Noise rage: why some workers are resisting a return to the office

Younger employees are more likely to challenge noisy colleagues

Results from a UAE survey showed 37 per cent of people were concerned about noisy phone calls and meetings. Getty Images

An unexpected obstacle is causing some workers to think twice about returning to the office.

“Noise rage” can be a major concern for people who have spent almost two years working remotely in the quiet comfort of their own home, according to a new report titled “Evolution of the Workplace".

The prospect of heading back to an office full of ringing telephones, chitchat and dreaded eating noises is putting people off.

Research by technology firm Poly showed that noise is extremely off-putting for workers who will soon be back at their office desks, and young people are the most affected.

“We knew noise was an issue in offices that concerned employees before Covid,” said Paul Clark, senior vice president of Poly for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

People told our researchers that they won’t tolerate noisy colleagues any longer, whether eating or talking loudly.

Paul Clark,
Poly

“But what was surprising about this research was just how visceral the response has been about going back to the office and people’s tolerance to noise,” he said.

“That [tolerance] has significantly reduced.”

Researchers asked 7,261 workers from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the UAE about their experience of returning to the office after lengthy periods of home working.

Of those, 250 people in the UAE were asked in August about their new office working experiences.

Results showed 37 per cent were concerned about noisy phone calls and meetings, while 31 per cent were worried about noisy colleagues.

“The figures from the report are consistent, as the results we saw in the UAE were very similar to the other six counties in [Europe] where this research took place,” said Mr Clark.

Younger workers were more likely to have an angry reaction to office noise, with 34 per cent admitting to an outburst.

Of the UAE employees polled, 36 per cent indicated they would get fed up if noisy colleagues broke their concentration, with 53 per cent of those expressing concerns working in the healthcare sector.

Women were more likely to get annoyed at a rustling packet of crisps munched by a hungry colleague, with 42 per cent prepared to voice a complaint, while 31 per cent of men said colleagues were a distraction.

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  TEACHER/LECTURER: The average salary in UAE is Dh9,000 with lows of Dh4,000 and highs of Dh21,000. Headteachers earn an average of Dh46,000 with highs of Dh75,000. University staff are typically well paid, with assistant professors and full lecturers earning between Dh20,000 and Dh40,000. AFP

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  FLIGHT CREW: Salaries for cabin crew and aircraft technicians range from Dh6,000 to Dh23,000. Pilots can usually secure between Dh20,000 to Dh60,000, depending on experience. EPA

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  FOOD AND DRINK: The average salary for a bartender, waiter or supervisor is Dh4,000 to Dh5,000, rising to Dh7,500 to Dh8,500 for managers. Chefs and head chefs can expect to take home between Dh6,000 to Dh38,000. Hotels often provide staff accommodation. Hollie Adams / Getty Images

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  ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING: A flooded market with basic accountants often earning Dh5,000 to Dh10,000. Senior auditors can earn Dh30,000 or more. Accountants who move into finance and management can expect significantly higher salaries. Getty Images

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  CONSTRUCTION: Engineering jobs have been hit hard by a downturn in the sector, but it remains a skilled and respected profession. Junior salaries for site inspectors and engineers begin at a few thousand dirhams, rising to Dh45,000 or more for construction managers. Gulf Talent says salaries in Saudi are higher than the UAE in some roles. Sammy Dallal / The National

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  NURSES: The true heroes of the pandemic, these professionals worked around the clock to treat patients and save lives. Salaries range between Dh4,000 to Dh14,500 and can be higher for senior nurses in higher-end private hospitals. AFP

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  HEALTH AND SAFETY: Health and safety has become a key priority. Junior roles in this sector can take home, on average, about Dh5,500 a month. That rises to Dh22,500 for managerial positions. Victor Besa / The National

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  HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: Non-medical staff are currently in demand as the role of managing patients, their documents, payment and test results is increasingly crucial. Salaries vary but can be in the same region as nurses. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  CYBERSECURITY: The threat posed by cybercrime has never been more real, with the sale of financial assets, documents and medical records a lucrative business. Systems analysts and software engineers can earn Dh25,000 or more, rising significantly for those with high-end cybersecurity experience. Unsplash

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  HR, MARKETING AND FINANCE: Senior roles in these managerial classes vary significantly, but are generally well paid and often come with performance-related bonuses. Gulf Talent lists HR manager and HR business partner salaries at up to Dh42,500. An HR director of a major firm can earn twice that. Getty Images

