Tech World Sees 4 Physical Health Effects of Noise in Open Offices

The results are in. Studies and anecdotes from the white-collar world agree that the open office concept has more cons than pros​​​. It has also had a drastic negative effect on employee health.

Most of the problems stem from the stress caused by a dizzying array of colleague conversations, ringing phones, office machines whirring and beeping, and almost any other noise one can imagine in an office setting. The noise takes a strong physical toll in often surprising ways. Stress can affect a person’s productivity very quickly, alongside damaging their overall health and wellbeing. This is why many people turn to CBD and other herbal remedies to help their feelings of stress and anxiety (learn more on this via https://cfah.org/best-cbd-oil-for-anxiety/) before they get too affected by it. Below are ways noise affects stress levels in the workplace, from posture to sick days.

Open Office Concepts Cause Back Pain and Injury

Surprisingly enough, a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that the noise of an open office environment can actually damage a person’s spine. Noise and stress create an effect on the brain that causes a person to not make as many involuntary movements to relieve stress on the back while sitting. The study concluded that the resulting “postural invariance” forms “a risk factor for musculoskeletal disorder”.

The Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center in the United States says that lower back pain “causes more disability than any other health circumstance”. Furthermore, back pain is one of the most common reasons for urgent care visits in the U.S.

Even Moderate Levels of Noise Can Damage Hearing

Environmental Protection UK reports that while everyone knows about the impact on hearing of very loud noises, sustained levels of moderate noise can also damage hearing. UK researchers describe the phenomena as “hidden hearing loss” because it does not affect one’s ability to hear quiet sounds. Instead, a person has greater difficulty picking out what sounds are meaningful from background noise. Since standard hearing loss tests do not pick this problem up, experts call the loss “hidden.”

The noise of an open office will drive many to seek relief in headphones that substitute a more pleasing sound for cacophony. Prolonged use of modern headphones that inject sound directly into the ear canal, however, can lead to the same hearing loss problems.

Mind and Body Must Work Harder to Overcome Distraction and Stress

Studies show​ that “noise annoyance” can lead to symptoms of exhaustion, as well as increased irritability, distress, and overall reduced well-being. While the PLOS One study focused on airplane noise, it also examined indoor noise and established a link between noise and reduced health.

Arline Bronzaft, a researcher formerly with the City University of New York, claimed her research showed that people experiencing noise-related stress actually feel more fatigued than those not exposed to it. She said, “you have to work harder to complete tasks because you’re actively working to try to ignore the sound.”

Increased Sick Days

On one hand, if noise-related stress leads to back problems and an overall decline in health, that alone can contribute to an increase in the number of sick days. Plain common sense reveals, however, that airborne germs proliferate more in open spaces, such as during cold and flu season, and make more people sick.

Those who spend a day working in the same space as a large number of people will be more likely to both give and receive illness-causing germs, generating more sick days. A Swedish government study confirmed what common sense would speculate. Open office concepts can cause up to 62 percent more sick days taken.

Solutions for Companies that Fell into the Open Office Trap

The disadvantages of open offices are evident. Companies embraced this style because they believed it could create a more productive and cooperative environment while reducing overhead. Many have found that the toll on workers and their own bottom line has grown intolerable.

Solutions may be on the horizon for noise harassed employees and their companies. While some offices have increased the allowance of telecommuting, others have chosen to restore cubicles (which do not address the issue of noise) or invest in the low-cost installation of pods like Zenbooth’s office pods, which create an entirely contained workspace.