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Think about a stressful workday, when you need to submit a vital sales report and tally important survey data. You might come in to work a few hours early, in order to put in more time on these tasks. Now, picture yourself trying to compile that data next to a coworker, who can't stop talking about a strange blind date that she just had. It's difficult for you to concentrate in an environment like that, right?

Work-related noise pollution can result from multiple causes but no matter where it originates, noise lessens your ability to work effectively. Also, noise pollution makes you stressed and can result in depression and other problems.

Having said that, though, a majority of employees have to deal with office noise sooner or later. Often, this noise presents itself in the form of chattering colleagues, who are discussing almost everything except work related issues. If you're in this situation, and you'd like to extract yourself from it, the best approach is to be sympathetic but direct, and to inform them that their discussions are distracting you from your job. Often, your colleagues will apologize and relocate their conversation.

If you are experiencing disruptive noise due to a printer or facsimile machine located near your desk, you might politely request that your information technology colleagues look into the origin of the sound. It is probably the result of a malfunction, since the majority of office equipment firms manufacture noise-free machines at great expense to themselves. If the offending devices are properly and regularly serviced, that will usually eliminate the sound entirely or at very least lower the noise level.

The coffeemaker can be a source of noise in some offices. The machine should be there to provide a convenient working environment to workers. However, if the machine causes noise that prevents you from focusing on your work, you should speak to the administrative staff.

A noisy office does no good, regardless of the source of the noise. As such, there are many low-cost noise control methods for most offices. Sound absorbent panels and higher cubicle walls can help cut down on how far office noise - whether from human or mechanical sources - spreads. The huddle rooms and cafeteria are located at corners, away from the place where workers sit. And one of the most effective solutions is to cover the noise with comfortable, low-level noise, often referred to as "white noise" or "sound masking." This is best done in the initial design phase, but newer systems are easily able to be retrofitted into most office spaces. The key, of course, is to do something to control the noise in your workspace.