If you’ve been to a workspace event recently, you may have noticed a sudden increase in office phone booths popping up. Why? Because businesses have accepted that noise distracts workers, and distractions cost money. According to Harvard Busines Review, the average employee gets interrupted 50-60 times per day, and about 80% of these interruptions are unimportant. What’s more, an article in Entrepreneur.com said it then takes 25 minutes for our brains to refocus on the original task.

Since the pandemic, many desk workers have experienced working from home. For most of us, this provided a quieter space to work. Perhaps the ergonomics, technology, and lack of social contact wasn’t ideal, but the home office acoustics were probably a lot better than that of an open plan office, which is why office phone booths are having their moment in the spotlight.

Still need convincing? Here are 5 reasons to get an office phone booth for your office.

1. Quiet spaces are incredibly important

Only 22% of us seem to think that our workplace is well designed to help mitigate noise levels (Oscar Acoustics, 2019). Whether it’s a conversation next to you, the phone ringing, or someone coming over to talk to you, we’ve all experienced interruptions at work. A lot of the time, there’s nothing we can do about it. This is where an office phone booth is ideal.

Whether you use it to hide from noise or make your own noise without disturbing others, an office phone booth provides an instant soundproof workspace. When people see someone inside an office phone booth, they immediately know they’re trying to concentrate so won’t interrupt them.

2. Office phone booths are great for small meetings

Real estate is expensive, there’s no getting away from it. We are going through something of a workplace revolution right now, so companies are understandably wanting an agile office that can adapt to changing demands.

A fixed meeting room is great for large groups, but since the pandemic, the rate of one-on-one meetings increased by 18% (National Bureau of Economics) many of which are now conducted virtually. In fact, a study in 2020 found that 24% of meetings held fewer participants, with an average of just 4 or 5 people. A meeting room for 12 is wasted space when used by just 4 people, but an office phone booth that accommodates 4 people enables the meeting room to be used simultaneously – making an office phone booth a profitable investment with demonstrable ROI.

3. The purpose of the office has changed

“What’s the purpose of the office – and do we still need it?” asked the BBC in an article exploring how we work now. Interestingly, there were two answers at opposite ends of the spectrum.

“Maybe the office is there for the sake of cementing relationships, introducing people and deliberate relationship-building” said one person. The other countered, “I’ve got young children, a wife who also works and I’ve been working in our bedroom closet for a year [so] being in the office is about focus and needing to get away.” Hybrid working means that people will be using the office for a variety of different reasons, so it’s important to provide the best furniture for hybrid working models, of which an office phone booth is a main one.

4. Many offices are getting smaller

Many companies are choosing to downsize. According to research conducted by YouGov in Spring 2021, 26% of UK businesses were set to close, downsize or consolidate their offices post-pandemic as a result, while over half (53%) planned to enable some form of flexible and remote working.

With fewer people working in the office, businesses can’t afford to waste money on empty floorspace. A smaller office means that every square foot needs to be carefully considered, and an office phone booth is an obvious, instant, and functional component – regardless of industry. Larger workspaces can have multi-use areas, something of a luxury that those now cutting costs might not be able to afford. But a phone booth? That’s a cost-effective investment as you know it will be used regularly.

5. Office phone booths are easy to install

For any designer, facilities manager, or even the end client, you’re always hoping for simple installation. The majority of office phone booths are plug and play meaning they can be built in a matter of hours (or less!). These purpose-built pods are also easily updated with useful technology such as booking availability through an app. Integrating technology with furniture is becoming a key trend for the modern workplace and office phone booths are leading by example.

Whilst there are many office phone booths on the market, Persy Booths are the ones to watch. Sustainably made out of recycled plastic bottles with 5 layers of soundproofing materials inside, it also offers incredible ventilation with 4 fans pushing cold air in, and 3 fans pulling warm out. And all this, at an affordable price point, which is important businesses are recovering from last 18 months.

In line with their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, the team at Persy Booths sources 90% of its core components from local suppliers and for every Persy Booth sold, 10 trees are planted in the Amazon rainforest. If you’re interested in more information on Persy One or Persy Four, feel free to get in touch via hello@agilita.co.uk.