A recent study conducted by researchers from Concordia University has uncovered how office environments influence speech levels among employees. The research, published in the journal Science and Technology for the Built Environment on November 5, 2025, highlights that factors such as office design and meeting types play a significant role in determining how loudly workers communicate.
Rather than relying on controlled laboratory settings, the researchers observed real-world speech levels in two active office locations: one in Montreal and another in Quebec City. The study involved more than 70 employees who spoke either English or French, providing a diverse linguistic background for analysis. High-precision sound meters were used to capture variations in sound levels across different office types, including open-plan spaces, private offices, and various meeting settings.
The findings revealed several key insights about speech dynamics in office environments. For instance, when workers were seated in open-plan offices that featured partitions, their speech volume increased significantly. According to Joonhee Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and the study’s corresponding author, “When the participants sat at a desk with partitions, they naturally increased their speech level.” Although partitions are intended to reduce noise, this increase suggests that employees may feel empowered to speak louder than they would in a non-partitioned setting.
Speech Levels Across Different Settings
The study also examined speech levels in various meeting rooms, noting that consistent sound levels were maintained regardless of room size. Interestingly, teleconferences resulted in slightly elevated speaking volumes compared to traditional face-to-face interactions. The researchers found that the language spoken did not significantly affect speech levels, indicating a universal tendency in communication across different linguistic groups.
One of the most surprising discoveries was that the actual speech levels measured in these offices were lower than those suggested by existing industry standards. These standards, often derived from laboratory experiments in anechoic chambers, do not accurately reflect real-world office communication dynamics. This discrepancy suggests that current guidelines for speech privacy and noise control in office designs may need revising.
Lee pointed out the importance of background noise in creating an optimal work environment. He noted, “A decrease in background noise only amplifies the perception of other kinds of noise. Some degree of background noise actually helps people perform better.” This finding implies that a completely quiet office might be just as distracting as one that is excessively noisy.
The collaboration with the Montreal-based acoustics firm Soft dB enhanced the quality of the research, allowing for a thorough examination of how background noise and room acoustics affect speech levels.
This study sheds light on the complexities of workplace communication and underscores the need for a reconsideration of office design principles. As open office layouts continue to gain popularity, understanding the dynamics of speech in these environments can lead to better design choices and improved employee satisfaction.
Overall, the research highlights that while personal speech habits influence how loudly employees communicate, the design of the workspace significantly amplifies or mitigates those tendencies.
For further details, refer to the article by Rewan Toubar et al in Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
