Privacy in an Open Plan Office

Most offices these days are open plan, and opinion is divided about whether this is a good thing or not. In terms of planning the office, it’s certainly easier for the employer to go for this option, but there are some problems with an open plan layout.

For example, they are undeniably noisier and can be more chaotic than partitioned offices. Phone conversations and background chat between employees will intrude on any phone calls which staff make. People passing by constantly can also distract focus and attention. This is why room dividers and office screens can bring major benefits to an open plan office as they allow the staff to have a degree of privacy when they are working.

This is important because privacy is next to impossible in a conventional open plan office. Managers or employees may feel uncomfortable being in such close quarters with their co-workers when confidential calls need to be made or when someone needs a performance review, or shall we say, a bit of a talking to.

Another factor to bear in mind when you are considering installing office dividers is concerned with the well-being of your staff. Illness and infections can spread more easily in an open plan environment, and office screens can help to reduce this. Office dividers can also be helpful by allowing senior staff who have been with the company a private workspace, as befits their perceived status. Research has shown that companies who don’t address this territorial issue can damage productivity and employee relationships, so by installing cheap office screens you can avoid this problem.