logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
18m 34s

Do you like a noisy or quiet workplace?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Many companies are urging staff to return to the office instead of working remotely, but noise levels are rising in workplaces, which can cause stress and undermine productivity.

This means offices are now being built or redesigned to control noise, Russell Padmore visits one in Ireland.

Producer / presenter: Russell Padmore Image: Office space; Credit: Getty images

Up next
Jul 16
Taking Stock: A slower China and a durian glut
Connecting the timezones this week are Will Bain in London, David Kuo in Singapore and Emily Peck in New York to unpack the week's biggest business stories. China's economy has recorded one of its weakest quarterly growth rates on record, raising fresh questions about the country ... Show More
23m 4s
Apr 7
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 7
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2018
Office Spaces
Is your office killing your productivity? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Pete Bacevice, a workplace researcher at the global design firm HLW and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. They talk through how to survive in an open office, deploy ... Show More
31m 53s
Sep 2023
Back to the office
Many employers say they are desperate to get staff back into the office more often, but what's the best and fairest way to wean employees off remote working?As companies from tech to banking grapple with this issue, Evan Davis and guests discuss the productivity pros and cons, th ... Show More
28m 49s
Sep 2023
​​To go or not to go ... into the office?
Remote work is here to stay — but even for companies that did it pre-pandemic, new challenges are popping up. Dean’s accounting firm has 4,000 employees, and people once happily alternated between working from home and the office. But recently there's been a shift, and the once-t ... Show More
25m 32s
Jan 2024
The Best Return-to-Office Policies Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All
A growing number of companies are mandating office time for employees and structuring hybrid work under broad, rigid rules. But pushing people into the office is a mistake, argues Kimberly Shells, a senior director in the Gartner HR practice. She shares research showing how much ... Show More
24m 20s
Jun 2021
Can I Quit My Job?
With things around the country starting to resemble something normal, many employers are calling workers back into the office, and after many months of working from home, many aren't so eager to go back, including our latest caller.Have a money question? Email us, ask jill [at] j ... Show More
17m 36s
Sep 2019
Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be
<p>It began as a post-war dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into a nightmare of noise and discomfort. Can the open office be saved, or should we all just be working from home?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href ... Show More
41m 40s
Mar 2021
Workplace Design, Post-Pandemic (Back to Work, Better)
Anne-Laure Fayard, associate professor at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, was studying the effects of workplace design on employees long before the Covid-19 crisis. Now, she says, the trend of flexible schedules and hybrid offices - where some people come in, others work from ... Show More
24m 44s
May 2023
Co-Workers Getting On Your Nerves? Here’s How to Handle It Better
Are your co-workers' quirks driving you crazy? From the cubicle-mate who talks too loudly on the phone, to the person who always microwaves fish for lunch, to the supervisor who’s never on time for a meeting, every office has people who get on your nerves. But you don’t have to l ... Show More
18m 26s
Jul 2020
Covid-19: The office after lockdown
Companies are rushing to install technology to make offices safer. Neil and Sam discuss. 
6m 17s