In some businesses, the largest productivity losses are not the result of employees using their time to browse the Internet or do outside work that should be done on their own time, but instead the result of distracting office noises. Some of the greatest causes of office noise come from employees who waste time talking about topics that do not pertain to their duties as employees. These discussions not only distract those who are talking, but those within earshot as well.

The majority of workplaces are not sufficiently soundproofed so that workers can converse with one another or on the telephone without causing significant distractions for the colleagues in their vicinity. Short-walled cubicles and imperfect layouts in frequently close quarters can cause office noise to be disseminated throughout the entire floor, causing problems especially in smaller workspaces.

For offices dealing with office noise, the consequences of leaving the problem unchecked can manifest itself in the cost to the company. Often, the noise can take other nearby employees off of their work, which can lower productivity in the office even further. That lost productivity may not seem like much at the time that it happens, but constant workflow interruptions can result in a significant hit to your bottom line.

In order to prevent productivity loss, a number of companies are addressing office noise issues by implementing office sound masking systems. These systems work to mask any distracting noises by creating unstructured sounds in the background, resulting in a dramatic increase of speech privacy within the office. It has been shown that acoustic privacy allows almost any worker to be more productive by some degree.

Office noise is inevitable, as part of business consists of employees speaking with customers or each other. However, this can be dealt with through implementation of a speech privacy system. Such a system can protect the privacy of conversations that take place while at the same time preventing others in the office from becoming distracted.

As all business owners and CEOs know, office noise can not only be a frustration and distraction to employees, but it can also cost a company a lot of money. By reducing office noise, you make the office a more pleasant working environment and can increase productivity. A speech privacy system in an office is a great solution to office noise and help to increase productivity.

While many businesses focus on trying to eliminate office socializing and time-wasting activities, they should also be aware of the loss of productivity due to excessive, distracting office noise. Such unwanted distractions can contribute to office stress and take away from the daily work flow that allows productivity. Many offices don't employ any type of soundproofing devices that works to be agents of office sound masking. Speech privacy systems may be the answer: once installed, this can lock in private conversations and keep distracting noises away from fellow employees who are trying to avoid breaking their work flow.

- Frank Barnett