by Conny Manero

Created on: March 16, 2010

Those who work, or have worked, in an open plan office environment will tell you that this kind of set-up can turn into a nightmare.

While there are undoubtedly advantages to an open plan office, there are far more disadvantages.

Employees have little or no privacy.  If they have to leave their desk for even a short period of time, they have to see to it that all sensitive information is put away.  In some cases this can mean keeping their work under lock and key.

The ever present noise is distracting.  Whether it is people talking about business or personal matters, one can’t help hearing what is being said.  Phones are ringing all days long, not to mention the rattling of keyboards, adding machines and in some cases the on and off clicking of dicta machines.

Concentrating in a noisy environment is difficult and it gets even more challenging seeing people constantly moving about.  Whether they are attending to a project or on their way to the copier, kitchen or washroom, every person who walk by is seen and heard.

Some co-workers are the social kind, and while it can be nice chatting about everyday things for a short while, some don’t know when they have overstayed their welcome.  They might have some time to kill, but others might want to get on with their work.

Come lunchtime some employees prefer to eat at their desk rather than going out or eating in the cafeteria.  In that case all sorts of foods smells come wafting throughout the entire office.  In the case of soup the aroma is not too bad, but in the case of fish or warm cheese the smell can get overpowering.

During cold and flu season germs are having a field day in on open plan office.  Not everybody holds their hand in front of their mouth when they cough; not everybody has a tissue ready when they sneeze. 

Temperature is sometimes also an issue.  For some employees the office might be too cold, while for others it might be too hot.  It all depends on where the air vents are and who sits closest to the inlet of hot and cold air.

While working in a private office would be much nicer, for most offices this is impossible.  There is simply not enough space.  Still, it would be nice for managers and directors to get familiar with open plan office working and experiencing firsthand what their staff have to put up with on a daily basis.

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