Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World · chapter 2 · id deep-work-c2-04-open-office-plans-are-adopted-

“Open office plans are adopted despite evidence they reduce productivity by approximately 15%, with noise causing 21.5 minutes wasted per day.”

holdsconfidence: high⚠ extracted by pipeline, re-audit pending

Receipts

Bernstein & Turban (2018) -- Impact of Open Workspace, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Bsource alive

Face-to-face interaction decreased by approximately 70% after transition to open offices, while email increased 56% and IM increased 67%.

Systematic Review: Productivity Tax of Open Offices -- Management Review Quarterly (2022)source alive

Review of 429 papers (2005-2022) found open-plan offices impose a 'productivity tax' outweighing real-estate savings. Strong trend toward negative findings on health, satisfaction, and productivity.

James, Delfabbro & King (2021) -- Open-Plan vs Cellular Offices, SAGE Openpaywalled — manual check queued

Open-plan offices reduce productivity by approximately 15%, with noise causing 21.5 minutes wasted per day. 90% of studies indicated high stress, conflict, and elevated blood pressure.

This claim is a stable, citable object. If you can falsify a verdict, tell us — corrections are loud here.