The Guardian reported that crowds at the event, which took place on 5 August, shushed athletes as well as other spectators.
Biles, who fell off the beam during her performance, said: “It was really weird and awkward, not our favourite. None of us liked it.” She also said that gymnasts “do better in environments when there’s noise going on because it feels most like practice”.
HR can help create optimal work environments for different employees’ needs, commented Alice Hargreaves, founder of workplace disability inclusion consultancy SIC.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “By opening up conversations about our ways of working, HR can definitely make changes to create a more equitable working environment.
“There's never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution, especially in small and medium-sized businesses, where there isn't the space, scope, or budget to create an optimal working environment.”
Read more: Neurodiversity in the workplace: why office life isn’t for everyone
Employers could use surveys to understand what employees need from their work environment, commented Simon Miller, international partnerships director at Headspace.
He told HR magazine: "People perform best under different circumstances, so it’s crucial to understand what employees need to reach their full potential.
"Employee engagement surveys are essential for gathering this information but beyond surveys, it’s vital to create an environment of psychological safety where employees feel comfortable expressing their needs openly. This means providing spaces where they can be heard without bias, and that encourages open and honest dialogue."
Neurodivergent employees in particular could need adjustments to their work environment, Hargreaves added.
She commented: “When it comes to disability and neurodivergence, HR can go a long way by educating themselves on workplace adjustments. Acas has a fantastic list, and the Access to Work Scheme can hugely empower disabled employees to do their best work.”
Hargreaves named three things that HR should implement to create a positive working environment for employees.
She said: "Flexibility – of hours of work, place of work, and ways of working. Just because someone is doing something in a different way to how you might do it doesn't mean you won't get the same outcome.
"Communication: this is something that can be done from the very beginning by providing interview questions in advance and following through to meeting agendas and meeting actions circulated as standard.
"Education: we should always be learning, whether that's expanding our understanding of a scheme such as Access to Work or Disability Confident or experimenting with how a new tool like Otter AI can speed up meeting processes."
Read more: Intersectionality and adjustments at work: are we asking the right questions?
Insurance firm Zurich introduced a workplace sensory guide in 2023, which maps a range of sensory factors including light, noise, temperature and heightened smells from kitchen areas, to help employees with sensory needs choose the most comfortable place to work for their own needs.
Sally Blake, UK diversity and inclusion manager at Zurich UK, explained that this was introduced to improve workplace accessibility and inclusion.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “There are so many reasons sensory needs must be met in the working environment. This may be related to neurodiversity right through to pregnancy, menopause or those suffering from depression.
“Our guides empower people to make choices that bring more comfort to their sensory needs. This is an important step in the right direction to letting employees and customers know that we care about their individual needs, and that we will work to support them when working on-site.”
