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Winning the Office Temperature Wars

Posted by Judy on Jul 27th 2019

The hotter it gets, the more certain it becomes that your annual office thermostat wars will heat up. Why should you pay attention to office climate? According to the Wall Street Journal, the temperature of the work environment can have a direct effect on the productivity of workers.

Workers perform better when they have control over their physical environment

Several research studies show the correlation between room temperature and performance. A recent study found that workers performed better on challenging tests of working memory when the temperature was set to a level that they preferred, even if it was outside the range regarded as best for the majority.

To combat the thermostat wars, some companies are going so far as to create apps that give workers more immediate control over room temperature. Not every company has the budget for such a concession, but it does show that making an effort to help workers feel comfortable can have a positive impact on productivity and pay off in the long run. 

How to manage the temperature wars

Here are tips to help appease the hot-headed and cold-hearted employees in your office who can’t agree on an acceptable middle ground.

For the chilled:

  • Layer up
  • Open curtains or blinds
  • Sip on a warm beverage
  • Wear fingerless gloves or use hand warmers

For the toasted:

  • Get a personal fan – works great on or under your desk
  • Turn off unused electronics and heat sources
  • Snack on frozen fruit
  • Run your wrists under cold water or use a cooling spray

With a little ingenuity and a meeting of the minds the office wars can be tempered just enough so that everyone can get along nicely and keep productivity moving forward. That’s hot stuff!