The modern workplace is full of contradictions. Employers talk about productivity and wellbeing, yet many office spaces are designed in ways that undermine both. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the open-plan office. While promoted as collaborative and modern, these environments can be overwhelming, noisy, and distracting leaving employees without a place to recharge or focus.
For neurodivergent employees including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others, the absence of a quiet space can make the difference between thriving and burning out. But this is not just about neurodivergence. Research consistently shows that quiet areas benefit everyone, from introverts to extroverts, from new graduates to senior leaders.
In this blog, we’ll explore why your office should include a quiet area, how the lack of one fails employees, and what organisations can do to create inclusive, productive workspaces.
The Problem With Open-Plan Offices
Open-plan offices were designed with good intentions. They promised increased collaboration, better communication, and a break from the cubicle culture of the 1980s and 1990s. Yet the reality has been very different.
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A study by the University of Sydney found that nearly 50% of employees in open-plan spaces are dissatisfied with noise levels.
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Harvard research showed that open-plan offices actually decrease face-to-face communication by 70%, as employees turn to emails and messages to avoid interruptions.
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Gensler’s UK Workplace Survey reported that employees who don’t have access to quiet spaces are twice as likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs.
For neurodivergent employees, the challenges are amplified. Constant background noise, visual distractions, and unpredictable interruptions can overload the senses, drain energy, and make it harder to focus. Without a quiet area, employees are left with no choice but to mask their discomfort, withdraw, or struggle through in silence.
Why Quiet Areas Are Essential for Neurodivergent Employees
Neurodivergent brains often process the environment differently. Sensory sensitivity, executive functioning challenges, and heightened stress responses can all be triggered by noisy, chaotic spaces. Here’s how quiet areas can help:
1. Reducing Sensory Overload
For autistic employees or those with ADHD, loud conversations, phone calls, and the constant buzz of office equipment can be overwhelming. A quiet room offers relief from sensory bombardment.
2. Supporting Focus and Productivity
Neurodivergent employees may need uninterrupted time to work deeply on tasks. Quiet areas remove distractions and give employees space to manage time and attention in ways that suit them.
3. Providing a Safe Space for Regulation
Quiet areas aren’t just for work. They can be used for decompressing after a stressful meeting, regulating emotions, or preparing for a presentation. This helps neurodivergent employees avoid burnout and manage their wellbeing.
4. Encouraging Disclosure and Retention
When employees see that an office has been designed with inclusivity in mind, they are more likely to disclose their neurodivergence. This builds trust and increases retention by showing that the organisation truly values different needs.
Why Quiet Areas Benefit Everyone
It’s important to stress: quiet areas are not just for neurodivergent staff. They benefit the entire workforce.
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Introverts recharge better in low-stimulation environments.
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Extroverts also need quiet zones when deep focus is required.
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Parents and carers appreciate having a calm space to regroup during stressful days.
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Leaders and managers often use quiet rooms for strategic thinking without distractions.
In fact, the World Health Organisation recognises that prolonged noise exposure reduces productivity, increases stress, and impacts physical health. Quiet areas mitigate these risks for all employees.
How the Lack of Quiet Areas Fails Your Employees
When offices don’t provide quiet spaces, the consequences are significant:
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Lower productivity: Constant interruptions make it nearly impossible to achieve flow states. Studies suggest it can take 23 minutes to regain focus after an interruption.
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Higher stress and burnout: Without downtime or regulation spaces, stress accumulates and wellbeing declines.
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Exclusion of neurodivergent staff: Employees with sensory sensitivities may feel alienated, unsupported, or forced to leave.
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Reduced retention: Talented staff — neurodivergent and neurotypical — may seek out organisations with environments better suited to focus and wellbeing.
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Damage to employer brand: In today’s competitive job market, candidates pay attention to how inclusive and supportive an organisation is.
What a Good Quiet Area Looks Like
Not every quiet space has to be an expensive redesign. Small adjustments can go a long way. Here are features of an effective quiet area:
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Soundproofing: Acoustic panels, carpeting, and noise-reducing doors help block background noise.
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Comfortable seating: Chairs and desks designed for longer focus periods.
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Lighting control: Soft, adjustable lighting rather than harsh fluorescent lights.
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Tech-friendly options: Outlets, Wi-Fi, and docking stations for laptops.
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Clear boundaries: Rules that define the quiet area as a no-chat, no-phone space.
Some organisations create multiple types of quiet spaces, for example, single-user pods for total silence, and shared quiet rooms with etiquette rules.
Virtual Quiet Spaces for Hybrid Work
Quiet areas don’t just matter in physical offices. In the hybrid workplace, employees often struggle with constant video calls and blurred boundaries between home and work. Organisations can replicate the benefits of quiet areas virtually by:
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Encouraging camera-off focus hours during the week.
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Providing “no meeting” days to allow deep work.
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Offering access to AI productivity tools that help with focus and task management.
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Supporting employees to create distraction-free home setups, including providing equipment grants.
By treating virtual quiet time as essential, organisations show they value wellbeing and productivity as much as collaboration.
Real-World Examples of Inclusive Office Design
Forward-thinking companies are already making changes:
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Microsoft’s Inclusive Tech Lab includes quiet zones with soundproofing and adjustable lighting, designed for neurodivergent employees.
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PwC UK has piloted sensory-friendly spaces in its offices, offering low-stimulation areas for focus and wellbeing.
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Startups in London’s tech sector increasingly advertise “quiet booths” and “focus rooms” in job postings, recognising their value as part of employer branding.
These examples show that providing quiet areas is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s becoming a marker of progressive, inclusive workplace design.
Why Leaders Should Act Now
With employee wellbeing under scrutiny and burnout rates rising, investing in quiet areas is both a moral and strategic decision. The return on investment is clear:
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Higher productivity from fewer distractions.
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Lower turnover thanks to improved employee satisfaction.
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Reduced absenteeism linked to stress and mental health.
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Stronger employer branding in a competitive recruitment market.
For neurodivergent employees, it could mean the difference between staying and leaving. For everyone else, it enhances focus, reduces stress, and creates a healthier workplace.
Final Thoughts
A quiet area may seem like a small change, but its impact is huge. It shows employees that their needs are recognised, it creates an inclusive culture where neurodivergent people can thrive, and it improves focus and wellbeing for everyone.
The truth is simple: without quiet areas, your office is failing your employees.
At Enna, we work with organisations to audit their workplace environments, deliver neurodiversity training for managers, and create practical strategies for inclusion. Whether you’re planning a redesign, moving to hybrid work, or simply want to support your employees better, we can help.
👉 Learn more about our neurodiversity workplace audits or explore our training for managers to start building a workplace where everyone can thrive.