Companies love open office plans. They encourage innovation and communication. They allow you to fixate your eyes on something other than a gray wall. Sounds great in theory, right?
Unfortunately, tearing down the barriers and releasing employees from the confines of a cubicle isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. With every revolutionary idea comes a cost — and with these set ups, sometimes that cost is your ability to do your job.
In an op-ed for the Washington Post last year, writer and advertiser Lindsey Kaufman, laid out some of the negatives of the open desk arrangement:
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But cubicles aren’t great, either…
Despite the growing evidence suggesting that open office plans aren’t the way to go, trapping employees in cubicles also may not be entirely healthy. As The Atlantic reported in 2014, cubicles may also increase workplace unhappiness. It seems the most efficient workspace is one that is a harmonious combination of the two (or perhaps even just working from home). Check out this infographic of an ideal office setup here.
