Tag : panel extenders

At OBEX, we’re always on the lookout for new products that can enhance worker satisfaction with the cubicle environment. Here’s a pretty interesting one that addresses a common complaint among office employees – glaring fluorescent overhead lights. Some people would much rather work with a small LED task lamp and the glow from their computer screen as their main sources of illumination. For these individuals, an overhead canopy might be a very valuable option. That’s the accessory that CubeShield has created.

These lightweight shields attach to the top of fabric covered cubicle walls using Velcro. That makes installation and removal a breeze. When not in use, the shield is small enough to fold up and store in a workstation drawer. Obviously, for this tool to work, it needs to be mounted on a fairly high cubicle wall. That’s where our panel extenders come in. You can top low cubicle walls with an extender to bring them up to head height, then cap them with a canopy to create the ultimate employee cocoon!

This week, there was another interesting Q&A session over at The Globe and Mail. An employee wants advice on how to get a chatty cubicle neighbor to shut up. Obviously, the coworker wasn’t taking the subtle hints sent her way. The responses include having a frank talk with the coworker, involving a supervisor, using noise canceling headphones, or moving to a different workstation.

A simpler solution might be to make short cubicles taller with panel extenders. Nothing says “Let’s have some peace and quiet” like an actual, physical barrier between coworkers. Sometimes, out of sight is out of mind for employees who tend to talk too much. Often, highly talkative people are having their own problems focusing on the work at hand. They get easily triggered into starting a conversation at the least visual distraction. So, the less stimulation they have around their workstation the better. The higher cubicle walls can actually help all parties pay more attention to productivity.

When you think about it, there are quite a few ways in which cubicle panel extenders might enhance an employee’s at-work health. You’ve seen some of the studies and surveys on this blog about how too much noise and too little privacy is causing stress for cube-dwellers. Obviously, increasing privacy and decreasing noise is a no-brainer for addressing these issues. But perhaps there are additional hidden perks that workers could enjoy with higher cubicle walls.

How about Workplace Exercise?

We’ve all seen the popular articles about exercises you can do at your desk. They involve moving major muscle groups, stretching out ligaments, keeping joints supple, and making sure circulation isn’t interrupted. However, most of us probably don’t do these mini-workouts very often. It’s not that the exercises don’t feel good – they do. It’s just that we feel self-conscious about doing something that other people aren’t doing. If you suddenly stand up and start doing yoga or calisthenics at your desk (or even while still seated in your chair), you’re sure to get a few funny looks. Your coworkers will get used to your workout habit over time. But you’ll still be known as the “health-nut” who can’t sit still. Or, they might think you just can’t focus or that you take too many breaks.

Shield Yourself from View

What if you had a nice, tall cubicle panel giving you some visual privacy for your at-the-desk exercises? Would you feel free to move around more? Would you feel less like people were staring at you as you ensure your level of wellness stays high? When you feel healthy and limber instead of tired and achy, it’s easier to focus and do your job better. Some companies actually have everyone stop and do wellness exercises as a team. Until your workplace catches on with the trend, using your workstation as your own private gym may be a more realistic solution.

Blogger Mike Figliulo poses a challenge for business leaders – move into a cubicle for a while and see how it changes your perspective. Mike has a very negative view of cubicles (mostly because of the lack of privacy and too much noise). However, he thinks managers could learn a lot from getting down in the trenches. His idea is that getting leaders into the flow and making them more accessible will provide them with insight into what’s going on from day to day. For example, a leader would have advance warning when a project starts to go off track. Of course, there’s another valuable lesson leaders could learn from sitting in a cubicle rather than a private office. That’s the reality that cubicles with low panels don’t adequately support workers’ needs for noise control and visual privacy.

Are you a business leader looking for ways to connect with your workforce? Why not bring them up to your level? Adding panel extenders is a very cost-effective way to provide all employees with a little of the luxury of an office.

How do cubicle panel vertical extensions make the workplace multi-purpose? They create a place in today’s open plan offices for workers who need to be able to really focus. There’s an excellent article over at Work, Learn, Play about how employers can incorporate different design features to accommodate a variety of work styles. They make a good point that not every worker’s preference is “set in stone”. Some might enjoy higher cubicle walls one day and a team workspace around a table the next. With panel extenders, it’s easy to upgrade cubicles in a hot-desking environment so that employees can pick what type of environment they prefer from day to day. If you find that employees are gravitating toward the cubes with higher walls, it’s easy to add panel extenders to other workstations to make this option available to more employees.

The research just keeps piling up against open plan offices that don’t control workplace acoustics well. The Sound Agency has an article out now stating that too much noise in the office can reduce the productivity of knowledge workers by 66%! The piece includes a link to a fantastic TED talk containing that statistic that you’ll want to watch (it’s less than 6 minutes long). In a survey conducted by the Leesman research group, almost 1 out of 4 employees stated they were dissatisfied at the lack of availability of quiet working spaces. If you don’t think these stats are acceptable, it’s time to do something about it. Cubicle wall vertical extenders can play an important role in the quest to create the ideal work environment. Just imagine how much more pleasant your office will be when you take Julian Treasure’s “sound advice” and get a handle on workplace noise!

