In well‑managed offices with acoustic pods, not everyone stays inside pods all day — this is a common misconception. Research indicates knowledge workers require 2–4 hours of highly focused individual work (deep focus), 4–5 hours of moderately focused tasks (responsive work and meetings), and 1–2 hours of social and informal collaboration each day. Only deep‑focus sessions — 2–4 hours per day — are best performed inside acoustic pods. For the rest of the time, employees naturally stay on the open‑plan floor, which becomes quieter and more comfortable since calls and meetings are contained within the pods.