Global warming in the office

[JessW]

OK, now I know we have discussed this, however could someone remind me at what temperature can I tell my boss to stuff 'it', because there is a virus in the controls of the air con here in the office and I am bleedin' frozen.

It is literally blowing at me and I am even wearing my coat on indoors and taking it off to go outside to warm up!

Is it really fair to ask people to work under those conditions?  I say not!


Popsicle Waddington sssssignnnnnnnning offffff! 

[gee4]

It is against the law to work in conditions below 16deg.

I feel your pain.  A you know I was in a previous building for 10 months and had stiff neck and shoulders every day due to aircon circling above my head.  No one believed me until I complained and some adjustments were made.

It was only at the final stages of our company re-org when I relocated with my new team in another building, that others moved to where I was.  Believe me, now they know what it's like.

Personally I hate aircon.  It is way too cold to be sitting in those conditions every day and organistions will pay for it later on when employees become ill as a result.

[Katie G]

Oh, you ladies are singing my song!!!

Imagine how much money could be saved if offices were kept at fairly reasonable temperatures throughout the year!  It does NOT need to be 63F/17C in the summer neither does it need to be 78F/26C in the winter.

One shouldn't be wearing summerweight clothing and sweating in the winter, nor should thick, heavy sweaters be needed to keep warm in the summer! 

I personally DO need a little air conditioning in the summer.   I sit next to a large south facing window, and I start to feel sick to my stomach and my blood sugars go crazy in the heat, but really, I shouldn't be shivering!  I'm in the mid-Atlantic US, where 90+F /32+C is quite common in the summer.  But at home, we only keep the air conditioning set to about 80.  Just enough to make it comfortable and handle the humidity.  Of course, at home I'm in shorts and a t-shirt.  In the office, I think about 70F is fine, if I'm dressed appropriately.

[gee4]

I'm raising this issue again but under a more recent thread as other threads became rather long (prob my fault!).

Anyway with regards aircon issues and office temperatures, I think I have finally sussed it.

Today I am literally freezing, haven't been like this for a while.  On and off each day it can be cool but I've put 2 and 2 together Sherlock and got 4!

When the office is cold the water in the ladies toilets is hot and I mean hot!  When the water in the ladies toilets is cold, the office is warm.  I swear someone has set a switch so we get hot water 2 days a week and heat the other 2 days.   What happens on the 5th day is anyone's guess!

[msmarieh]

Ummm by toilet you are referring to the washroom right? I am kind of hoping you mean the water in the sink and not the toilet itself.

[JessW]

Well, hmm, you never really know, do you?  I cannot say I have ever tested it!

[gee4]

Ummm by toilet you are referring to the washroom right? I am kind of hoping you mean the water in the sink and not the toilet itself.

Since when did anyone wash their hands down a toilet?!

[JessW]

Gee

Probably the same people who, at a friend's workplace, used to stand on the loo seat to use it! 

[Jackie G]

Toilet in the UK is kind of interchangeable for the whole room as well as the loo itself.  Don't really use rest room or washroom here.

[countrigal]

Glad everyone cleared that up!     Must say, I was trying to figure out why/how someone was determining the temp of the water in the toilet.     And since they poster didn't say "when washing hands" it wasn't even clear HOW the temp was being determined.  All better now!!!

Gee... we have the same issues... our sink water is warm only so many days a week, but I haven't been able to link it to the temp in the office.  Might have to monitor that and see if there is a connection there.

In my office, I wish the temp was set at about 74 in the summer and about 76/78 in the winter.  I'm often wearing a jacket in the office, sitting on my hands trying to warm them a bit so I can move them easier, and going outside on breaks just to warm up.  I believe the outgoing airflow for the AC is right over my desk, which is bad enough, but then my co-worker sitting across the aisle from me has her own private sauna/heat waves going on internally and so turns on her fan on her desk, which blows across her, hits her computer, and ultimately blows across my keyboard/desk area too.  She is trying to be considerate, so I can't fuss at her... it's not her fault that they designed these cubicles like they did and that she can either have the fan blowing straight past her out of her cubicle (and thus straight into mine) or blowing across her from behind, which then has the natural air flow of hitting the pc, turning, and blowing across to me.  She will turn it off if I ask, so I try not to ask unless i absolutely have to, as she's just as miserable being hot as I am freezing.

What I believe is occurring... is that the temp control (and registers) are in limited areas.  Our building is built into a hill, so part of it is underground, while parts are not and have windows and such.  My cubicle is underground, but the temp monitor is out in the front of the floor, where there are windows, and thus is warmer.  The ground keeps our section cooler, and we wouldn't need the AC on, while those in the front of the same floor have windows and heat, so need to combat it with the AC.  This is repeated on the second floor and then the top floor has no underground section, all exterior walls with windows, and between heat rising and windows allowing heat, they are warm most of the time and thus run their AC the most.  I believe that the temp is set for the BUILDING, and not by floor, and thus, my cubicle temp is determined by those sitting in offices on the top floor with windows and heat.  Luckily, I can run off to the 2nd floor to visit co-workers and warm up periodically, but I dread coming back to my desk afterwards, because I know I'll freeze.  Today, as an example, I'm sitting with jeans, long sleeved shirt, and wishing for a jacket.  Have sat on my hands at least twice during this typing.  I'm wearing close-toed shoes to further conserve my heat.  Yet when I go outside today, I may wish to have short sleeves.  Oh well....

[Katie G]

Like CG, I'm right below the a/c vent.  I am wearing a pair of those stretchy fingerless gloves to keep my hands warm and have a fleece throw tossed over my lap to keep my feet warm today.  I also have an electric mug warmer that on which I keep a mug filled with hot water, then I cup my hands around the warm mug.  Keeping my core warm isn't so bad -- it's the extremities.

It was almost 90F one day last week (broke records) and then a front came through and now it's barely 60F outside.  Ah, spring! 

[gee4]

Seriously, it's 20+deg outside this week, my car said 28deg yesterday and yet I am literally sitting in work freezing.  We don't need aircon in this country, especially not in an office!!!

Water from the sink in the ladies toilets today is boiling!

[Cozwaz]

Gee I know how you feel.  Mind you I always find it cold in our office even though my office thermometer says its 23 deg C.  I am sitting in the office today with a jumper on and thick cardigan, even made a rag rug a while back to put under my desk so my shoes are on something warmish rather than the cold floor carpet tiled floor.  I never tend to warm up until lunchtime in the office and then its seems to start to get coller in the office about 3pm. 

What doesn't help is that the offices below us are empty and have been for a while and also I sit with my back to the main reception door and the reception area isn't heated at all its like walking into a chiller lol

I don't mind the cold though as long as I can wrap up warm.  Mind you today I would far rather be outside walking the dog, gardening and enjoying the weather

Coz

[JessW]

Here Here, How about we all do a bunk into the lovely weather (well, at least here in London!)

[Cozwaz]

Oh don't tempt me Jess - would only take me 10 mins to go home, pick up the dog and get down to the river for a walk. Instead - in the office waiting for the ice cream van to come round  - it was 22 Deg C outside when I went home at lunchtime so its definately warm enough for ice cream