Can Office Cubicles Help With Workplace Productivity?

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The introduction of the open office plan was an exciting idea in most workspaces until studies showed that it increases stress levels in employees and reduces productivity. What was intended to create an inclusive working environment where workers would collaborate and productively interact produced the complete opposite.

That’s why many offices that had previously adapted the open office plan are gradually reintroducing office cubicles with new designs. These have proven to create a workspace where employees have personal space that helps them concentrate on work. At Office Furniture Warehouse, we’ve seen a rise in demand for office cubicles and decided to share our two cents on how these pieces of furniture can help with workplace productivity.

Office Cubicles Help Increase Workplace Productivity

Cubicles have been part of the office environment for many years and as we observe trends, they going nowhere. The reason is simple; they increase productivity and here’s how they do that.

Each Worker Gets Their Personal Space

One of the main reasons offices are ditching the open office design is the constant interruptions colleagues cause each other. It’s easy for someone to start a meaningless conversation, another person’s work items to fall on the floor, the other visiting the washrooms, spot a frown across the room, a cough here, eye contact there. Then there’s this group of workmates that always want to engage others on every trivial issue they find. There’s a lot that makes an enclosed cubicle workstation an attractive idea.

That’s what cubicles offer you – personal space. With these, you get privacy and can customize your space to bolster your productivity. Most employees have confessed that this gives a sense of ownership and improves the relationship between workers and their workplace. The farther you stay from colleagues, the fewer people interrupt your concentration. Again, you avoid accidental contact with other people’s facial expressions.

Personal Walls for Unique Setups

Personalizing your workspace can psychologically help improve your productivity. You can set up anything that motivates you to become a good worker without interfering with the peace of others. Hang your motivation quotes on a wall, a family picture, or a gift from a friend. Find ways to use those personal walls to your advantage as an employee.

They Shield Against Noise

It’s a proven fact that noise at the workplace can annoy and stress you, especially in open-plan offices. But cubicle offices with high panels made with a mix of fabric corrects this issue. You will only hear others if you choose to eavesdrop. Otherwise, you let other people say and do whatever they want in their spaces and keep yourself busy in your own cubicle.

Picking a call in an open plan office where everyone else is on phone can be stressful. You might even find yourself raising your voice to be heard by a client on the other end because all they hear is background noise from your office. A cubicle keeps all the noise away to save you from all this drama. You won’t have to struggle with leaking noise from a coworker’s headphones.

They Protect Against the Spread of Respiratory Illnesses Like Covid-19

If there’s a time to ditch the open office concept is now. With the pandemic at large and with no sign to dissipate, you don’t want to work in an open space where it can travel freely. Having cubicles offers barriers between employees and reduces the temptation to want to socially interact. With cubicles, you choose the channels of interaction and when you decide to connect and have meetings, you’ll be well prepared to social distance and wear masks.

Cubicles are not just great for preventing Covid-19, you also get to limit the spread of flu and other airborne diseases. With a healthy workforce, you can be sure of productivity at the workplace.

How To Make Cubicles To Work For You

Not all cubicles are the same. And what might work for one office won’t necessarily work for the other. You therefore need to know your needs before settling on specific cubicles for your work space.

Consider Their Function:

You decide the type of cubicles for your office space according to the function they are going to serve in your space. Decide what your goal is. If you intend to reduce noise, buy cubicles with high walls and fabric panels. If you still want to adopt an open plan office but with cubicles, you can go with acrylic and lower panels.

Couple them With Good Office Chairs: For a workspace to be functional, you must buy quality office furniture to be used alongside the cubicles. And that includes office chairs. These should be ergonomic seats that employees are able to personalize to their comfort levels.

Consider Storage: Depending on the nature of the work you are doing, you might need cubicles with storage shelves and drawers or those without. You can choose lockable cubicle drawers if privacy is required.

Involve the Users: When you decide it’s time to get cubicles for your office space, there’s a need to involve those who are actually going to use them in the decision-making. This way, you can reach a resolution of a workplace that everyone is happy to be part of. They won’t just suggest what is aesthetically pleasing but also what will work for their situation.

Purchase Cubicles That Add Value To Your Workplace

Cubicles are not mere barriers but useful office segments that should improve your workspace. As an employer, you need to purchase cubicles that add value to your business. At Office Furniture Warehouse, we provide a wide range of cubicles and other furniture that helps you customize your office space and make it productive. Contact us right away so we can discuss the layout of your office and offer you great deals on furniture.