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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To Get Annoyed At This Colleague...

36 replies

0FrillyKnickers0 · 29/05/2012 11:01

I work in an office and am 27 weeks pregnant. Our windows are positioned so that the sun pours in all day long and turns the office into an oven. I appreciate that I am the only pregnant person in the office, however I have been really struggling with the heat. I have a fan on my desk which just seems to circulate the hot air, but it does make life a little more bearable.

However, we have an air conditioning unit which one admin member refuses to let me put on because of the noise. It?s not very loud, certainly not loud enough that it would put people off their work, but she is adamant that she won?t have it on. Whenever she is out I put it on and she comes back and turns the ruddy thing off. I do make sure I wear the coolest clothes I own?

So, AIBU in thinking that she should just suck it up and wear a cardi/deal with the ?noise?? Or should I just sweat it out and embrace carpal tunnel and swollen feet?!

OP posts:
bochead · 29/05/2012 11:03

feign a faint Wink

AngelWreakinHavoc · 29/05/2012 11:03

The air con is there for a reason. use it!

tryingtoleave · 29/05/2012 11:04

How does everyone else in the office feel?

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 11:04

Why does one person get to decide for the whole office? What do the others think?

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 29/05/2012 11:05

Fall very carefully to the floor in a "faint" or throw up on her feet, and moan pitifully "the heat, the heat, water, waaaaa tttterrrrrrrr" and as you recover snivel that you're so sorry to be such a bother but X turned the air off and you aren't up to arguing with her, you're frightened of the stress. Look brave yet long suffering and everyone will turn on her and hate her forever hopefully tell her to stfu and turn the air on for you.
What's the actual temperature in your office? there are legal health and safety regulations that cover working temperatures, both hot and cold. If it's too hot legally, the company must take measures to cool it down, but I can't remember offhand what the temperature is.

WorraLiberty · 29/05/2012 11:05

I think everyone who works there should take a vote.

If only two of you work there, sort it out with the boss.

Lovepjs · 29/05/2012 11:05

The management fitted ac for a reason not just for display purposes so it's there to be used. Ask everyone else if they r ok with u putting it on if they are fine with it they mightback u up when the other lady moans

Dropdeadfred · 29/05/2012 11:05

Yes - why does she get to choose?

takingiteasy · 29/05/2012 11:06

Get up and put it on. She's being a cow. Smile sweetly and say I'm sorry you think the air con is a bit noisy but I'm beginning to feel really unwell.

GrahamTribe · 29/05/2012 11:15

Don't wait until she's out to put the damn thing on! Do it now! Look her in the eye and tell her that it's on for reasons of your health and that if she has a problem with it she's welcome to raise it with Personnel.

LookAtAllTheseFucksIGive · 29/05/2012 11:20

Stop letting her get away with this selfish behaviour and stand up to her. Keep some ear plugs in your bag and chuck them at her when she complains about the noise. You are entitled to work in a comfortable environment. She is relying on you keeping schtum. How ridiculous would this complaint sound in front of your manager? She wouldn't have a leg to stand on. I hate people who treat work as an extension of their homelife. Feel free to swelter at home love. Us sweaty mortals need air con.

Original poster
0FrillyKnickers0 · 29/05/2012 11:25

Ooh, thank you! I have turned it on (although I really wanted to do what PomBear suggested) and just didn't bother even asking her.

The other people in the office would rather suffer than hear this person moan about the 'noise'...although a couple of them moan it's cold...that's what cardis were made for. BOO YAH!

Thanks all!

OP posts:
Frontpaw · 29/05/2012 11:27

Call HR and tell them that you are not coming back until the weather cools or the aircon gets switched on.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 29/05/2012 11:27

If a coupe of them moan it's cold, and the others have never felt the need to turn it on themselves, then it's probably only you that is that bothered about it. If you are the one in the minority, you should be the one to put up with being uncomfortable.

Hammy02 · 29/05/2012 11:29

Jesus, if you can't put the air-con on in this weather, when the fuck can you?

Flisspaps · 29/05/2012 11:31

Pom IIRC the Offices, Shops and Railways Act only stipulates a minimum temperature of 16c after 1 hour of opening, but there's no maximum temperature Sad

HeathRobinson · 29/05/2012 11:31

Does she have hearing loss?
Since I've had it, some ordinary noises that don't bother other people, really get to me. It may be the same for her or she may have very sensitive hearing.

Could you reach a compromise and have the air con on for set periods a day?

LookAtAllTheseFucksIGive · 29/05/2012 11:32

I have worked in many places. The one thing they all had in common was if a pregnant lady wanted the air con on it went on. They wanted a window open it was opened. I loved being pregnant at work :o

squeakytoy · 29/05/2012 11:32

If it makes so much noise, it probably needs servicing anyway, but yanbu. I would rather have a bit of noise than be sweating uncomfortably in this heat.

babylann · 29/05/2012 11:33

I can see her point of view, I've worked in offices where people turn fans on and they blast me in the face every 10 secs or so, blowing my hair around, papers flying off my desk, my eyes start stinging etc. Much preferable to being too hot though and I've never worked in an office with a pregnant person.

That said, I've never complained about heat and would never think I could just turn someones fan off, as that's very selfish and arrogant behavior, thinking she is more important.

Is it possible to turn it on a light setting and only have it pointing in a direction that will affect you?

GnocchiNineDoors · 29/05/2012 11:34

I had this when I was pg. Our office is a box of fire without the AC on, and I used to make sure it was on permanently (even though it was winter). Tbf, though, work provided suit jackets, so people wore those, and the AC blows directly onto one desk, so I moved to that desk to make sure no-one was subjected to ice air being blown on them.

squeakytoy · 29/05/2012 11:35

babylann, OP is talking about AC, not a fan..

more · 29/05/2012 11:36

PomBear do you have a link to prove the temperature limits please? I had the same problem, and as far as I found out there is only a law to say that an office can not go below a certain coldness factor. It can get as hot as a sauna, and there's nothing in the law to say that the employer has to do anything about it.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 29/05/2012 11:37

Why should one person have more right to be comfortable in their office than anyone else? I can't believe posters on this thread are calling the other woman selfish when all she wants is the opposit to what OP wants. Both of them are beingequally selfish. Neither of them can trump the other, so a compromise needs to be found. Advice saying to just turn the air con on without trying to cater for both people is ridiculous.

Flisspaps · 29/05/2012 11:38

more afaik there is no legal maximum