Freakonomics Radio

Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be

It began as a postwar dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into a nightmare of noise and discomfort. Can the open office be saved, or should we all just be working from home?

Stephen J. Dubner/ Freakonomics Radio
GEN
Published in
9 min readSep 16, 2019

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A woman with her arms crossed, looks annoyed and disappointed in an empty office.
Credit: Maxpixel

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Stephen J. Dubner/ Freakonomics Radio
GEN
Writer for

Stephen J. Dubner is co-author of the Freakonomics books and host of Freakonomics Radio.