Why? In a survey of over 10,000 workers, 95 per cent said that working privately was important to them, but only 41 per cent said they could.

Private office spaces which offer employees a place to sit and reflect and work in quiet has lately been a vogue topic, especially in helping introverts be most productive in noisy office environments.

Office workers estimated they were losing over an hour a day due to office distractions.

“What people are now looking for is choice and control in their workspace, and that is now what is redefining privacy in the working environment” Bostjan Ljubic, vice president of Steelcase UK and Ireland, said.

In the report, they emphasise that ‘privacy and engagement are ultimately linked’ and privacy is a ‘universal need.’

Despite this, privacy-designed offices were not a priority for organisations, even if committed to creating effective working spaces.

Ljubic said: “Many offices have limited options, such as individual workstations, private offices, conference rooms and a cafe.

“However, having studied people at work in depth they need spaces for different types of work and these include formal and informal work in groups or alone. 

“Some people find it inspiring and creative to work in a crowded, noisy environment whereas others prefer quieter spaces and quite often they want a mix of both. The workplace needs to offer a variety of public and private spaces.”

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