Barriers To Open Workplace Layout

A thoughtfully created office workspace is a leading fantasy for many entrepreneurs. It's a crucial decision to pick a perfect office layout as it directly decides whether your output productivity will shoot up or shrink.

Open office layout are becoming a hot favorite find in the corporate culture given its shining benefits- cost efficiency, classic collaboration, and equality in diversity.

But in a parallel world, there's something that no one talks about- the barriers to an open office layout.

We've discussed them here, read on!


Impacts Productivity

Employees in open workstations are slowed down by interruptions, traffic, and high anxiety. Employees' productivity suffers from an inverse relationship with the downsides of an open plan office. No matter how refreshed and recharged you are when you come to the office in the morning, the poking noise can ultimately drain your inspiration and energy off to do work.

Additionally, a crowded, messy vibe rapidly emerges in an open office environment if it is not carefully put together. This might have a profound effect on your team's play and performance.

Basically, the drawbacks of an open office hugely impact the productivity, passion, and job satisfaction of the employees. There are even some people who take this to an extent and say 'Open office spaces kill productivity'.

Way Too Much Distraction

Open-plan workplaces are louder and more disruptive than traditional offices. Employees might be distracted by people going back and forth and they might get tired of hearing this noise. There's a truckload of both visual and auditory disturbances. Similarly, it may get pretty loud when many discussions are going on at the same moment. Staff may become distracted as a result of this, and hence reduced concentration and damaged motivation are the end results.

To cope up with the disturbance, employees are unwillingly forced to put on headphones or leave their place for a minute to muster the motivation again. This may make employees feel utterly distracted by the noise pollution of an open plan office, prompting them to seek calmer locations for more focussed work flow.

A Threat To Confidentiality

There's literally no privacy for employees while working in an open office environment, and there's no lie here! All the co workers can overhear the phone conversations, and even have a glimpse at the emails.

Also, there's a huge security risk in open workplaces with employees not having private cabins, their valuables and critical documents are prone to theft and plagiarism.


Lack of confidentiality can take a serious turn if an employee has to make a call to their family members, this might make them feel vulnerable and uncomfortable.

Increase The Volume Of Sick Days And Absenteeism

Imagine a container boggling with germs and bacterias of different allergies and infections. What happens if you dip somebody into it? Of course, they will come out sneezing and intensely - incredibly impaired with these bugs. You see, that's the case with an open office layout.

It's that container that's filled with assorted people coming from diverse backgrounds, and perhaps medical allergies too. Being under the same room, sharing the same air can be disease-friendly.

Result? Increased absenteeism and leaves for sick days. This could have an intense influence on the overall output and productivity of the company

Stress Is The Word

Stress because of how well the office structure is put out? Yes! The pirated privacy, constant hustle bustle, notorious noises and the pressing pressure of always being in the sight of way too many eyes can indeed be extremely stressful and give your employees the gift of strain.

Moreover, the vibe could be digestible to younger folks as they are already a generation of pop culture and very much have the liking for bustling. But, the older workforce isn't adaptive to this kind of environment. You see, they feel focused anxiety working there and with each passing day, their heart calls them to quit. Senior personnel may realize the environment is too unpredictable, making it difficult to focus on their work.

The experts at Divine Innovation are well familiar with the cons of an open office layout. To fight the mess and develop a well-rounded office, Divine Innovation provides industry-leading services in workplace spaces that go above and beyond your expectations.

Have a consultation call with us if you're seeking for a workspace that will excite your team to achieve excellence.