Workplace Pollution - NOISE

The list of typical sounds in an office – phones ringing incessantly, mobile phones with jarring ring tones, people blabbing on their phones, loud conversation with one another, gossip sessions band in the middle of office, loud groans, sighs etc. from office mates. It must be a difficult work amidst this entire racket and fact is workplace noise can be distracting and affect productivity. Noise becomes a major source of distraction especially in today’s workplaces that are designed on an open concept or are basically cubicles where employees work in close proximity with only thin walls separating them. An open office design creates distractions, offers less privacy and definitely more noise. The lack o privacy allows everyone to listen to what everyone else is saying. The thin barriers allow even the smallest sounds to be carried across the room and other noise sources only add to the din.

Research studies have found out that nearly 80 percent of employees complain of being unable to work due to noise distraction. Conventional distractions hamper productivity. High noise levels increase stress levels: makes employees expend lesser efforts in solving difficult problems, decrease focus and can even increase errors. Distraction noise levels can also hamper creativity.

Studies show that people pay more attention to intelligible noise, which includes conversation, than to unintelligible sounds. When conversations are taking place all around, a person’s brain tries to process the conversation even though this may not be conscious effort. During such an effort, tasks involving creativity like writing, designing problem solving or even putting together a proposal gets affected. So if employees have to use creativity in their work, the company must ensure that noise level are kept to a minimum.

Some may argue that people need to talk, discuss and brainstorm at work to achieve better results, but the issue here is the noise levels they generate and not the actual process of interaction. Even in workplaces, which require little interaction, colleagues being hard on the keyboard or carrying loud conversations on their mobiles can disturb others. The fact that noise levels can act as a serious distraction is not acknowledge by many organizations. Employees too accept this as a necessary workplace hazard they have to live with. But it time the issue is taken seriously.

One way is for human resources to have a strong policy against loud conversations and chatting in cubicles. Such a policy should be part of the rules in the employee handbook and also be part of the orientation of new employees. Such rules when suddenly enforced on employee will be harsh disciplining. But if such rules are part of the corporate culture, employees will accept it more easily and adhere to it. Rules must be made against playing music on computer speakers and employees must be advised to use headphones. They should be told to head outside to the lobby or corridor to carry out any personal conversation on their cell phones. It should be insisted that mobile phones be kept on silent mode.

In spite of these rules if some employees continue to make a lot of noise, employees can take up the matter with their manager who in turn can talk to the immediate boss of those employees. Direct confrontation is best avoided. If co-worker are a source of disturbance and interrupt work, then the affected employee should be frank and tell them about a better time to talk. If noise levels still continue to distract, then the employee can use options like noise-cancelling headphones.

Change in the office design like erecting sound absorbent walls or making higher cubicle partitions can reduce noise levels. Huddle rooms or cafeteria can be built in the corners of floors where people can meet and talk. Another effective way is to install sound masking systems. These work on the principle that when some background noise (the sound of a an or air-conditioner or even ‘white noise’) is added to the environment it reduces the attention paid to the existing noise and they will become less distraction. Besides it ensures that private conversations can be carried out without the risk or others overhearing them.

Studies have found that sound masking systems can effectively increase the focus and concentration of worker and can reduce distractions, error rates and stress in employees. Noise continues to be a major source of workplace distraction and both the management and employees must make a conscious effort to reduce sound levels to make the workplace more productive.