Business insurance customers may want to change the layout of their workplace, after a new study found that open-plan offices are bad for workers' health.
Queensland University of Technology conducted a large-scale literature review of research into open-plan layouts and found that 90 per cent of studies reported that working in such arrangements has negative effects.
Business insurance customers may be concerned to learn that increased levels of stress, conflict, high blood pressure and large staff turnover rates were all associated with open-plan offices.
"It has been found that the high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity," said Dr Vinesh Oommen, who conducted the review.
He added that people feel insecure because their colleagues can see what they are doing and listen in to their phone conversations.
Recently, Sally Toumi, managing director of Stark Brooks, advised bosses to manage their stress levels in a way that suits them, such as by going to the gym, taking holidays or talking to colleagues.
