UK employees call for action on excessive office noise

Excessive office noise is driving stress, frustration, and lost productivity and UK employees are demanding change, according to the findings of a new white paper published by specialists in acoustic finishes, Oscar Acoustics.

The report ‘Shaping Future-Ready Workspaces For The great Return To The Office‘ highlights that many employees want noise-combatting measures such as more work-focused areas, acoustic treatment, and more collaboration areas.

However, while offices remain too noisy, many people have admitted to taking their own actions, such as leaving passive aggressive notes for people, and even making formal complaints.

Key insights from the report include:

• Over half (56 per cent) of employees say their office is too noisy.
• Eight in 10 admit excessive noise directly harms their productivity.
• Nearly a third (29 per cent) are actively calling for improved acoustic design.

The consequences are far from trivial. Almost half of office workers struggle to concentrate (47 per cent), more than a third feel irritated (36 per cent), and 30 per cent report experiencing high stress levels due to noise.

So what do employees want?

Requests from staff span both design and behavioural changes:

• Focused workspaces (35 per cent), more meeting rooms (29 per cent), breakout areas (29 per cent), collaboration zones (19 per cent), and spaces designed specifically for video calls (24 per cent).
• Acoustic interventions such as improved soundproofing and absorption (29 per cent), desk dividers (26 per cent), folding partition walls (18 per cent), and better ventilation and air conditioning (20 per cent).
• And for some, more abrupt measures: one in four (25 per cent) want noisy colleagues to be shushed.

Where businesses fail to act, employees are taking matters into their own hands.

• Four in 10 (41 per cent) resort to headphones.
• 36 per cent work from home to escape office noise, and 30 per cent start earlier or finish later to enjoy quieter periods.
• Some take stronger measures, from leaving passive-aggressive notes and moving desks (26 per cent).
•  Others resort to more extreme responses like making formal complaints (19 per cent) and snapping at colleagues (19 per cent)..

Ben Hancock, Managing Director at Oscar Acoustics, said: “Excessive noise levels can have a damning effect on any office, and cannot be ignored any longer. Despite many companies trying to increase office attendance, loud noise leading to people snapping at colleagues or working from home completely undermines the ability to create a positive workplace culture.”

Lara Milward, Neuroleadership Coach, said: “It is important employers entice workers back to the office, rather than simply enforcing it, and also communicate how they are going to prioritise wellbeing. Productive and relaxing workspaces, acoustics, and noise levels, all play an important role in giving people a sense of importance and value, which are key to performance.”