Colleagues blowing hot and cold – the big office temperature debate

Have you ever felt unproductive at work because the temperature is just too hot for you to concentrate?

Ever wrapped up in extra layers to keep warm whilst your colleagues complain they’re too hot? Then it sounds like you’ve been at the centre of the office temperature debate.

Flexible office specialist Workthere has conducted research into the age-old office temperature debate. According to this research, 89 per cent of UK office workers lose productivity if the temperature isn’t quite right, with employees claiming cold office temperatures cause them to be the most unproductive (46 per cent). Overall, just 16 per cent of workers said they were satisfied with the temperature of their office.

What’s more, only eight per cent of those based in co-working and shared workspace, and 10 per cent of staff in leased workspace, believe that their office is always the right temperature, while just three per cent 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 per cent admitting to wearing additional layers at their desk and 37 per cent often making themselves a hot drink to fight the office chill.

What have office workers done to maintain their ideal temperature?

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

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

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