Research Design Connection: Worker Experiences in Open Offices

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | February 25th, 2019

YouGov, a respected research organization, polled workers to learn more about their in-office experiences. The investigators determined that, “In just the past six months, open office workers in major cities across the U.S. [New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco and Houston] have: Gone to a closet or hallway to take a phone call: Almost 1 in 3 (31%); Gone to the bathroom to take a phone call: 1 in 8 (12%);…Had difficulty finding a private area within their office to take a work-related call: More than 1 in 4 (27%); Held back their true thoughts and opinions while on calls in the office because they don’t want co-workers to hear and judge them: Nearly 1 in 3 (31%).” Also, “1 in 4 (27%) U.S. open office workers feel self-conscious on work-related calls because they feel as if their co-workers and bosses are eavesdropping, suggesting …