Office noise driving sickness absence as employers fall short on wellbeing duty 

Britain’s offices are contributing to a growing workplace health and wellbeing problem, with noise linked to stress, illness and lost productivity, according to new research from Oscar Acoustics. 

The survey of 2,000 UK office workers found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) have taken time off due to noise-related stress, while half (50 per cent) report headaches or migraines and 62 per cent experience fatigue linked to their working environment. 

The findings point to a clear workplace wellbeing issue, with excessive noise affecting both physical and mental health. More than half (54 per cent) of employees say they experience stress or anxiety because of office noise, while 56 per cent report irritation or frustration and 63 per cent struggle to concentrate during a typical month. 

The impact is also being felt in performance and workplace relationships. Nearly a third (32 per cent) say they deliver lower-quality work or miss deadlines, 26 per cent admit to snapping at colleagues or managers and 24 per cent take regular time off due to noise-related stress. 

Despite this, employer action remains limited. Just 35 per cent of workers believe their employer takes office noise seriously. Only 8 per cent of organisations have installed acoustic treatments, and 15 per cent have assessed their acoustic environment in the past two years. 

Ben Hancock, managing director at Oscar Acoustics, said: “We’ve normalised noisy offices, but our data shows that they’re actively harming people’s health and wellbeing. If this were any other workplace risk, employers would be expected to act. 

“Employers have a duty of care, and it’s clear that poor acoustics is an occupational health hazard that is making people ill. Yet, too often, it’s dismissed as part of office life. That mindset needs to change.” 

The research highlights how workplace design is becoming a central factor in employee wellbeing, particularly as organisations look to support mental health and reduce sickness absence. 

Lara Milward, neuroleadership coach, said: “We’re more distracted than ever; Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, emails, texts. There’s so much competing for our attention. At the same time, we’re dealing with a workforce that’s already stressed, overstimulated and easily frustrated. 

“Long-term stress, as we know, reduces cognitive capacity. That’s why it’s fascinating to explore how acoustic design can make a meaningful difference to well-being and productivity.” 

The data was collected in February 2026 by Censuswide, a member of the Market Research Society and British Polling Council. 

The findings reinforce the growing expectation that employers take a more active role in managing workplace environments as part of their health and wellbeing strategy and follows The Well Crowd’s recent coverage of Sownd Certification, which highlighted the growing role of acoustic design in workplace wellbeing and the need for evidence-based standards to support healthier, more productive environments.