Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science. The study, based on a nationally representative sample of 3,307 workers in Sweden, examined whether office design influences the likelihood of negative interpersonal behaviour at work. Researchers found that employees in open plan environments faced a higher risk of bullying even after accounting for factors such as personality, demographics and working patterns.

The increased risk was confined to traditional open plan layouts. Activity-based offices, which typically offer a variety of work settings and greater choice over where tasks are performed, did not show the same association with bullying.

The findings suggest that the issue is less about individual differences and more about the physical and social characteristics of the workspace. The researchers point to environmental stressors, conflicting role expectations and limited opportunities to withdraw from tense situations as possible explanations.

Alongside higher reported levels of bullying, employees in traditional open-plan offices also recorded lower job satisfaction. Workers in both traditional and activity-based open offices were more likely to express an intention to leave their jobs compared to those in private or smaller shared offices.

Open-plan offices have become widespread in recent decades, often promoted as a way to improve collaboration and make more efficient use of space. However, previous research has already linked them to increased stress, reduced concentration and poorer wellbeing.

The authors note that this is the first study to directly examine the relationship between office design and workplace bullying, extending a body of research that has largely focused on productivity and health outcomes.

They argue that organisations should take greater account of psychosocial factors when designing workplaces and place more emphasis on early conflict resolution, particularly in traditional open-plan environments.