Just put some bloody clothes on if you're cold....

[woolythoughts]

Just that.

Air conditioning wars.

Office I work in is run by a south american, has two Italians, and a lot of British hot house flowers.

The temperature regularly gets up to 27/28 in here (its an all glass building) but within five minutes of turning the air con on, all we get is "its cold".

Me and one other person are working in light cotton trousers and light vests - nothing else. We literally cannot take any more clothes off and be decent. We have mini personal desk fans which help a little.

The problem doesn't end in winter though. Then they want to crank the heating up to 28 and we'd be quite happy with the window open -but we are willing to compromise at 22. But thats not warm enough apparently.

So we have to suffer feeling ill and tired just because they don't want to wear a cardigan in summer.

We use to have the same problem in my last workplace. It was basically a tin can so any sign of hot weather sent the temperature right up. If we dared to put the air con on we’d be met with a chorus of “it’s too cold” meanwhile they’re sat there in skirts and vest tops with no jacket/cardi. We even offered to all swap desks so they were positioned away from the air con but they weren’t happy with that either. There’s just no pleasing some folk.

Office I work in is run by a south american, has two Italians, and a lot of British hot house flowers.

Me and one other person are working in light cotton trousers and light vests - nothing else

Sounds to me like everyone except 2 people are happy.... It obviously is unfortunate for the OP but I don't think there's an other solution?

Except for idk.. coldpads?

In my last job, I worked in an open plan office next to the IT call centre (which brought additional challenges, noise wise). There were lots of PCs about, which generated a lot of heat. The men in our side of the office were always warm, so the air con would be on full blast...and their windows open (yes, really). I would wear a vest under a long sleeved top with a cardigan, and trousers with socks and boots or tights and brogues. In the middle of summer. So I would go outside at lunchtime and pass out from the heat, or have to bring a change of footwear and get changed before stepping outside. It was ridiculous. It is very difficult to get the temperature right in an open plan office.

I work at home now and I have ALL the heating power.

Well, I don't think the colleagues who are uncomfortably hot should have to wear light cotton trousers and light vests to make the temperature bearable.

You dont think people in the summer should have to wear summer clothes?

I think people who really feel the cold, whether that be a medical reason or otherwise, can just not really understand how awful it is for someone who suffers in the heat. You just think "oh they're a bit hot, no biggie".

I got hot right into my core. I feel sick. My head hurts. I feel like I'm going to pass out. I can't concentrate. The heat literally smothers me and makes me feel suffocated. I actually years ago bought a big portable air con for my bedroom so I can sleep on hot nights. That's how much I suffer with it. Hot days when I've been somewhere with no air con all day, I will go home and lie in my room for an hour with the air con on to cool down and feel ok again. Fans are bloody pointless! They actually make me feel worse because they're just blowing the hot air around!

I'm happy to compromise but being cold isn't worse than being hot and vice versa. No one groups "rights" should trump the others.

The way i see it is the weather should reflect inside and outside. If its warm outside and you dress for the weather. Then you adjust the heat or air con to take the edge off so its not freezing or sweltering inside. Air con should not be making people feel really cold inside. I know being hot is horrible but being so cold you shake uncontrolably and your hands and feet go numb is not fair either.

You dont think people in the summer should have to wear summer clothes?

I don't think vests are really good office wear, summer or not; in a lot of offices vests aren't considered appropriate and I kind of agree – they are a bit casual for work. IMO a good office summer outfit is e.g. a light long-sleeved top with a skirt or trousers, or a dress with sleeves. It shouldn't be too hot to wear stuff like this comfortably.

Is it maybe more to do with humidity level? I don't know I'm quite easy going, my house is currently between 24 and 28 degrees (conservatory) and it's nice and comfy. Couple of windows opened but I'm not boiling or anything. By the same token I'm comfy enough in the winter working when it's 18 degrees.
Humidity level is at 50percent, whatever that means!

IMO a good office summer outfit is e.g. a light long-sleeved top with a skirt or trousers,

But why would you wear a long sleeved top in summer? Theres loads of smart short sleeved cotton blouses .

YANBU same problem here, except my team are happy tput a hoody on.
We sit under the air con and are freezing, my hands were like ice when I left last night, and we can't wear gloves.
The rest of the office were stripped down and had fans, they must be so hot. I wouldn't dream suggesting the air con was turned off.

Some do though, we quite often have to move to other desks for business needs and some complain as soon as they sit there, yes it's cold, put a hoody on.

I’ve got the answer!!!!!!!
All the ‘I can’t bare the heat, there are no more clothes I can take off, I’m a sweaty mess’ people should go and cuddle/sit on the lap of the ‘I’m cold to the core’ people until everyone feels better OR cold people agree to swap desks and allow hot people under the aircon or next to the window 😁
Ready for flaming 😁
but not too badly pls, I hate aircon so will take an age to cool down 😂

Hah TeatimeForTheSoul, that does actually sound like a solution :)

I'm horribly cold blooded. If the air temp is cool putting more clothes on doesn't help a great deal. I couldn't wear gloves, and thick scarves in an office in guessing. It's not as simple as just putting another jumper on for some of us and it takes ages for me to warm up after I have been cold.

It is shit in winter.

Storm4
You are probably right about your assessment about people, who feel the cold not understanding. I feel the cold btw. The same can be said with people, who feel the head. Take the title of this thread and others saying just put another layer on. Neither is simple, which is why I suggested having the a/c on a little lower (as in a bit warmer) and getting a decent desk fan. The fan wouldn’t be blowing hot air around but airconn’d cool air.

Teatime
That’s an excellent solution. Free lurv.

YABVVU. No one wants to sit in a draught with their coat on. Plus it can hurt your neck if it's blasting right on you.

YANBU. If you are cold keep putting on layers and drinking tea. It's not fair to make other people uncomfortable with no way of alleviating that disco Fort just so that you don't have to alleviate your perce fly easy to deal with discomfort.

I say this as someone who feels both the hot and cold.

Our company has actually divided up physically based on temperature tolerance, so we have one "hot" room and one "cold" room. This isn't the logical way the offices should be divided but is the only way to stop the arguments.

Interesting that the OP's 'ideal' temperature is the HSE's bare minimum. I do wonder if there isn't some hyperbole going on, what with the 'not owning a coat' as well.

In any case a lot of offices (such as mine) don't have airconditioning. We rely on windows and fans to keep the air moving but I think the record temperature the thermostat said was 31 degrees (I am a bit dubious about the accuracy of it though).

Check with the H&S Workplace code of practice for the maximum temperatures. It should be on hse.gov.uk website and throw that at them.

There is no maximum temperature, only a minimum. Employers do have a responsibility to carry out risk assessments, and high working temperatures might be a risk to be considered and appropriately managed.

I know being hot is horrible but being so cold you shake uncontrolably and your hands and feet go numb is not fair either.

If this is happening at 22C (rather than a sweltering 28C!) you have a serious medical condition and should seek help immediately.

Interesting that the OP's 'ideal' temperature is the HSE's bare minimum.

OP said 20-21 degrees would be ideal. HSE's minimum is 16C for an office, 13C for an "active" environment.

Busybarbara i do have a medical condition. Several in fact and am underweight as a result. Im frequently cold and put up with it but theres always someone who wants to go a step further in summer as to have air con so high it no longer feels like summer inside.

Barbara, this is what the OP said:

^I'm already compromising at 21!

Ideally I'd set the air con to 16!^

We have this at our place. So windows open and those who want have a desk fan.
Then if you're cold out your cardigan on. We are all friendly and will negotiate closing the window slightly or closing one leaving the other open