An interesting piece from CNET News Australia: a study from the Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation shows that open office floor plans, the ones where there’s no cube walls around workstations, lead to higher stress, and in turn can lead to higher frequency of illness for employees.

The high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity, there are privacy issues because everyone can see what you are doing on the computer or hear what you are saying on the phone, and there is a feeling of insecurity.

Seems plausible, I suppose.  On the flip side, though, open floor plans do facilitate more open communication between employees.  And it also makes it harder to spend your entire day playing mine sweeper or solitaire.  I doubt anyone would buy that excuse if I tried to use it as a reason for calling in sick, though.  This sounds about as useful as saying that the fluorescent lights are bothering you.

More details on CNET Australia.

Filed under: Offbeat