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  SALES AND MERCHANDISING: As the economy slowly picks up, the retail sector will be looking to fill key roles again soon. Gulf Talent lists sales staff salaries from Dh1,500 to Dh3,500. A sales merchandiser can take home twice that each month. Paulo Vecina / The National

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  HOTELS: A duty manager at a hotel can earn anywhere from Dh6,000 to Dh26,000 per month. Front of house staff, including concierge, can take take home between Dh1,500 to Dh9,000. Staff accommodation is typically provided. Sarah Dea / The National

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  LEGAL: Lawyers and legal advisors can earn between Dh7,500 to Dh37,500. That rises to more than Dh53,000 for legal counsel positions, though the average sits at about Dh20,500. Jeff Topping / The National

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  OFFICE ADMINISTRATION: Jobseekers for secretarial and receptionist roles can expect salaries ranging from Dh2,500 to Dh8,000. Personal assistants and office managers fare better, from Dh4,500 up to Dh22,500 for higher-end firms. Getty Images

However, not everyone is dreading a return to the office.

Analysis by global real estate firm JLL found attitudes towards working from home had shifted in the last 12 months, with more people now preferring to re-join colleagues in the workplace.

In October 2020, the survey found 52 per cent of people wanted to work from the office at least once a week, and that number increased to 75 per cent a year later.

The Workers Preference Barometer for India recently showed 91 per cent of survey respondents were in favour of flexible working hours.

Turning down the noise

Businesses can manage their office space by absorbing noise with technology.

Devices like noise cancelling headphones create a bubble of clean noise, where anything outside a particular radius is suppressed.

Noise-block is another technology becoming more widely used during conference calls.

When someone is eating or talking loudly, AI software removes non-speech noise so only the conversation is picked up during virtual meetings.

“Office noise is a big frustration for many as it is a distraction from work,” said Mr Clark.

“Over the last 18 months we have been managing our home environments, which haven’t been totally noise free.

“People told our researchers that they won’t tolerate noisy colleagues any longer, whether eating or talking loudly.

“Constant noise is a distraction and that is a hit on an organisation’s productivity.”

Poly’s UAE research showed 82 per cent of people wanted to continue working from home at least one day a week.

Another 54 per cent said they wanted to split their time between home and the office.

“People have had a taste of what home working is like and they don’t want to give it up,” said Mr Clark.

“Employers are going to have to respect that, or they will lose their workforce to competitors.

“Businesses are going to have to accommodate home working in some capacity — there is no going back now.”

Top jobs which avoid noisy offices: in pictures

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  1. Personal Trainer - in the UAE, personal trainers charge between Dh325 and Dh500 for a one-to-one hour-long session, which works out as Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 a month. Courtesy, Majid Al Futtaim

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  2. European nannies can earn as much as Dh150 per hour, but the pay starts much lower at around Dh25. Getty Images

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  3. Private Tutor - in the UAE, tutors charge by hour, starting at Dh350 and going up to Dh660, depending on the experience of the teacher, and the academic stage of the child. This works out as Dh32,000 to Dh60,000 a month. Getty Images

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  4. Journalist - freelance writers earn Dh100 to Dh125 per hour, or around Dh3,600 per month. Getty

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  5. Interior designer - self-employed designers earn Dh10,000 to Dh50,000 per month. Victor Besa /The National

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  6. Life coach - the hourly rate for a life coach ranges from Dh300 to Dh700 per hour, or Dh12,000 - Dh18,000 a month. Getty Images

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  7. Marketing and PR - freelance junior marketing or PR executives earn Dh6,000 to Dh14,000 per month as a junior, while experienced professionals can demand Dh60,000 to Dh100,00 a month.

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  8. Sports instructor - to host an hour long class as a freelancer, an instructor can expect Dh150 to Dh350, or Dh15,000 to Dh25,000 a month depending on the sport and the size of the class.

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  9. Make-up artist - to create a look usually takes an hour, and make-up artists can charge Dh500 to Dh800 per session. Depending on the number of clients this can work out as a monthly salary of Dh20,000 to Dh50,000. Courtesy, Dubai Bride Show

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  10. Web designer - creating a simple static website takes about a week, and designers earn around Dh15,000 to Dh30,000 a month. Gabby Jones / Bloomberg