Here, the psychological issues of having insufficient autonomy are compounded by an office ergonomics cardinal sin: being deprived of the freedom to move.

Without a variety of available workspaces, they are confined to one desk all day. They also need to feel trusted rather than micromanaged, which accompanies this affordance of private space. This typical experience shouts ‘lack of autonomy over space.’ Employees need private spaces to do work. Without solutions like sound-absorbing privacy dividers, employees feel like they are being monitored or micromanaged (even if they are not). And each of them is placed outside the employee’s control in a purely open office.

Each of these factors affects well-being. And though noise is the infamous externality, other environmental conditions such as ventilation and lighting are also problematic. With all walls, partitions, and dividers eliminated, office noise is an antagonizing force that prevents sharp focus. The open office deprives the worker of autonomy at multiple levels. The open office and autonomy (or the lack thereof) 5 Full-circle: work pods give the YOU total control over your office’s design.4 The benefit of work pods: autonomy at three distinct and essential levels.3 Restoring autonomy by giving employees CHOICE in how they work.2 The statistics: autonomy and performance.1 The open office and autonomy (or the lack thereof).

Openoffice draw semi circle