Noisy offices linked to productivity losses and rising retention risks, research suggests 

Office noise is affecting productivity, wellbeing and employee retention, with new research suggesting poor workplace acoustics could be costing UK businesses more than £40bn a year. 

A study of 2,000 UK office workers by Censuswide, commissioned by Oscar Acoustics, found employees lose an average of 26 minutes of productive time each working day due to noise in the workplace. The equivalent of more than three working weeks a year. 

The findings point to a growing workplace health issue, with noise affecting concentration, stress levels and employees’ experience of the office environment. 

More than three in five workers (61 per cent) said they work from home to escape office noise, while 45 per cent said they would consider leaving their job because of it. 

The research also identified a notable generational divide. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of workers aged 18 to 24 described their workplace as noisy, compared with 47 per cent of those aged 55 and over. 

With around 400,000 graduates expected to enter the workforce this summer, the findings suggest employers may need to pay closer attention to workplace design if they want to attract and retain younger talent. 

Acoustic comfort is increasingly influencing career decisions. Two-thirds (66 per cent) of job seekers said noise levels and acoustic conditions are important factors when evaluating prospective employers. 

Despite this, employer action appears limited. The study found that only 8 per cent of organisations have installed acoustic treatments within the past two years, while 85 per cent have never assessed workplace acoustics. Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of offices have no designated quiet or private spaces. 

For employers, the issue extends beyond productivity. Oscar Acoustics estimates that reducing the proportion of employees considering resignation due to workplace noise could save a 100-person organisation between £21,000 and £34,650 a year in retention-related costs. 

The report also highlights the wider inclusion implications of workplace noise. Around 60 per cent of UK adults are estimated to be noise-sensitive, including neurodivergent individuals and people with hearing or visual impairments. Creating quieter environments may therefore support both workforce wellbeing and accessibility. 

Ben Hancock, Managing Director of Oscar Acoustics, said: “Acoustic environment is as fundamental to a productive workplace as lighting or ventilation. With two-thirds of job seekers now factoring it into their decisions, and a £40 billion annual bill landing on UK businesses, the companies that invest in better acoustics will have a genuine advantage in a competitive graduate market.”

Julian Treasure, sound expert and TED speaker, said: “There’s a billion young people set to join the ranks of the hearing impaired because of headphone abuse. 100 decibels going deep into your ear canals for hours a day. As we get older, our hearing degrades over time, and if you start off with hearing damage as a teenager, we may be looking at an entire deaf generation in 20 to 30 years.”

The findings come as employers continue to reassess the role of the office and explore how workplace environments can support health, concentration and sustainable performance rather than inadvertently contributing to stress and distraction.