Open Plan Office

[certainage]

The article on open plan offices (http://www.ohswforum.com/articles/open_plan_office.htm) was most interesting and sums up the dilemmas beautifully. Like many human decision making proceses we opt for short term gain and long term loss.

This is very much an OHSW isue, especially given the tendency to increased workers compensation cases for psychological injury across Australia. Is it really so hard to understand the short-sighted nature of this trend?

I especially like to analogy to "battery-hens"!

[smilly00]

Hello Friends
1.Manage your phones effectively. The ringing of desk phones and mobile phones is one of the main sources of noise in an open-plan office, so be considerate. Turn down the volume of your desk phone and try to answer it within three rings. Select a mobile phone ring that won’t bother others around you. If you will be away from your desk for a longer period of time, have your phone diverted directly to voice mail if possible.

2. Have a clean desk policy. Get rid of all unnecessary papers and make sure garbage isn’t left lying around your desk. Not only is this more considerate of people around you, a clear desk looks more professional and will help you to be more organized and productive.

3. Don’t hold meetings at your desk. If someone has been standing at your desk talking to you for more than a few minutes, suggest moving to a meeting room, cafeteria or other appropriate common space.

4. Cancel unneeded meeting room reservations. Conference space is often at a premium in open-plan offices. If you cancel or postpone a meeting and no longer need the meeting space, be sure to cancel your reservation so that others can use the room.

[David44]

Writing in the latest Asia-Pacific Journal of Health Management he said: "Employees face a multitude of problems such as the loss of privacy, loss of identity, low work productivity, various health issues, overstimulation and low job satisfaction when working in an open plan work environment,"

Workers were plagued by insecurity, he said, ever conscious of their colleagues' ability to see what they were doing on the computer and eavesdrop on their phone calls.

High noise levels led to impaired concentration and low productivity, he said. There was a higher incidence of workplace conflict, with people sitting so close to their neighbour that even a ringing phone could irritate.

Ease of germ transmission also meant illnesses such as influenza were more swiftly passed around.

[OHS Consultant]

David44 raises some good points with regard to open office layouts - the impacts can be social, emotional and health related. In terms of productivity, I think the social and emotional impacts are the most costly, with many people in the open office plan feeling devalued by the work environment.

However, there are also many people who are accustomed to working in this way and find it socially stimulating. "Horses for courses"!

The important thing about any change to a work environment is that management consult with staff and give serious consideration to the feedback provided. They may not go totally with employee views, but they might also identify useful modifications or alternatives.

[christbarr44]

Open plan is a pain, there is so much noise.

Also the heating/air conditioning is not perfect as we have to manage a large area and not everyone has the same requirements to keep warm/cool.

There are always some lead swingers in any company and if you happen to sit next to one it is a pain, there you are desperately trying to meet deadlines and all you can hear is football/gym/girls etc sooooo very hard to get your work done on time without making mistakes!!!

We aren't even allowed to user personal stereo's, why I don't know but for health and safety this has now been stopped, so we can 't even attempt to drown out the noise.

[OHSW_Admin]

christbarr44 makes some very good points here. I am aware of a large government employer that is in the process of developing "open plan office" protocols, designed to create a more worker-friendly environment. The protocols are what we used to call good manners!

It is ironic that the cost savings of open office design are then soaked up by other processes to make them habitable!