More than 8 million U.K. employees work in an office with open workspaces — which often fail to support daily activities, according to a new study from global architecture and design firm Gensler.
As a result, companies may see lower job satisfaction, performance and a negative effect on workplace relationships.
However, open office plans, which have been a trend in recent years, don’t have to automatically be a problem.
An open workspace design can be as effective as enclosed work areas, Gensler says, if employees have a variety of places to work in that support group and individual work.
For more on how an open office plan can affect output and other factors, view the full results from Gensler’s study.