Why open-plan offices are a nightmare for high-sensory folks
I've written a lot about both superpowers and challenges that highly perceptive professionals have. I haven't really talked much about some of the issues that might be less noticeable to others—and that we're often embarrassed or afraid to bring up.
A major struggle for HSPs and other high-sensory employees at work is the workplace itself.
Noise, harsh lighting, and an inability to control the temperature (or escape fans, air conditioners or heaters that are blowing right on you) can be more than just minor irritants when your brain's wired differently. For some people, these factors can cause physical pain; they can also prompt feelings ranging from frustration to rage.
Other challenges include smells, lack of access to natural light, lack of privacy, and unergonomic, one-size-fits-all desks and chairs that can cause all kinds of health problems.
My very first full-time job after college was in the San Francisco chapter of a national nonprofit. There were only a few of us, but because we worked privately with clients, we each had our own office. Mine was beautiful—an exposed brick wall and floor-to-ceiling windows, a large Persian rug, flourishing floor plants and handsome cherry wood furniture. I guess it could only go downhill from there!
Next was another nonprofit, where the office wasn’t quite as nice but it was very quiet, and again there were only a few of us. Sometimes I was the only one there, so it was easy to get work done.
Then I entered Tech and the world of the open office environment.
At first, again, I was lucky. I worked for a startup, and because of the nature of my work—editing a high volume of daily news articles for inclusion in company profiles—I had to start at 6 am. Not ideal (not a morning person!), but I’d grab a giant muffin and coffee from the little corner bakery and join my other editor colleague, and we worked in silence until others trickled in a few hours later.
(Thinking back, I’m amazed I lasted at that job. We edited several hundreds of articles each per day—I think my record was somewhere over 1,200, but I use the term “edited” loosely—and almost never left our stations. Colleagues from customer service and IT would try hard to distract us or make us laugh by sneaking up behind us or waving things over our monitors. Easily distractible as I am, I somehow managed to stick with my mission and get the job done. The company was acquired, and we were all laid off together less than a year after I started, so it’s hard to say how long I would’ve stayed.)
A few years later I moved to Seattle to work at Amazon. I was on the team that launched the original Toys site, a special experience that bears little resemblance to the megastore it’s become. While I loved my work, I had a very hard time in the open office environment, which was pretty much a free-for-all. Flying Nerf balls and frisbees and people zooming around on Razor scooters were just the start. Imagine a middle school courtyard during recess, and that might be close.
So when, more than a decade after that, a VP I was interviewing with at a Fortune 500 proudly gave me a tour of the still-under-construction open office, I had to hold back a groan. He was so excited about the innovation and collaboration that would magically happen in that giant open space. I was just trying to get an offer, having been laid off (again) several months earlier at another startup.
I kept my mouth shut and didn’t mention the research that had already been published about the detrimental effects of open-plan offices on many (most?) employees and the fact that the promised innovation and collaboration mostly didn’t happen.
I got the offer, and spent the next two and a half years dealing with constant noise, microwaved-meal smells, temperatures that varied between freezing and hot, harsh artificial lighting, and other frustrations and distractions. These were a major contributing factor to the severe burnout that prompted me to resign, sell my home, and move to Peru.
It's not news that the pandemic, as horrific as it was for so many reasons, had a silver lining in demonstrating that it's entirely possible for people in many different roles and functions to work effectively, productively, and collaboratively from home or other non-office locations. (And in many cases, far more so than when in the office.)
And it's perplexing that so many executives have tried to force everyone back in.
Not everyone's sensitive to the same stimuli, and not everyone has the same response when they are sensitive to something. There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to an office space.
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And not everyone has the luxury of leaving to find a better fit.
Flexibility and understanding are key. Noise doesn't bother you? You're fortunate. There are days when I want to scream (and I totally get the irony) with frustration at the noise outside my window. I find noise-cancelling headphones and ear plugs both uncomfortable and mostly ineffective, and not everyone can afford them.
You don't get migraines from overhead office lights? Again, you're fortunate. I know people who can be knocked out for a couple of days by harsh lighting.
When our vision needs support, we get glasses or contacts. If we can't get a standing desk or highly adjustable chair, at least we might be able to get an adjustable footrest and a keyboard tray to make our work setup more ergonomic.
We all have different needs, and access to solutions has to be equitable.
What's your experience with open-plan offices?
Have you found any good solutions to high-sensory challenges like these, or experienced other challenges than the ones I mentioned?
I'd love to hear what resonates and what doesn't. And please share this with anyone who might benefit—either from knowing they're not alone or from learning about challenges that up to 30% of the workforce may be dealing with in one way or another.
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4moRachel Radway you are so spot on with this article! I, too, had always had my own office prior to COVID and when we had to rearrange the hospital to open up all space for potential clinical overload I ended up in the middle of a cubicle farm! It was horrible! Fortunately it was only a year before the construction of new offices was complete. My productivity, creativity, and overall effectiveness were seriously impaired by all of the distractions. Neuroscience is very clear that we can't multitask and we can't focus when are alert systems are being triggered all of the time - movement, noise, etc.
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4moI think the sensory component has always been overlooked, likely due to a lack of understanding, as you said. I remember when my children were younger, seeing some of their peers struggle with that feeling of overwhelm, and knowing there were limited resources for their sensory sensitivities. It’s terrific to see you at the forefront of this important work.
The Mastermind Guy @ SixFigureMasterminds.com | Business Coach
4moRachel Radway, this is such an important perspective! The sensory experiences of highly sensitive people often go unnoticed, yet they can significantly impact daily life. Understanding these nuances can foster greater empathy and support. Thank you for shedding light on this topic—it's a reminder to create spaces where everyone feels understood and valued.
I Coach Rebellious Midlife Professionals To Reclaim Time, Energy, and Attention, Find Clarity, Get Unstuck and Create Something Beautiful | Co-Founder @ChangingWork | Ex-Google
4mo"a middle school courtyard during recess" this is an evocative image that reminds me so much of why I struggled in open office workplaces as a HSP. I was so productive and happy working from home, and whenever I had to go into the office it required careful preparation (hooded sweatshirt, noise canceling headphones, the constant search for quite and low traffic areas of the office where I could avoid the chatter and chaos of very social teammates milling about during the day. I was lucky that i was able to get an indoor shade to block some of the overhead florescent lights, but it did nothing for the constant buzzing, or the massive amounts of noise coming from the freight elevator near my desk that would make the floor shake. When I could, I would sit with my back to the room facing a window , headphones on with no music just to have a hope of gaining some focus with all the chatting, movement, people on zoom calls at their desk, etc. Now that I'm self employed I've been able to create a work oasis in my own home, including a few sweet spaces to sit outside and enjoy nature while being my most productive self.
I empower coaches, consultants, authors, speakers to overcome inconsistent leads & roller coaster income to get Authority, Visibility & Credibility to escalate profits fast with The AUTHORITY POSITIONing Blueprint.
4moI could never work in an open plan office. Just going to the mall at Christmas drives me to the looney bin! lol! Sensitive much?