Our director has sent round an email telling us to wear jumpers. Wibu to ask him to turn the heating up instead?

[DeepDeepThought]

Our departmental director came into the office for the first time in around half a year recently. He noticed that we don't always have all the windows wide open all the time (as per Covid guidance) and sent round an email about it. He says he understands that we might be cold (we are!) but we should all just expect the office to be colder now and bring in jumpers and open all the windows. AIBU to think that wearing a jumper is not the same as being in a warm room and that if he wants us to all sit in a place with wide open windows for eight hours a day throughout winter then he needs to be turning the heating up?

You need to be given time to move about properly, no coat will keep you warm if you just sit in front of a computer completely still. You need to generate your own heat, that takes exercise.
Trust me, I’m from the north where the reindeer live.

At work they have all windows open and the heating on throughout the day. We all wear jumpers as it is impossible for the heating to get us all nice and toasty when the windows are open for Covid reasons.

I think YABU

@Undertheoldlindentree

Schools have to open all the windows. The classrooms are really cold so pupils are allowed to wear a jumper or black sweatshirt under their blazers.

I had little year 7s going blue last year. Luckily Aldi did ski thermals... warm kids

So why put up with it? The legal minimum temperature is 16c.

As a school - primary - we can't afford to have the hating on full time. it is on from 8 - 11, then sometimes in the afternoon from 1.30 - 2.30 on especially cold days.

The windows have to be quite wide open - over 30 people in a small room - and now that 1/4 of the class are off with Covid, the external door is open too. That JUST keeps the CO2 monitor out of the red zone - anything closed or simply ajar and it goes off. Temperature reaches a maximum of 15-16 degrees with the heating on, significantly colder when it is off.

Been like that most of the term, and most of last winter too (open all year - even during the Jan / Feb lockdown we had 50% of the children in). Yes, it's below legal minimum temperature, but do you really want the school closed instead?

And I've seen it argued both ways on here (as to which statutes override which) but there's an argument that workplace rules on minimum temperatures don't apply in schools anyway...

Teacher - windows and doors open ALL THE TIME! The temperature never rises above 13.5 degrees. A couple of weeks ago when we had that really cold spell, I got in and it was 8 degrees - we all sit with coats, hats, scarves and gloves on all day - my class are Year 2, some of them are tiny little mites with not an ounce of insulation on them! It's absolutely freezing and there is fuck all we can do about it, because we have no option but to be in, with the windows and doors wide open and temperatures plummeting.

Wear a fucking jumper!

Been like that most of the term, and most of last winter too (open all year - even during the Jan / Feb lockdown we had 50% of the children in). Yes, it's below legal minimum temperature, but do you really want the school closed instead?

I can imagine the outraged threads now

As for the OP. I agree with the poster who commented wondering why the director would send an email saying wear jumpers. If he's been into the office and has seen you're already wearing jumpers and coats. It doesn't make sense.

"The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 (which applies to maintained schools) do not specify minimum classroom temperatures for any parts of a school. Similarly, the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (which applies to academies) does not specify a minimum classroom temperature."

www.edapt.org.uk/support/knowledge-base/minimum-classroom-temperature/

Think about the environment. If every workplace has windows wide open and heating full blast, what a ridiculous waste.

I'd pull the windows close to closed tbh and wear thermals.

Probably you need both, but it's perfectly sensible to say you need a jumper if you're cold in winter

@Unsure33

He is wrong and should read the latest guidance from HSE which is to open the windows for 10 minutes every hour.

Yep this. If it's too cold surely it's OK just open it every now and then to ventilate the room.

So he works from home and everyone else is stuck in a freezing cold office?

Right....

I would be taking a hot water bottle.
I am one of a few in my community NHS base that opens the windows. It doesn't go down well but necessary at the moment. We all wear a fleece.

It's December! Why AREN'T you wearing jumpers?!

You need to dress appropriately for the season. It's actually pretty mild for the time of year, jumpers and other warm clothing needs to be tried BEFORE turning the heating up.

I don't even have my ch on at home yet, I'm using a small fan heater first thing if it's chilly but generally once I'm up and active I'm not needing it on though admittedly I'm not having to have my windows open either.

I'm wearing a long sleeved top and leggings and bed socks to sleep in but I find ch quite stuffy and don't like having it on until I absolutely have to!

Within a work environment where you're even slightly active and can wear layers etc I think you need to accept appropriate warm clothing must be worn

We do wear jumpers anyway. And scarfs. Some of us wear coats. It's still cold.

If that were true your op would have been completely different! You're back tracking cos we're saying yabu

When it's really cold layer up - thermals etc

When I'm really cold either for outside or eg during a power cut it's

Tights AND leggings AND trousers AND socks

Bra AND vest AND T shirt AND long sleeved top AND jumper (fine knit style) AND either another jumper or a cardigan or hoodie

That's what you do

Friends I know working as teachers etc wear the above plus have a big shawl they wrap around them.

Is there a reason you can't all work from home, OP?

Yes I'm wondering this too as it's an office.

Crazy how many employers of office workers aren't letting them wfh

I know SOME govt depts haven't yet been able to allow this for security reasons although quite honestly as it's now been around a year we've been dealing with this they really should have found a way by now. It's possible to have secure laptops etc

But generally speaking I think far too many in uk now expect to be able to wear minimal clothing indoors and instead have heating on at stupid levels! It's been a while since I've been in others homes but a few years back when I was 7/10 I'd go in and most homes you'd melt in if you were wearing normal winter attire in someone's home!

It's ludicrous!

Even aside from environmental and Covid concerns the waste of money is quite something!! And the ones that had the heating whacked up I found were often the SAME people who moaned constantly they were skint! No bloody wonder!

Don’t forget hats, especially if you aren’t on the phone all the time. So much heat escapes from your head. A knitted toque or beanie really helps.

When we lived in student accommodations I had to wear a thick jumper with a thick cardigan on top in my own apartment (and woolly socks, tights, and very thick trousers). I could still do my very advanced homework. It doesn't stop you from working.

I share an office with my colleague, the window is open all day.

I wear thermals and a jumper everyday, I also keep an M&S knitted poncho on the back of my chair for especially cold days. And a thermal mug so drinks stay hot.

I have a hot water bottle, a big, warm scarf and wrist warmers in my desk ready for the big freeze.

@DeepDeepThought

Is that what you all do then? Wear coats at work?

I don't wear a coat, but certainly a lot of layers, topped by a thick fleece. Also fur lined boots and a big scarf.

This year I am a vest, jumper with a roll next and warm tights. Next stop a heat pad for under my feet. I'll be limiting the heating because it's just daft to heat a room with the windows open.

Every online meeting I've been on recently people are wrapped up. If there's a break people are coming back with another layer on.

I’d hate it but I think you have to accept it as normal for this winter.

My 12yr old DS wears his padded coat and face mask all day in the classroom. I think leaving the windows open is a sensible precaution, even though it’s cold.

Can your job not be done from home, OP?

It's not that unlikely for the people who have asked about it. There are plenty of jobs within the same office that have to be done in the office while others can be done from home. Just the way it is. If OP can work from home though, she 100% should. It's the current guidance and should be followed.