You sit down to focus for five minutes, then the sales call starts behind you. A Teams meeting begins across the room. Someone laughs. A phone rings.
It’s a familiar scene in modern workplaces. But this isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a wellbeing issue. And increasingly, it’s shaping how people feel about their workplace, how they perform, and ultimately whether they choose to stay.
The hidden effects of office noise
Noise in the workplace is often dismissed as a productivity problem. In reality, its impact runs much deeper.
Research consistently shows that noise, particularly in open-plan offices, contributes to:
Mental fatigue and cognitive overload
Reduced concentration and task performance
Increased stress and frustration
Lower overall wellbeing
Irrelevant speech nearby conversations and phone calls, is one of the most disruptive noise sources. Studies show it increases annoyance, reduces performance, and has measurable impacts on mental health and wellbeing.
This happens because the brain cannot ignore intelligible speech. Even when you're not actively listening, it processes language automatically, diverting attention and increasing cognitive load.
Over time, this constant interruption creates what’s often called “attention residue”, where it becomes harder to fully re engage with focused tasks after distractions. The result is more effort for less output, and a steady drain on mental energy.
Why open-plan offices struggle acoustically
Open plan layouts were designed to improve collaboration. But acoustically, they present a unique challenge.
Common issues include:
High reverberation caused by hard surfaces
Long speech travel distances, increasing distraction
Lack of acoustic zoning for different activities
Limited speech privacy
Research shows that noise is one of the most common complaints in open plan environments, with clear links to both psychological and physical impacts.
Even at relatively low decibel levels, people report significant discomfort, largely due to the clarity (intelligibility) of speech rather than volume alone.
In other words, it’s not just how loud an office is, it’s how clearly you can hear everyone else.
The wellbeing connection
This is where acoustics moves beyond “noise reduction” and into workplace strategy.
Poor acoustic environments are closely linked to:
Higher stress levels and reduced wellbeing
Lower job satisfaction
Increased cognitive fatigue and burnout risk
Reduced motivation and engagement
Employees choosing to work elsewhere (including at home)
Improving acoustic conditions can reduce disturbances, lower cognitive stress, and enhance perceived effectiveness at work.
There’s also a growing recognition of neurodiversity in the workplace. Noise-sensitive employees are disproportionately affected by poor acoustics, experiencing greater difficulty concentrating and higher levels of stress.
For organisations focused on employee experience, retention and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), this matters.
Modern workplaces need choice
One clear theme emerging from research, is that there is no one-size-fits-all workspace.
Employees need a variety of environments to support different types of work, including:
Quiet focus areas
Collaborative zones
Private rooms for calls and meetings
Acoustically protected spaces for concentration
Open plan offices work well for collaboration, but not for deep focus. Without balance, they create friction in the working day.
Designing with acoustic comfort in mind means giving people control over where and how they work.
Practical acoustic solutions
The good news is that acoustic performance can be significantly improved with the right strategy.
Common interventions include:
Acoustic ceiling rafts and baffles to absorb sound at source
Wall-mounted acoustic panels to reduce reverberation
Desk screens to minimise local distraction
Sound masking systems to reduce speech intelligibility
Office pods and booths for private calls and focused work
At Acoustics By Design, these solutions are often combined into a holistic acoustic design strategy, not just standalone products.
You can explore examples of this in some recent office projects we have done here:
About the author
Colin Rawlings, MIoA – MD of Acoustics by Design
A qualified acoustician with over two decades of experience, Colin specialises in workplace acoustic solutions across the UK and Europe, delivering consultancy, CPDs, and seminars, making complex acoustic challenges simple for architects, designers, and businesses.