Why Its Time to Re-Think Open Offices

Dysfunctional offices can raise employee stress levels, trigger more sick leaves, and promote anxiety and depression. Staff may also struggle to collaborate or have productive interactions. While we often blame technology for these symptoms -- think constant notifications and 24/7 connectivity -- there may be a more insidious cause: open office plans.

Silicon Valley firms were among the first to champion open workspaces, where employees sit shoulder to shoulder at communal desks. They tore down walls and eliminated private offices as outdated symbols of corporate hierarchy. An open layout seemed to convey a modern, break-all-the-rules attitude. It also provided a stark contrast to the soulless cubicle farms skewered by Dilbert comics and films like Office Space.