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The Dark Side of Open-Plan Offices Nobody Talks About
We all know the familiar frustrations of open-plan offices — the colleague who takes calls at full volume, the keyboard warrior who types like they're sending an urgent telegram, the person who's been sniffling through a cold for three weeks straight. But according to new research, the problems run much deeper than noise and distraction.
A study out of Linköping University in Sweden has uncovered a more serious consequence of the open-plan layout: a significantly higher risk of workplace bullying.
What the Research Found
Researchers studied 3,300 randomly selected employees across different office types — traditional open-plan bullpens, activity-based offices (open-plan with access to some private rooms), small shared offices, and private individual offices.
The results were striking. Employees in traditional open-plan offices faced a clear and measurable increase in bullying risk compared to those in private or small shared spaces — and that difference held up even after accounting for personality traits and remote work policies.
"Increased bullying is a tangible negative consequence of how you choose to organize the workplace," said study author and psychology professor Michael Rosander. "It's important to highlight this, as it hasn't previously been examined."
Why Open Offices Breed Conflict
The mechanism behind this isn't complicated, once you think about it. When you're physically surrounded by colleagues all day, you notice everything — every annoying habit, every loud phone call, every disruptive behavior. That constant low-level irritation builds up, and when it's handled poorly, it can escalate into something far more damaging.
To make matters worse, traditional open-plan offices offer nowhere to escape. Victims of bullying have no private space to retreat to, no buffer from the source of their stress.
Interestingly, activity-based offices — where employees have access to quiet rooms for focused work — did not show the same elevated bullying risk. The simple availability of a private space appears to make a meaningful difference.
The Broader Cost to Employers
Bullying risk isn't the only problem. The research adds to a growing pile of evidence that open-plan offices are bad for workers across the board. Employees in both types of open-plan environment reported being more willing to change jobs than those in private or small shared offices — a finding researchers attribute to constant distraction and lack of control over one's environment.
"Traditional open-plan offices are in themselves negative for the individual, for productivity, and make people more likely to leave their job," Rosander said. "Social interaction also suffers."
That's a significant finding for employers who adopted open-plan layouts specifically to boost collaboration and cut real estate costs. The tradeoff may be costing them far more in turnover, disengagement, and workplace conflict than they realize.
What Companies Should Do
The researchers offer practical guidance for employers already committed to open-plan layouts:
- Address conflict early. Have a clear plan for managing intra-office tensions before they escalate into something more serious.
- Group people thoughtfully. Placing employees with similar tasks and working styles together can reduce friction.
- Provide private spaces. Even in an open-plan environment, designated quiet rooms can significantly reduce both distraction and conflict risk.
The bottom line is that office design isn't just an aesthetic or financial decision — it's a management decision with real consequences for people's wellbeing, safety, and likelihood of staying. As Rosander put it: "It's worth considering how to handle it."
Given what the research now shows, that might be an understatement.