In open-plan offices, there are many sources of distraction: conversations between colleagues, phone calls, meetings, and more. The majority of these distractions are caused by noise — usually produced by colleagues themselves.
There is a fairly simple solution to this problem: QuietOffice phone booths. For phone calls or team meetings, employees simply step into one of the booths. The resulting “noise” is absorbed by the soundproof acoustic booth — meaning no one else in the office is disturbed or distracted.
That phone booths offer clear benefits is obvious. But does the investment make sense from an economic perspective? This is the question we explore below, based on international research and studies.
In another article, we examined the benefits of acoustic booths in great detail. In this article, those benefits are only briefly repeated — the focus here is on the calculation.
The benefits of phone booths can be divided into directly measurable benefits and indirectly measurable benefits.
A highlight in every open-plan office: QuietOffice Phone Premium. Click here for more photos.
Increase in productivity
A quieter working environment increases productivity by 15–28%. (1) This may initially sound unrealistic. However, around 1.5 hours of pure working time are lost every day due to distractions. (2) After an interruption, it takes 20 minutes to fully refocus. (3) By effectively reducing distractions, productivity increases significantly.
Reduction in sick days
Psychological stress caused by constant interruptions and noise in open-plan offices has been proven to result in twice as many sick days compared to quieter offices. (4)
Savings on office space costs
The use of acoustic booths makes it possible to avoid building new rooms with expensive partitions. In addition, valuable rental space can be saved.Around 30% of meeting rooms are occupied by a single person, which is costly. Phone booths offer the same benefit — quiet phone calls and focused work — at a fraction of the cost. As a result, up to 30% of meeting room space can be repurposed, for example, into office space. Acoustic booths also allow previously unused areas, such as corridors or space under staircases, to be used effectively.
This subtle and stylish office is perfectly complemented by the organic form of QuietOffice Meet. Click here for more info.
Increased employee satisfaction
Almost every employer would agree with the statement: “Our employees are our greatest asset.” Yet in reality, employee satisfaction is often lower than desired. In Germany, every second employee wants to change jobs. (5) Surprisingly, the biggest factor reducing employee satisfaction is office noise. (6)
Reducing office noise makes employees happier — and this satisfaction pays off.
Harvard Business Review reports: (7)
Satisfied employees are 31% more productive
Satisfied employees sell 37% more
Satisfied employees work 19% more accurately
Reduced employee turnover
Employee turnover rate is an indicator of satisfaction. Satisfied employees do not consider quitting. Nevertheless, 50% of German employees want to change jobs.Investing in a work environment that increases satisfaction is therefore invaluable. Consulting firm Wolf I.O. Group GmbH estimates average turnover costs of €36,000 per employee. (8)However, this factor is excluded from our calculation.
These are just a few examples of how QuietOffice acoustic booths improve the working environment in open-plan offices and generate significant value.
Relaxation and enjoyment at work with QuietOffice Phone Premium. It’s also important to put your feet up sometimes. Click here for more info
Now to the actual calculation. We assume the following fictional scenario:
Max Mustermann GmbH has 10 employees working in an open-plan office. The average monthly net salary is €2,500. The CEO, Max Mustermann, decides to solve the noise problem by installing one phone booth (QuietOffice Phone) and one meeting booth (QuietOffice Meet).
Has the investment paid off economically?
We calculate based on international studies and use conservative assumptions — meaning real savings are likely even higher.
We only consider directly measurable changes:
Productivity increase
Reduction in sick days
Office space savings
The elegant meeting booth QuietOffice Meet. Click here for more info.
A quieter office allows employees to concentrate better and be distracted less frequently. Work is also carried out more accurately. Studies suggest productivity increases of 15–28%.
We calculate with a conservative 5% productivity increase.
Average working days per month: 18.1 days (excluding holidays and leave). (9)
18.1 days × 5% = 0.905 days saved per employee per month
0.905 days × 10 employees = 9.05 days saved per month
9.05 days × 12 months = 108.6 days saved per year
Annual working days per employee: 217.2 days
108.6 ÷ 217.2 = 0.5 years of work saved
This means the productivity gain equals half a full-time employee.
The team of 10 employees achieves the output of 10.5 employees.
€2,500 monthly salary × 6 months = €15,000 saved
Modern booth meets classic car. Click here for more info.
Let’s be honest: constant stress and low motivation lead employees to take sick leave more often — which is costly for employers.
A quieter office reduces stress and mental strain. Employees feel more energized, motivated, and are sick less often.
The AOK absenteeism report states: (10)
“Employees affected by this miss 9.4 days per year. If not affected, they miss 19.4 days on average.”
We assume a reduction from 19.4 to 14 days per year.
5.4 days × 10 employees = 54 days saved per year
54 ÷ 18.1 working days per month ≈ 3 months saved
3 months × €2,500 = €7,500 saved
QuietOffice Phone Premium integrated into an office environment. Click here for more info.
30% of meeting rooms are occupied by individuals. One in three meeting rooms loses its intended purpose.
Max Mustermann GmbH has 3 meeting rooms. One room is converted into office space because individuals now use phone booths for calls and focused work.
Meeting room size: 10 m²
Monthly rent per m²: €25
10 m² × €25 = €250 per month
€250 × 12 months = €3,000 saved per year
QuietOffice Meet in the office. Premium. Stylish. Highly soundproof. Click here for more info.
The calculations are based on scientific research and international studies. Conservative assumptions were chosen to ensure realistic and credible results.
Some aspects were deliberately excluded, as quiet offices provide many additional benefits that are difficult to generalize or quantify.
These include:
Opportunity costs caused by sick employees, errors, or reduced productivity
Long-term motivation and engagement
Reduced employee turnover (average turnover cost: €36,000)
QuietOffice Meet details. Click here for more info.
Productivity increase: €15,000 per year
Reduced sick days: €7,500 per year
Office space savings: €3,000 per year
Total: €25,500 per year
€25,500 are saved annually through the use of phone booths.
These three simple calculations demonstrate that QuietOffice phone booths create quieter offices and save significant costs.
But was enough money saved to justify the investment?
In our example, €25,500 (net) are saved annually — with only 10 employees and two QuietOffice booths.
They are robust, durable, and built to last — ideal conditions for long-term use.
€25,500 savings per year × many years > one-time purchase cost
Focused work in a meeting booth. QuietOffice Meet allows seated work. Click here for more info.
When the benefits of acoustic booths are examined closely, a wide range of advantages and savings becomes clear.
Phone booths create quiet, productive, and satisfying workplaces — and belong in every office.
The question is not how much it costs to buy phone booths, but how much it costs not to have them.
Interested in achieving similar results for your company?
Explore our acoustic booths or request a non-binding quote today.
PS: Our acoustic booths are guaranteed to cost less than €25,500 per year 😉
