Why your office could be making you sick
Open-plan offices make workers more likely to catch a cold and suffer from stress and high blood pressure, research has found.
Academics who studied a number of offices said that the modern layout means germs and therefore illnesses like flu are passed around quickly.
They also discovered the noise levels and distractions mean 90 percent of workers are less productive and more irritable.
Dr Vinesh Oommen of Queensland University of Technology said: "Based on these findings, I think employers around the country need to rethink the open-plan environment in their offices."
We have a sneaky suspicion that a certain Dr Oommen has been trying to get his own office and thinks this 'study' could persuade his boss.
"It has been found that the high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity, there are privacy issues because everyone can see what you are doing on the computer or hear what you are saying on the phone," added the Australian academic.
"There is also a higher chance of workplace conflicts - sitting so close to someone that each time their phone rings you can get irritated; I think most of us, including myself, can relate to that."
The research he says proves that the older style of small, private closed offices was better but is 20% more expensive.
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