[musicale]

Some people like working in an office to escape home distractions.

Open plan offices tend to be productivity-destroying for technical work that requires concentration. I assume they were largely adopted to save money, as a status indicator vs. managers with private offices, for surveillance, and for appearance.

The only open plan approach that I have seen work is a library where noise is forbidden and private work carrels are provided.

[joshz404]

Had a CEO who extolled how much better open plans were, how vibrant it made the workplace, and so on and so on... Years later she admitted it was just to save money. I refuse to call an open office an "office" - that vibrant office she described back then? Full of people wearing headphones to block out all the noise they otherwise couldn't escape.

[Ekaros]

Do they sit on just regular desk in middle of noisiest part? Outside the few times they happen to be visiting the some side office...