The noisy buzz in an office was traditionally looked upon as a good sign. It meant that employees were engaged, and that work was being conducted at an active pace. If you were to complain about a noisy office, you would probably be ignored or not taken too seriously.

But today, the fact is that almost every office is busy as ever and noise levels are rising, reaching an alarming 85 decibels. This volume level can affect not only productivity but also overall employee well-being.

Why Intermittent Sounds Are Disturbing

In offices, the combined noise from printers, coffee machines, phones ringing, phone message alerts, talking, and even typing on a computer can get to unbearable levels. These noises are usually intermittent and spaced out. Yet, their scattered and irregular frequencies makes them harder to ignore or drown out as they are unexpected. 

Your rather loud colleague is conversing on the phone and with members of his team. He may speak on his mobile for 10 minutes, stay silent for 2, talk to his neighbor for 15 seconds and then return for a quick call on his landline. These interruptions can’t be predicted by your mind and so each time your colleague speaks in a booming voice, it’s disturbing for you.

The effects of these disturbances can’t be taken casually as they will affect your work and your overall well-being. If you get interrupted every 3 minutes, it can take you up to 20 minutes to fully regain your concentration. That’s a colossal waste of time for you and your company.

What Can Loud Noises Do in the Workplace?

A continual high noise level in the office can:

  • Hamper Performance

    Regular interruptions and the inability to focus can demotivate and make even the best employees not perform as well as they can otherwise.

  • Hinder Teamwork

    Since teamwork is all about conversations and discussions, a high level of other noise in the office makes it close to impossible to work in teams.

  • Harm Well-Being

    A stressful work environment with high noise levels can lead to mental, emotional and physical ailments for your employees.

An Ideal Work Environment

Most of the time, you know it’s too loud in the office but you’re not sure how loud. ActiWell can detect and alert when your office noise levels hit an unhealthy high. This device keeps a check on not only the noise levels, but also temperature, humidity and air quality and acts like an efficient "Wellbeing-Police" for your office environment! Boost your production and create a nurturing environment in your office today! 

Contact us for a noise detection demo.