Three-quarters of office workers find the temperature of their workplace uncomfortable, according to new research.
More than half the 100 facilities managers polled agree that temperature control is one of the biggest issues they face.
They claim a rise in open-plan offices is a major factor when it comes to maintaining an optimum temperature, with the number of internal moves and reorganisations presenting a perpetual problem.
A building’s ventilation infrastructure, for instance, isn’t always considered when it comes to reorganising an office. Other aspects usually take priority, which can lead to environment temperature becoming an issue.
One respondent noted that workers sometimes revert to wearing hats and scarves at their desks when they’re cold. This can give a poor impression to external clients and visitors, however, so it is important to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Another respondent went as far as surveying his office to find the temperature that resulted in the fewest number of complaints. He found that 23.7° Centigrade led to significantly fewer calls to the helpdesk of people that were either hot or cold. Although, the comfort of a few workers tends to be sacrificed to maximise business margin in a number of cases.
The survey was conducted by One Poll on behalf of heating and ventilation business Andrews Sykes.
Copyright Press Association 2014