The office phone booth is a unique piece of commercial office furniture. This type of acoustic booth or pod is designed to encapsulate its user and limit or eliminate noise distractions. Some designs can accommodate one person and others can hold small groups. The office phone booth provides a level of privacy without completely annexing workers. The typical office privacy booth has clear sides so the users can still be a part of the office setting. Perfect for small group work or just a way for employees to work in a quiet area with minimal distractions, the phone booth gives workers a reprieve from high-traffic areas. Also, office phone booths are the perfect complement to a hybrid office layout.
Different Types of Office Phone Booths
You may have seen an office phone booth and thought about its functionality. But did you know there are different types suited for different needs? Some office phone booths can be used by groups of up to four, others can only fit one person, and some are even used at home to give the work-from-home environment a little more structure. The trendy and simplistic look of privacy booths can complement any office. Many booths have large see-through sides that allow workers to have that open and airy feel without any of the distractions of an open office.
Single-person Pods
Single-person pods are ideal in high-traffic areas. These would be well suited for a loud or fast-paced environment if an employee needs some privacy to make a phone call, video chat, or just some peace and quiet. These types of booths can’t accommodate several people for collaborative work. Unless it’s virtual.
Multi-person Privacy Booths
Multi-person privacy booths are ideal as a shared workspace or used for meetings and collaboration. These booths would also be ideal for a high-traffic area. The main difference is the scope of work. For example, a team would benefit from a multi-person booth rather than a solo pod. These booths can range from 2-4 people and some of them can accommodate 6 people.
Privacy booths allow workers to be a part of the office without having to experience common distractions.
As the remote and hybrid work models become more popular, workers find themselves needing a dedicated workspace. As workers transition to the hybrid office, there is a much greater emphasis on collaboration. But the need for focused work environments can’t be overlooked. Acoustic booths and pods can help provide these spaces.
Regardless of the type of office phone booth, they all share similar characteristics. A privacy booth offers an area for workers to escape and work with minimal distractions. Most of them are sound proof which greatly reduces noise disruptions. Some pods have monitors, places to charge devices, and are even climate-controlled. Office phone booths can provide many amenities or be as simple as a booth with a desk and chair.
When to Use an Office Phone Booth
Offices that use open floor plans can pose a number of problems when it comes to acoustics and visual distractions. Even in offices that don’t use open floor plans, noise distraction can still cause problems for workers. While offices can use other acoustic solutions like sound-dampening furniture or noise-reducing panels, the other solutions aren’t always the best option.
As the remote and hybrid work models become more popular, workers find themselves increasingly in need of focused workspaces.
Office phone booths fit any setting but are best suited for high-traffic or noisy areas and they can serve several different purposes. With meetings being increasingly hybrid, privacy booths create an ideal place for virtual meetings. Workers use them to make a phone call, have a small private meeting between a few people, or even reserve or rent in a flex or coworking space. However a privacy booth is used, it offers the same benefits. Privacy and silence.
How Effective Are Office Phone Booths?
Privacy booths allow workers to be a part of the office without having to experience common distractions. This can lead to an increase in productivity and efficiency. Working in a privacy booth prevents coworkers from stopping by to ask questions or just to talk. When you’re in a pod this isn’t an option for coworkers. It is literally and figuratively a barrier. But what exactly does it do for productivity?
A study reported by BBC shows just how few US workers prefer open floor plan offices. The study showed only 28% of workers prefer an open office floor plan over a more traditional layout. This shows the need for some sort of barrier or some way to ensure privacy.
Office privacy booths can provide the secluded feel desired by workers without having to change the complete layout of an office. This provides more privacy and can limit distractions more effectively than cubicles or acoustic furniture or panels can.
Another study conducted by a San Francisco PR agency found that the reason open floor plans were less desirable was the lack of privacy, difficulty thinking, and inability to concentrate. This was due to the lack of quality partitions or privacy where workers were able to work in silence or without other distractions.
There are a large number of offices that use open floor plans. It’s easy to see, however, just how undesirable they have become. Open floor plans might be affordable, are believed to increase collaboration, or are simply easier to plan but it’s clear that workers need the privacy that four walls can provide. It’s a barrier between somebody’s personal space and their coworkers. With established open offices it seems that office phone booths are the easiest solution to providing workers with what they want the most.
Is an Office Phone Booth For You?
The office phone booth can be the solution to the pitfalls of an open floor plan. It’s hard to choose an office setting that is absolutely perfect for you and your workers. Certain offices might annex workers and hinder collaboration while others might create unnecessary distractions. Solutions are available to address distractions in the workplace but they usually don’t completely solve the problem. But our commercial office furniture will help you get close to the perfect office. Your office might find the privacy booth checks all the boxes. Whether the office phone booth is being used by workers occasionally or is used as a more permanent solution, a privacy booth can give workers a level of privacy that no other can.
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