Two studies published by DARES on December 7, 2023 highlight the profile of open space workers as well as their working conditions, in comparison with employees in traditional offices.
What is the profile of open space workers?
Open space refers to a collective work space where the offices are without partitions or on an open floor plan. Appearing during the second half of the 20th century, these open work spaces aim in particular to increase productivity through smoother communication between workers but also to reduce work space costs.
In France, open space work concerned nearly 3.2 million employees, or 13% of office employees in 2019. According to the first DARES study published on December 7, relating to the profile of open space workers, these Workers are relatively younger and urban compared to those working in traditional offices. In fact, 21% are under 30 years old (compared to 13% in traditional offices) and 59% live in an urban area of at least 500,000 inhabitants (compared to 45% in traditional offices).
If open space is found in almost all office professions, almost three quarters of open space employees are grouped into around twenty professions. Among these professions, that of telemarketer is the one where the practice of open space is the most frequent (more than 90%), followed by the profession of IT study and development technician (70%). On the contrary, the practice is not widespread among civil service executives (excluding legal) (14%).
The study also reveals that open-plan working is more common in large establishments and in the private sector. Open space workers less often occupy a management position and have less contact with the public (users, patients, students) than employees in traditional offices. Furthermore, they practice teleworking more often, especially those who are managers (22% compared to 18% in traditional offices).
Working conditions generally worse than employees in traditional offices
The second DARES study looked specifically at the working conditions of employees in open space compared to those in traditional offices. Thus, it appears that the working conditions of the former are generally worse than those of the latter. Workers in open spaces are particularly more exposed to noise and heat, with consequences on work (increased distraction, difficulty concentrating).
DARES notes, however, that fewer workers in open space than employees in traditional offices find themselves in a dirty, humid workplace and are subject to drafts or bad odors. They are also less often deprived of a view of the outside world. This can be explained in particular by the more recent layout of open space offices.
Despite less extensive hours, the work of employees in open space is often more intense, more controlled and offers less autonomy than that of employees in traditional offices. If they have more support from colleagues, relationships with the hierarchy do not seem affected by this work organization.
Finally, the study reveals that the health status of employees in open space is a little worse than those in traditional offices. Sick leave is more frequent as are absences for health reasons. DARES explains this by two main causes: greater exposure to noise and viruses and psychosocial risk factors such as lack of autonomy.
Would you like to look into the subject? Discover the ready-to-use “I work in open space” sheet to organize a 15-minute safety session.
DARES, December 7, 2023, which employees work in open space? What are the working conditions of employees in open space?
Clara Godin
Lawyer, writer on environmental law and occupational health and safety
Holder of a Master 2 in environmental law from the University of Paris-Saclay, I first worked in a design office as a health-safety-environment (HSE) legal consultant. I exercise…
2024-01-03 12:53:19
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