Open Office Oasis: Why Privacy Pods and Booths Are the Perfect Solution

The open office revolutionised workspace design, aiming to foster collaboration and communication. While these benefits are undeniable, the lack of privacy and noise pollution in open floor plans has emerged as a significant drawback. Employees struggle to focus amidst constant noise and visual distractions, leading to decreased productivity, increased stress, and even health concerns.

Enter privacy pods and booths – soundproof havens within the open office landscape. These ingenious solutions offer a much-needed escape for focused work, confidential conversations, and moments of peace. Let's delve deeper into why privacy pods and booths are the perfect solution for open plan offices.

Boosting Productivity: Focus Reigns Supreme

The constant hum of conversation, ringing phones, and keyboard clicks can be incredibly disruptive. In open offices, employees often find themselves battling distractions, leading to frequent task-switching and a decline in focus. 

Privacy pods and booths provide a refuge from sensory overload. By offering a quiet, enclosed space, they allow employees to concentrate on deep work activities that require sustained focus, such as writing reports, analysing data, or brainstorming ideas. Studies have shown that increased privacy in the workplace leads to significant improvements in productivity and cognitive function. A Cornell University study found that employees with access to private workspaces experienced a 15% boost in productivity.

Here are some more useful tips on how to increase productivity by reducing stress, and almost all of these can be done using our office pods and booths just by tweaking their main purpose a little, but gaining a lot in return.

5-minute stress busters:

• Deep breathing: Take slow, deep breaths through your nose – filling up your whole chest – and exhale slowly through your mouth. Try to make your exhale longer than your inhale.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Progressive muscle relaxation involves tightening and then relaxing muscle groups from your toes to your head. This body scan exercise can also aid in falling asleep. Starting with your toes and working your way up to your head, slowly tighten, hold, and then relax your muscle groups (feet, legs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, face). This type of body scan exercise is also great for helping you fall asleep.
• Mini-meditation: A brief meditation session, lasting 2-5 minutes, can help calm your mind and enhance concentration and relaxation.
• Visualisation: Visualising yourself successfully completing a task you wish to excel in can be beneficial. Imagine acing the task, such as acing an exam or having a crucial conversation, and focus on the positive emotions associated with success, such as excitement, relief, satisfaction, and feeling accomplished. Revisit this feeling regularly to boost your confidence and motivation.
• Change of scenery: Get up and take a stroll or take a brisk short walk. 
• Let it out: Laugh with a colleague at the office, do 20 jumping jacks, listen to your favourite song, or just sing or dance. If you decide to sing, use our acoustic office booths.

Fostering a Culture of Well-Being

The lack of privacy in open offices can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety. Employees constantly bombarded with noise and visual stimuli can experience difficulty regulating their emotions and maintaining a sense of calm. 

Privacy pods and booths offer a sanctuary for employees to de-stress and recharge. Whether it's taking a mindfulness break, making a personal phone call, or simply having a quiet space to collect their thoughts, these pods provide a much-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the open office.

Furthermore, the ability to control their environment can empower employees and contribute to a sense of well-being. Privacy pods often come equipped with adjustable lighting and ventilation, allowing employees to customise their workspace for optimal comfort and focus.

Confidential Communication: Conversations That Stay Private

Open office environments can make it challenging to have confidential conversations. Whether it's discussing sensitive client information, conducting performance reviews, or simply having a private conversation with a colleague, the lack of privacy can be a major obstacle.

A common compliance risk is the violation of privacy laws. Hacking, viruses and malware are some of the cyber risks that affect organisations. Additionally, if a company handles sensitive information, it is required to take the appropriate measures to protect that data and prevent privacy breaches.

Significant fines may be imposed for breaking the privacy laws and especially NDA agreements most companies have with B2B and B2C relationships.

Additionally, damaging your reputation can threaten your business and create a career-limiting blemish on any manager’s resume.

Privacy pods and booths offer a secure space for confidential communication. These soundproof havens ensure that conversations remain private, preventing sensitive information from being overheard by colleagues. This not only protects confidentiality but also fosters trust and transparency within the organisation.

Supporting Diverse Workstyles

The open office model assumes a one-size-fits-all approach to workstyles. However, it is not in fact the case, meaning, not all employees share the same approach to work performance and culture. This is defined through work style psychology.

A work style, or working style, describes the way someone approaches tasks and projects. The four types of work styles are logical, idea-oriented, detail-oriented and supportive. The way you approach tasks can help determine where you could best flourish — in both your present job and long-term career.

Hence, this is exactly why employees have different preferences when it comes to their work environment. Some individuals thrive in a collaborative and social setting, while others require quiet spaces for focused work. Privacy pods and booths cater to this diversity by offering a variety of work settings within the open office layout.

Introverts and those easily distracted by noise can utilise privacy pods for focused work, while extroverts can continue to collaborate in the open areas. This flexibility allows employees to choose the environment that best suits their work style and current task, ultimately leading to increased satisfaction and productivity.

Beyond the Benefits: Considerations for Implementation

While privacy pods and booths offer a plethora of advantages, there are a few key factors to consider before implementation:

• Space: Open office layouts are often designed to maximise space utilisation. Privacy pods require dedicated square footage, so careful planning is essential to ensure they don't create a cramped or congested environment.
• Cost: Privacy pods and booths vary in price depending on size, features, and materials. Conduct thorough research and compare options to find solutions that align with your budget.
• Accessibility: Ensure that privacy pods and booths are accessible to all employees, regardless of their physical abilities.
• Ventilation and Lighting: Proper ventilation and lighting are crucial for maintaining a comfortable and healthy work environment within the pods.
• Booking System: Consider implementing a booking system for high-demand pods to avoid scheduling conflicts and maximise utilisation.

The Future of Work: A Balanced Approach

The open office model is here to stay, but its success hinges on creating a balanced environment that caters to both collaboration and individual focus. 

Restlessness, anger outbursts, irritation, mood swings, stress, anxiety, mental exhaustion, difficulty focusing, and disturbed sleep are just a few psychological effects of noise pollution commonly present in open office work ecosystems.

Loud noise can create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear warning signals.

Privacy pods and booths are not a replacement for open workspaces; they are complementary solutions that offer the best of both worlds. By providing employees with the option to retreat for focused work or confidential conversations, organisations can foster a more productive, collaborative, and well-rounded work environment.

Investing in privacy pods and booths demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and a recognition of the diverse needs of your workforce. In the end, it's about creating a work space where everyone can thrive.