ResearchPoor acoustic design has negative impact on workers wellbeing and productivity – says survey

A survey of over 1,000 UK based office workers undertaken by the Remark Group and Dr Nigel Oseland reveals the impact of poor acoustic design on stress and productivity.
Content Team5 years ago3 min

A survey undertaken by the Remark Group and leading environmental psychologist Dr Nigel Oseland has revealed that 65% of workers say noise impacts on their ability to complete work in an accurate and timely manner and shockingly, 58% of people say that noise has a high impact on their stress levels in the workplace.

The ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ surveyed over 1,000 UK based office workers in order to understand the impact that noise has on the productivity and wellbeing of UK office workers.

The survey results include data from workers based in open-plan and shared office spaces, ranging across multiple sectors including; financial, healthcare, legal, education, transport, manufacturing and property. This kind of data is readily available in the U.S and parts of Europe but there is very limited data focusing on UK based office workers.

Dr Nigel Oseland, an honorary senior lecturer at UCL’s Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, said:

“Remark’s research shows that noise is the biggest cause of dissatisfaction in the modern workplace, along with an associated loss of performance, increased stress and poorer wellbeing.

“As more companies are adopting open plan design and agile working, the core challenge to the workplace community, designers and suppliers is to resolve office noise distraction and enhance focussed work, whilst maintaining collaborative and creative environments.”

Work in Mind will cover more detailed findings from the ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ Survey over the coming weeks.

Find out more about acoustic design and sound here


The Remark Group is a specialist in providing sound masking systems which can be installed in any business situation, where privacy and wellbeing are of prime importance.

Content Team

Work in Mind is a content platform designed to give a voice to thinkers, businesses, journalists and regulatory bodies in the field of healthy buildings.

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