Does Office Temperature Affect Productivity?

via The First Facility Management

As winter sets in across the country and companies turn up the heat, they may need to readjust the thermostat to keep their workers productive. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, when asked if the temperature at work affected their ability to get work done, more than one in five (22%) workers said that a “too hot” work environment made it difficult to concentrate. Eleven percent of workers said the same about a “too cold” work place.

Overall, more than a quarter (27%) of workers describe the temperature at their work place as “too hot.” On the flip side, 19% reported that the temperature was “too cold,” while 54% said it was “just right.”

Differing opinions on what is too hot or too cold for the office can sometimes cause conflict among cubicle mates. In fact, 10% of workers said they have fought with a co-worker over the office temperature.

Worker disputes over temperature aren’t the only thing affecting work place climate; the economy is also playing a part. In an effort to save money, nearly one in five (19%) workers feel that their company has turned down the office temperature this year.

“There are many factors that can affect work place productivity,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “Everything from morale, burnout, and as our survey finds, temperature, can have an impact on workers’ ability to get their work done. If temperature is a concern, workers and employers can easily work together to find common ground so productivity does not suffer.”

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