Office Noise Reduction Solutions That Improve Employee Well-being

What are the best solutions for noise reduction in the office? Office booths, acoustic panels, acoustic mats, wall and desk partitions, or even carpets and bookshelves. Why do they matter? Less noise translates into better employee well-being, helping you avoid employee burnout, reduce the number of sick leaves, and increase productivity in your workplace. Do you wish to learn more? Then read on!

The Best Office Noise Reduction Solutions

There are many options when it comes to office soundproofing, some of which require professional materials, while others include placing certain types of furniture. Here is a full list of possible solutions:

Carpets

Carpets and rugs are not your go-to solutions for office noise reduction when airborne noise is a problem, but they will be excellent if you need to reduce the effects of impact noise. There are quite a few cases when carpets can make a difference.

The first and obvious situation in which placing rugs on the ground will be an effective noise reduction solution is when you often struggle with noise caused by falling objects. A strategically placed carpet will reduce the power with which such objects hit the ground, thus decreasing noise levels.

You may also use carpets for noise reduction in multi-story offices. Here, they will mainly help prevent the sound of footsteps from traveling to the lower levels.

Furniture

Office furniture may also do wonders in terms of noise reduction. Every flat surface reflects soundwaves, causing the noise to intensify, and placing furniture or even paintings in such places can effectively reduce the amount of noise.

What will work best? Bookshelves filled with…books. This is due to the excellent sound-absorbing qualities of paper. However, any cupboard should do, as long as it covers a plain, flat wall.

Acoustic Panels

We mustn’t forget office acoustic panels, one of the best solutions for noise reduction available. Just a few of them can turn your office from a chaotic, noisy place into a quiet nest.

One of the main advantages of the acoustic panels is that they come in various shapes and sizes. This means that you can fit them easily into your office decor. However, you have to remember about proper installation and place them strategically in those places where sounds are most likely to be reflected.

Acoustic Mats

Acoustic mats combine the best from the worlds of acoustic panels and carpets. You can place them on walls and floors or even hang them to section your office space while preventing noise from traveling all around the open space.

These will be excellent if you struggle with the noise coming from the outside, as they can be used to cover the windows – the main gateway for these sounds.

Wall and Desk Partitions

These noise-reducing solutions are perfect if you have large open spaces. Like acoustic mats, they can be used to section them and prevent the noise from traveling freely and creating an unpleasant echo or decreasing speech clarity.

Wall and desk partitions will look much more natural than acoustic mats if used for sectioning your space. Additionally, they will create a sense of privacy for your employees, making them happier and more comfortable.

Office Booths

What is the best office noise reduction solution? One that eliminates the source of the unwanted sounds.

Office phone booths are excellent for that. By installing them, you provide those who need to talk on the phone and engage in a discussion or a brainstorming session with a separate space designed for this purpose. The noise will never leave the booths, decreasing the overall intensity of the sounds in your workplace.

Why Is Noise Reduction in the Office Important?

Work distractions are not just annoying – they can hinder the productivity of your employees significantly. Unwanted sounds decrease focus while making the work more tiring and affecting the well-being of your workers.

A workplace that is too loud may cause your employees to feel more stressed or even burn out more quickly. This, on the other hand, results in more sick leaves, lower productivity, and decreased job satisfaction. Therefore, it is crucial that you do what’s in your power to reduce the noise in your office to a minimum.

The Takeaway

There are numerous noise reduction solutions that you can use in your office – those from our list are just examples of the best of them. By putting carpets on the floor, covering walls with furniture, paintings, and acoustic panels, and installing wall and desk partitions, you can decrease the noise intensity in your workplace by over 10 dB. This is a major change – one that you will see both in your employee satisfaction surveys and when monitoring the overall results.