The Hamilton Spectator

Temperatur­e of office is tied to productivi­ty

- SETH PORGES

With the mercury seemingly stuck on high this summer, offices everywhere are fighting back the only way they know how: by cranking up the AC.

As great as that first wave of cool air feels when you step inside on a muggy day, many offices tend to be too cool. This isn’t just about comfort. A wide body of research suggests a link between workplace temperatur­e and worker productivi­ty. If employees are freezing, their output freezes as well. The problem is amplified during the summer, when office buildings typically blast the AC while workers wear lighter clothes.

“The problem is that in most buildings, the temperatur­e doesn’t really match what would be comfortabl­e for human beings or an effective one to promote productivi­ty.” says Alan Hedge of Cornell University

The actual temperatur­e of most office buildings tends to hover between 20 C and 23 C. This range comes from a model created in the 1960s intended to keep suit-wearing men comfortabl­e, according to a 2015 study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Not only does this result in a massive amount of unnecessar­y energy expenditur­e, but it also leaves women — who tend to have different thermal needs and less heat-generating muscle than males — out in the cold.

The issue has given rise to novel solutions such as Comfy, an app that aims to give office occupants personaliz­ed control over their workspace’s temperatur­es.

Hedge also suggests covering parts of the body that are most sensitive to the cold, such as the back of the neck, bare feet and ankles. Upholstere­d seats also allow the body to maintain more warmth than ultra-breathable mesh models.

But the secret to solving this issue for good could be an idea from Japan: The Cool Biz campaign, launched in 2005, called for public offices to operate at about 28 C. By most accounts it’s been a success, saving companies cash and reducing CO2 emissions. If the research is right, it could also make for more productive employees.

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