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Robert Hoven, Lasse Zahl-Johansen and Bjørn Terje Pettersen are preparing to reopen the open-plan office at Rambøll, an engineering firm offering consulting within construction, infrastructure, city development and energy. The company was founded in Denmark in 1945 and employs 15,500 people across 35 countries, running 300 offices.
Workers who share an office run a greater risk of medically certified sick leave, according to a study from Stami published in December 2019 before the Corona epidemic. Some 14,500 employees from 97 companies took part in a survey about their workplace arrangements.
It showed that those who share an office or work in open-plan spaces run an 18% and 12% higher risk respectively of going off sick, compared to those who have their own office.
One reason could be that sharing an office or working in larger groups in open-plan offices makes it easier to contract a virus like the common cold or influenza.
Although open-plan office solutions can be cost-effective and space-saving, the study shows that shared office designs can also lead to long-term costs which could, at worst, be higher than the savings made on space.
Some 14,500 employees across 97 companies took part in a survey on their workplace arrangements.
Work Research Institute
OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University,
Postboks 4 St. Olavs plass, NO-0130 Oslo
The Nordic Council of Ministers is not responsible for the content
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