressed than those with desks in cubicles or private offices, research suggests. This could be because they make the effort to find privacy to talk away from their desk, the researchers said. The US study used chest sensors to track movement and heart rate in hundreds of people in different buildings over three days.
The potential health benefits should not be ignored, they said.
But they said the study was observational only and factors like location of stairs and lifts could be at play too.
The University of Arizona study, published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, claims to be the first to measure activity and stress in office workers, rather than asking them in a survey.
It said office workers tended to be a sedentary group compared to other workers, making them more likely to have health issues, including heart problems, tiredness and low mood.
Being less active during working hours has also been linked to greater feelings of stress. In the study of 231 office workers in government buildings in the US, those in open-plan offices - with no partitions between desks - clocked up 32% more physical activity than workers in private offices and 20% more than those in cubicles.
And those who were more active had 14% lower levels of stress outside the office compared to those who were less active.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45247799
(Score: 5, Insightful) by urza9814 on Tuesday August 21 2018, @04:23PM (5 children)
Yeah, I'm definitely "more active" in my open plan office than when I used to be in a cube.
It's not because I'm going to meetings, it's not because I'm going to discuss with people. It's because the noise and distractions drive me fucking mad and I have to periodically go spend a half hour outside doing laps around the building just to get some peace and to be able to get more than five fucking minutes of uninterrupted thought!
Open plan offices make me "more active" because they make me try to find any reason possible to get the fuck away from "my desk". They make me less productive for exactly the same reason.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Tuesday August 21 2018, @08:14PM (4 children)
There are some good nose counseling headphones that go over the ear and make it pretty quiet. USB rechargeable. You could even listen to music.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by Kell on Tuesday August 21 2018, @09:36PM (2 children)
And if you're doing anything even mildly maths related (eg. engineering, analysis), then that music is nothing but a distraction. Hell, even the pressure of headphones on my head is sometimes too much when I really have to think deeply. I am blessed as an associate professor to have an office with a noise seal. I'm also on the "steering committee" for the building refurb and everyone at the uni's C level are pushing hard (ie. telling us) to get open plan. The steering committee has been in open rebellion about this, citing study after study that it is a bad (and possibly catastrophic) idea. They flat out told us they are doing it anyway. The steering committee exists entirely to be a scapegoat when selling it to the rank and file.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @04:07AM
Think? Deeply? In the office? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
good joke
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday August 22 2018, @12:43PM
I just bought some on Amazon for about $75. They are very comfortable. Very quiet. I have not tried wearing them for hours. So that could be a problem I have not anticipated. They are supposed to run for 30 hours, but I have not put that to the test.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 22 2018, @11:20AM
Two problems:
1) Our office did at one time have a rule against wearing headphones. Haven't seen it enforced in a couple years, but that's a potential issue.
2) It's not people talking in general that bothers me...I don't mind the noise...it's people talking *to me*. I have no doubt that someone would rip the headphones right out of my ears just so they could tell me some idiotic story about their weekend or whatever other garbage, which I would not respond or react to in any way, but they're still gonna do it...