While the concerns about open plan offices and our productivity naturally abated somewhat during a pandemic where actually going into the office was a thing of the past. As people have returned to a workplace again, those concerns have resurfaced.

Research from the University of Queensland shows that one of the more unexpected responses to the lack of control over the behavior of our colleagues is a rise in territorialism at work.

Reclaiming control

To deal with the stress caused by noise at work, people are finding ways to make their workspace more personal. They might put plants or personal items like photos on their desk to make it feel like their own.

Interestingly, how messy your desk is in an open-plan office could be a sign that noise is bothering you. Too much noise in the office can lead to negative feelings like frustration and anger. It can also make people want to be alone and avoid their coworkers, and sometimes even cause disagreements with colleagues.

The study involved 71 people who worked in different parts of a university, some with more private offices and some in more open spaces. They kept a diary for ten workdays, noting how noisy it was and how they felt in the morning and afternoon.

To measure how they felt about the noise, they used a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) to answer questions like “I am bothered by the sound of phones” and “I am bothered by office machines.”

Key findings

1. Noise Makes People Annoyed and Stressed: When offices are loud, it tends to make people feel frustrated, angry, and anxious. They might also start taking longer breaks, doing personal stuff during work hours, or browsing the internet to escape the noise.
2. More Noise, More Arguments: Noisy offices also have a slightly higher chance of causing conflicts or arguments between coworkers. These arguments could be about work stuff or personal matters.
3. Personal Space Matters: When it comes to personal space at work, it’s a bit different. Even if someone annoys you with their noise, you won’t immediately start decorating your workspace. However, if the noise makes you feel angrier, more frustrated, or more anxious, you’re more likely to want to make your workspace your own by adding personal items like plants or photos.

In simple terms, noisy offices can make people feel bad, and over time, this can make them want to personalize their workspace more. This effect is stronger in open-plan offices with less privacy and less noticeable in smaller, private offices.

As employees are being encouraged (or forced) to come back into the office, these findings are something that employers should keep in mind, as it could result in an unhappier and more frustrated workforce.