Benefits of Privacy Pods in the Workplace
Featured image features privacy pods from Framery Acoustics.
As the open office concept grew in popularity in recent years, it left many companies searching for balance. Even though open plan offices have become very common, they’ve inspired many complaints. A lack of privacy can leave people feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Even small distractions can add up to a lot of lost time. It’s estimated that it takes about 20 minutes to regain concentration after a small distraction. And there’s the fact that sometimes, there are times when people simply need some privacy to make a phone call or have a conversation.
In response to this, there have been lots of ideas to bring privacy back into the office and help give people more control over their environment. Two popular options are to add partitions to individual workstations and to design spaces for collaboration or individual work with screens placed around them. As much as we love those ideas, we also understand that they’re not the best options for people who need a space where they can do things like make phone calls or have conversations.
Meeting that need for acoustic privacy doesn’t necessarily have to mean making permanent changes to your space. Privacy pods can be an excellent way to address this problem while bringing some extra benefits to the workplace.
Improving Focus
Some tasks require more focus than others. Trying to concentrate on something difficult while hearing co-workers chatting nearby or while surrounded by visual distractions can be extremely frustrating and counterproductive. Over 50% of people feel they have a hard time concentrating in open offices. Having the option of working in a privacy pod that allows them to literally shut out distractions helps people be more productive and generally feel less stressed at work.
Noise Control
When people need to have conversations, looking for a private location isn’t necessarily just about not wanting the topic of those conversations to be overheard. It’s very often out of a desire to be considerate of others who are trying to concentrate on their work. With noise being a very common complaint about open offices, privacy pods are an option well worth considering as a tool to help keep noise levels under control.
Minimizing Germ Spread
As we continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, minimizing the spread of germs in the workplace has become a big priority. For people who are highly concerned about catching COVID or any other contagious illness, the availability of privacy pods can be an attractive feature since they provide extra protection they need while allowing them to work at the office in person.
Privacy With Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits privacy pods have to offer is the fact that they give companies more options for privacy in the workplace without sacrificing the flexibility that comes with open offices. Privacy pods don’t involve constructing permanent walls and are available in a wide range of sizes and styles that can fit right in with the rest of your space.
Interested in including privacy pods in your new office space? While privacy pods are purchased through a furniture dealer, many require electrical and HVAC accommodations which Premier Construction & Design can assist with. Check out our portfolio to see examples of some of the projects our team has worked on. When you’re ready, contact us so that we can learn more about your project.
