Whether you work in a mega office or a small home office, you’ve probably had to deal with excessive noise from time to time. Yes, overhearing conversations between other employees can be irritating, but layer on phones ringing, computers humming and even printers running and it can be distracting. In fact, studies have shown that office noise has a profound effect on employee productivity, with one study showing that 70% of office workers believe that noise reduction would increase their ability to be productive. And a 2014 study showed that the average person loses 86 minutes per day due to distractions.
A noisy office can lead to employee turnover and low employee morale, so it’s wise to try to reduce noise in your office. But how? The experts at Desk, Incorporated in Denver CO compiled this list of ways to reduce excess noise in your office.
1. Change how your office is divided. By breaking an open floor plan office into sections, you can redirect the way sound travels. You can use taller cubicle walls, dividing walls and even furniture like high backed couches and chairs. There are some modern design acoustic wall panels that are great at muffling sound and also add a pop of color and style.
2. Isolate printers, servers and fax machines into a separate room to cut down on the noise they create. You can also place computer towers in cabinets to reduce noise levels.
3. Create dedicated conversation spaces. Instead of allowing conversations to take place anywhere, create small rooms for meetings and maybe even phone booths for phone calls!
4. Invest in a sound masking machine to help reduce unwanted sounds in your workplace. Soothing white noise can make a big difference! Come into Desks Incorporated and to test drive their sound masking machine!