Sardine Rage - what happens when your personal work-space becomes too small?

Ross Thomson

With the growth in the use of open-plan offices and the resulting reduction of personal work-space, a new term called "Sardine Rage" has emerged. This rage manifests itself when people begin getting frustrated about a barrage of new noises, unwanted smells, territorial disputes and cramped conditions. In this article we discuss the evidence for Sardine rage and the common issues with open-plan offices.

The Evidence

In a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, Managing Director of ResolutionsRTK, Richard Kasperczyk said the key issues around "Sardine Rage" that were cited by staff in his research were "noise levels, odours - not just body odours - but also food smells when staff would eat at their desk, as well as listening in to discussions which impacted their concentration levels". Kasperczyk also found that when a work place culture was already negative, then close working space becomes another source of conflict.

In a 2008 report in the Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, Dr Vinesh Oommen at Queensland University of Technology, has collated research on working spaces that has pointed to many problems within open plan environments. These include the loss of privacy and identity, various health issues, social overstimulation and low job satisfaction. In his research it wasn't only cramped call-centre and service staff who suffered. Oommen's report concluded that almost all highly skilled jobs were more negatively affected by open plan layouts because of the need for more privacy in order to perform at an optimal level. He explains that "people who are seated closely together in an open plan work environment may suffer from physiological and psychological reactions such as stress, fatigue, and increased blood pressure levels."

Common issues and some solutions

1. Noise and the inability to concentrate

Sometimes the sound of a colleague crinkling or rustling paper can annoy a person trying to concentrate. At other times it is the frustration (and embarrassment for them) of having others overhear their more personal phone calls. Some people have found that wearing their ipod earphones have helped to mask these noise disturbances. (See our previous article OFFICE NOISE - Distraction, Disturbance or Deafness?). Good architecture design where breakout meeting rooms are readily available and the use of modern acoustic absorbing materials can also help reduce surrounding noise levels.

2. Odours: both body and food smells

As people get physically closer to each other in their work environment, personal hygiene becomes more important than ever (See our previous article - " DO I SMELL? Lifting the Lid on Body Odours at Work"). The other source of odours can be when people eat their lunch at their desk. Sometimes the smell from one person's lunch may not seem that appetizing to a colleague next to them. Some solutions to these odour issues are to ensure that:
(a) there is a culture of encouraging good personal hygiene.
(b) food is banned from the working desk and is only consumed in the lunch room.
(c) the ventilation and air-conditioning systems are well maintained.

3. Personal space

The type of work being completed, will often dictate the sort of working space required. There is a modern trend to seek more socialization and openness within working environments. However for some professions (such as lawyers) where confidentiality is an issue, sufficient personal space still needs to be provided in order to maintain this.

How much space is enough?

Figures from the City of Sydney's 2006 office census revealed that the work space for staff members in open-plan offices had fallen 25% over the past 10 years to 11.49 square metres of floor space, while hot-deskers and call-centre workers were allocated just 7.6 square metres of floor space on average. According to Ken Davis, (of Herriot and Melhuish Architecture Ltd), when speaking recently on Radio New Zealand, "similar trends have taken place on this side of the Tasman in New Zealand as well". In New Zealand, the OSH standards specify 12 cubic metres as the minimum space that needs to be made available to each person in a working office. Assuming a 2.4 metre high ceiling this would equate to a floor area of 5 square metres.

What are the up-sides to close-space working?

There is no doubt that firms can save money when it comes to reduced floor space requirements along with reduced space to be air-conditioned and carpeted.
For some work teams an open office with close-space working can be of benefit especially when collaboration between people is highly desirable.
According to Richard Kasperczyk, "It all comes down to getting the right balance. A balance between personal privacy and the need to promote a collaborative approach to team work". Balance is also created through the use of spaces such as meeting rooms, breakout rooms, and good lunch-room facilities. The environment also needs to be tailored to the type of work that is done.

In Summary

For some work environments close-space working can lead to better productivity and innovation as ideas and thoughts are more freely shared, especially if the work culture is already a happy place. However if a negative work place culture already exists, then introducing a close-space working environment into this mix will only further exacerbate the problem.

This article has shown that a number of factors need to be considered when introducing open plan offices. As well as efficiency, the focus should also be on looking after staff in order to promote positive healthy work environments where people can concentrate when they need to and socialize when they need to.

Ross Thomson is a Director of Joyworkz Ltd.

Radio New Zealand, Nine to Noon, March 15, 2011, Sardine Rage - Office Confinement

The Sydney Morning Herald, March 3, 2011