The Daily Telegraph reported today that the open-plan office may be damaging workers’ health.

Quoting an Australian study published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Health Management, the newspaper said that staff in open-plan offices appeared more stressed, had higher blood pressure and demonstrated signs of insecurity and physical exhaustion more frequently than those working in traditional workplaces. Companies with open-plan offices were more likely to suffer outbreaks of flu within their workforces, with absences and resignations higher.

The newspaper quoted an expert as saying that the high level of noise caused workers to lose concentration, leading to low productivity.