At OBEX Panel Extenders, we place a lot of emphasis on workplace acoustics. Our products are designed to help employers and workers manage noise levels easily and cost effectively. But there are actually several different components of overall acoustic management. Goldenharvest-acoustic.com has a highly informative educational resource that you should definitely take time to read if you’re planning a new or renovated office space. It explores the “ABCs” of keeping the volume of workplace chatter under control. Here’s a quick look at what you can learn:

A is for Absorb

Ceiling tiles and acoustic panels on cubicles both play a role in absorbing sound. The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating of a material refers to its ability to absorb noise. A high NRC rating means the sound is absorbed effectively by the filler in the panel so it doesn’t bounce back into the cube and annoy the user. A very absorbent panel system can help a workplace seem quieter.

B is for Block

This is the STC or Sound Transmission Class rating. Cubicle panels can be used for blocking sound as well as absorbing it. The noise produced within a cubicle basically bounces back into the cubicle rather than being transmitted to the neighboring cube. That’s a factor in limiting unintentional eavesdropping. However, it only works as intended with cubicle panels that reach above head height. Otherwise, you’re just talking over the top of the cube (you can see how panel extenders can help prevent this!)

C is for Cover Up

This includes various types of sound masking technology. It can be white noise or other sounds that help take the edge off of noises that would otherwise be distracting. An HVAC system might do the trick by simply making a whooshing sound that blurs the clicking of keyboards. Or, you might need a more sophisticated electronic system to garble the sound of conversations and ensure privacy. That’s the area of Golden Harvest Architectural Acoustics’ expertise. They provide sound masking Qt Quiet technology™ that targets the range of the human voice instead of simply raising the noise level across all spectrums.

If you get the ABCs right, your employees can enjoy an unprecedented level of comfort and concentration in the workplace!

Mike over at cubicles.com has an excellent blog post up right now about office design and collaboration. Collaboration has become a real buzz word over the last decade, but it’s not always easy to achieve a truly collaborative atmosphere in the workplace. Simply lowering cubicle panels and forcing everyone to live and work “in each other’s faces” all day isn’t the answer. Instead, work spaces should include environments that allow employees to talk freely and areas where they can have more privacy. Here are a couple of the takeaway quotes that can help you decide on the right balance:

“Sometimes an open floor space plan can actually inhibit collaboration, as employees may feel vulnerable about being overheard and overexposed.”

“Build flexibility into your design so that you can test permutations, and measure the designʼs effects.”

We agree. Flexibility is one of the best features of our panel extenders. They let you experiment freely at a very low cost. It only takes a few minutes to install, uninstall or move a panel extension to a new location. You can increase cubicle height easily in various configurations to find out what really works for increasing meaningful communication and collaboration.

Cubicle height extension gives employees more privacy and acts as a shield against noise. But it also provides a little more space for them to express themselves. They get extra room to display and organize both personal and office items. Here are a few of the things employees could add to this vertical space:

• Pin and clip style document holders for achievement awards, company memos, office cartoons, proofreading, inspirational posters, etc. The more employees get to personalize their cubicles, they more they feel a sense of pride and ownership.
• Adjustable cubicle hangers to hold accessories such as pencil cups, business card holders, post-it dispensers and shelves. Keeping the desk clear can help workers stay more organized.
• Coat hooks for jackets, bags, and other personal effects. With a higher cubicle panel, these items can be hung up without touching the ground or brushing the desktop. It also means employees don’t have to hang outerwear over the back of their chair or stuff jackets in an overhead storage bin.
• Small cork bars and whiteboards for brainstorming and note keeping. Who knows, you might end up finding out that one of your employees is the next Bill Taylor!
• Inventive and artistic cable/cord organization (see examples at Turnstone’s blog).
• Cubicle mirror so employees don’t feel like anyone is sneaking up on them. This is a good option if workers are facing away from their cubicle “door” while they work. They know that their internet surfing habits can be monitored remotely by IT. There’s no reason for them to feel like someone is literally breathing over their shoulder.
• Pictures of family in frames that are designed for cubicle panels. If you choose a fabric-covered acoustic panel extender, you can opt for Velcro backed frames (as long as you don’t mind some wear and tear on the fabric). Holders that hook over the edge of the cubicle are another option that won’t leave any marks on the panel textile.

There appears to be a disconnect between what employees know to be the truth about noisy offices and what business executives are willing to admit. In a 2002 article published in Occupational Health and Safety, we see a very clear example. The author, Tiernan Carsia, points to two studies conducted by the American Society of Interior Designers. In the first one, 70% of office workers agreed that productivity would go up if noise levels were brought down. In the second, 81% of business executives reported that they are not concerned about office noise! This might be because those at the top simply don’t understand what’s going on. If they ever did work in a cubicle, it was probably before the days when the current trend for ultra-low or no dividers came into fashion. They may not realize the struggle the average office worker faces trying to shut out distractions all day long.

It’s time for business leaders and decision makers to start listening to what office workers say they really need. If 7 out of 10 employees are saying they need more noise control to increase productivity, there’s probably something to it. If you’re in the position to make choices about the kind of office space your employees work in, “Designing Workspaces for Higher Productivity” is a must-read. It talks about how to use multiple strategies to decrease noise in an open office setting. Naturally, cubicle panel height is a big deal. Happily, this is one thing you can easily change even after the office is fully built and furnished. Just add cubicle panel extenders!