Only small number of workers happy with their office temperature

Just 16 percent of workers are satisfied with the temperature of their office, while a majority (89 percent) claim they lose productivity if the temperature isn’t quite right, new research suggests.  Nearly half (46 percent) experiencing cold office temperatures say this makes them the most unproductive, according to research by Workthere. Only 8 percent of those based in coworking and shared workspace and 10 percent of staff in leased workspace, believe that their office is always the right temperature, while just 3 percent of respondents revealed they have a separate space to work in if they’re too hot or cold. It seems that keeping warm is the biggest challenge for British office workers with 47 percent admitting to wearing additional layers at their desk and 37 percent often making themselves a hot drink to fight the office chill. A surprising 17 percent of respondents even admitted to bringing in a personal heater to warm up which is a worry for employers, given that it costs £3.43 on average to run a 3 kilowatt heater for eight hours.

Cal Lee, head of Workthere, comments: “The importance of the office temperature cannot be underestimated, as maintaining an ideal temperature whilst at work helps workers to be happier and more productive. Studies have found the ideal temperature for Brits is between 21-22°C, so this should act as a benchmark for those in control of the office temperature.

“Of course, not everybody is the same, so it’s also recommended to provide a breakout space that employees can go to to work, to cool down or warm up. Flexible and serviced offices are often popular as they offer smaller private offices, most with their own temperature control in each office, allowing smaller teams to control the temperature of their specific suite rather than being at the mercy of the whole building.”

What have office workers done to maintain their ideal temperature?

1. Worn extra layers to keep warm (47 percent)
2. Made or bought a hot drink to warm up (37 percent)
3. Left the office to warm up or cool down (26 percent)
4. Made or bought a cold drink to cool down (24 percent)

5= Brought in a personal heater to warm up (17 percent)

5= Brought in a personal fan to cool down (17 percent)

Interestingly the research shows that it was the younger respondents who were most likely to be unhappy with their office temperature; the older the age group, the more satisfied they became with it:

It’s not as easy as it seems. Nearly half (42 percent) of these surveyed revealed that their air con and/or heating units are operated by someone else, while 7 percent even admitted that they were unsure of what temperature control they have in their office.

Click on the link to learn more about the Office Temperature Debate, and help on how to combat it.