Office Interruptions Are Costly – Here’s How to Fix Them

Have you ever sat down in a small meeting room, only to be interrupted by someone opening the door or peeking through the frosted glass to check if it’s available? It happens multiple times a day in most offices—and it’s costing companies far more than they realize.

The Hybrid Workplace Shift: More Small Rooms, Fewer Bookings

Over the last 3–4 years, many organizations have moved toward free seating (hot desking) and hybrid work environments equipped with video conferencing systems, collaboration zones, and flexible workspaces.

Alongside this trend, we’ve seen a major rise in focus rooms, phone booths, and ad-hoc/drop-in meeting rooms that are not bookable.

• Traditional meeting rooms (4–8 people) are still common.

• But the number of small rooms for 1–2 people is growing rapidly.

• On many floorplans, for every 30–40 regular meeting rooms, companies are adding another 30–40 small focus rooms.

These rooms are crucial for quick calls, one-to-one meetings, or short bursts of deep work. Yet they’re also the spaces where interruptions happen most frequently.

Are Booking Panels the Right Solution for Small Rooms?

For years, companies have used room booking systems with touch panels outside meeting rooms. Users can reserve a space through Outlook or Google Calendar, or book it directly on the panel.

This makes sense for larger meeting rooms, but for tiny ad-hoc spaces, it creates friction. Employees don’t want to book a 10-minute call in advance—they expect these rooms to be instant, flexible, and interruption-free.

Unfortunately, because these rooms don’t have a clear “occupied / available” indicator, they are the ones most likely to be disrupted.

Workplace Interruptions: A Hidden Cost

According to a University of California study, it takes an average of 23 minutes to regain full focus after an interruption. Even if we assume it’s only 4 minutes, the financial impact is staggering.

At Occulights, we ran the numbers:

• With just 20 meeting rooms, the annual cost of interruptions can exceed 220,000 NOK (€20,000+).

• Add the wasted time employees spend searching for available rooms, and the losses are even greater.

This is money that could be reinvested in your employees or future workplace improvements—rather than lost to constant disruptions.

The Simple Fix: Meeting Room Occupancy Lights

A straightforward solution can dramatically reduce interruptions: meeting room occupancy indicators.

With a clear red/green light system:

• Colleagues can instantly see if a room is free or busy.

• Employees save time by quickly finding available spaces.

• No need to book ad-hoc rooms in advance.

• Employers gain room usage analytics to optimize space planning and make smarter real estate decisions.

In short: a small change with a huge impact on workplace efficiency, employee experience, and ROI.

Smarter Offices Start with Visibility

At Occulights, we specialize in smart office technology that improves space utilization, air quality monitoring, and workplace productivity. Our goal is to make offices more efficient, less disruptive, and better suited for the hybrid work era.

👉 Learn more at www.occulights.com or follow us on LinkedIn for more insights.

I’ll be sharing more articles soon about workplace technology, interruption costs, and smart office solutions—so stay tuned.