Open plan offices are a popular layout choice among companies. The lack of walls means that your employees can communicate with each other easily and freely. However, although this type of office design has its clear advantages, it does make it tricky to provide workers with privacy. So to learn how you can strike the perfect balance in your workspace, keep reading.
Set up office screens
In an open plan office, employees can feel stuck if they ever want to have a quiet or confidential discussion away from their desks. If you’re keen to stick with your open design but you’d also like to include more secluded areas for your workers to use, you could make use of office screens. These dividers allow you to create privacy without being as segregating as a permanent wall, and their moveable design also means you can reposition them to different parts of your office. Whether you’re looking for floor screens or desk dividers, you can find a whole host of different office partitions from Furniture At Work™ and other office furniture specialists.
Invest in cleverly designed breakout furniture
From impromptu discussions to spontaneous meetings, in an open plan office, it can be hard for your employees to gather together in a way that isn’t distracting for other workers. So, instead of having your staff members crowd around a workstation or just generally cause disruption, you could invest in some specially designed breakout furniture. It’s now possible to purchase seating that features shapes and materials which are picked specifically to provide users with extra privacy. For example, you can opt for seats with high backs and sides that enable people to hold discussions without being overheard by others.
Allow your employees to use headphones
It can often prove difficult for employees to zone out from the distractions around them and focus on their own tasks in an open plan office. To minimise disturbance for your workers, you could allow them to use headphones. Wearing a set of headphones not only gives your staff members the opportunity to cancel out unwanted noise, but it might actually increase productivity too. A study carried out by Dr Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor at the University of Miami, suggested that listening to music can enhance workplace performance, helping employees to complete their tasks more efficiently and improving their mood. So, if some of your staff members struggle to adapt to the hustle and bustle of an open plan layout, you could give them permission to listen to their favourite tunes and podcasts while they work.
By putting some of these suggestions into practice, you stand to achieve a balance of harmony and privacy in your office space.
