Betsey Mikel writes at Inc.com on a study published in the ScienceDirect journal that reveals more complaints about the open office plan.
We know open office plans can be difficult for introverts, maintaining privacy, and noise pollution. It turns out women are finding unique difficulties, as well. One law firm that converted their office to an open space plan saw changes in the way women dressed and which routes they took to walk around the office.
The study also revealed that women felt pressured to stay later in the open office plan due to a fishbowl effect. Instead of being recognized for their output, they felt how visible they were was informing their employer’s estimation of them, creating unnecessary, additional stress.
This must be an impediment to productivity for women, which begs the question: is the enclosed office a better solution to support women in the workplace satisfaction and climbing the ranks in the workplace?
Food for thought! Read more about it here.