Open Offices: Pros and Cons (Mostly Cons)

Open offices may seem better suited to younger workers, many of whom have been multitasking for the majority of their short careers. When, in 2012, Heidi Rasila and Peggie Rothe looked at how employees of a Finnish telecommunications company born after 1982 reacted to the negative effects of open-office plans, they noted that young employees found certain types of noises, such as conversations and laughter, just as distracting as their older counterparts did. The younger workers also disparaged their lack of privacy and an inability to control their environment. But they believed that the trade-offs were ultimately worth it, because the open space resulted in a sense of camaraderie; they valued the time spent socializing with coworkers, whom they often saw as friends.

All these studies cited on the New Yorker’s Currency blog yesterday that suggest we’d all work better behind closed doors definitely resonate. But practically (architecturally?) speaking, how would that even work? Don’t all roads lead to cubicle?

I did love the camaraderie of an open office plan, mostly the amount of time I could spend bugging my coworkers on my way back from something as simple as a trip to the bathroom, but whenever I needed to get something big done I usually had to work from home or hide out in a conference room. Having your own office, though? That seems far-off and magical to me, something from a bygone era I may have missed out on.

Photo: Richard Bowen

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