Several BIG companies have adopted the open-office environment and they're doing great - so, it should work for everyone, right? While Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and Facebook have all adopted the open-office environment, it's not the best working model.

In fact, there are statistics that show the open-office environment is detrimental to employee productivity. And, instead of jumping on the open-office bandwagon, companies are finding success using other design methods that cultivate better employee morale and satisfaction.

Today, we're going to briefly address three ways in which employee's psyches are affected by the open-office environment. It will be an eye-opener for sure, so keep reading ...

Employees Lose Their Freedom In An Open-Office Environment

So, this first point goes against everything you understand. When we have walls and/or cubicles to separate us, we're freer than when we're in an open-concept environment.

The walls we have give us the ability to stretch out and relax for a moment, to take a breather without worrying about what others are thinking. We can check our emails and/or listen to a song to let off some steam. Heck, we can even scream in frustration without fearing someone will have something to say.

When you take away the walls, your employees lose this freedom.

Employees Are Fearful Of The Death Watch

Alright, this sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but you have to see it from the perspective of the employee.

In their office, they are protected from the watchful eye of their bosses. So, maybe they did text a little too much last week … so what (no one saw them)? Maybe they took a longer break than they should have after that grueling discussion with a disgruntled client … so what?

But, when you take away their walls, you take away their protection. They are vulnerable, they are being watched. Whether this is true or not (and most of the time it is), they feel as though everything they're doing is watched; and bosses use this to their advantage …

Here's the question for you … were your employees meeting their deadlines and goals before the open-office environment was introduced? If yes, then why did you "really" consider the open-office environment?

Employees Are Less Productive Due To Outside Influences They Can't Control

And finally, when you take away their walls and/or doors, you take away the employee's ability to close out outside influences such as "Screamin' Sally" and "Lookie-Loo Lucas".

Unfortunately, an open-office concept actually adds disruptions to most workplaces as the boundaries are gone. Before, if Lucas wanted to see what was going on with Brian, he had to go to Brian's office. Now, all he has to do is go get a drink of water and check out what he's doing. Now, Brian has Lucas right behind him sizing up what he's doing …

See a problem yet?

And this is just one example of hundreds ...

Final Thoughts

While open-office environments are on the rise, they may not be the best option. Sure, they "help" keep employees focused, but at what cost?

As we discussed earlier, the open-office concept is very detrimental to employee psyches. It can cause them to feel like a number (easily replaceable), that they're always one step from being fired, and that they've lost all control of their environment.

All of these feelings can cause them to dread each workday, making them question whether the job they have is worth the hassle. While the open-office concept "works" for some of the BIG, successful companies, it should be more a last resort. In fact, companies that are willing to "think outside of the box" tend to have more productive, happy employees.

So, instead of taking away your employee's freedoms and protections, what could you do to help them enjoy their workspace even more?

Happy employees are more productive and they tend to stay for longer periods of time … isn't that what you really want?