to ask for the window to be opened?

[cofingalthetime]

So there is a colleague in the "window seat" but she won't have the window open - she says it's too noisy. Being of a 'certain age' with a tendency to hot flushes, and also not like sitting in a stuffy room with 5 other people, aibu to ask her to open it? I've asked before and she just says no it's too noisy. (it's not that noisy IMO). Wish I had the window seat :(

I feel like I can't breathe, there is 'air' coming from somewhere, but it's not the same as 'fresh air' IUKWIM

I was reading menopause guidance for employers yesterday and seating affected women by a window was one of the recommendations precisely for this reason

My sister got the office to buy her a fan. Not the same I know, but it helped. And the fact that work had bought it made her needs 'official' too which she found helpful.

I feel your pain. I worked with a colleague who had the 'window seat' and refused to have the window open any time of the year. When she was on holiday, the window was wide open for 2 weeks solid. Somehow her needs trumped everyone else's in the office.

I miss having my own office. I mean I like the company to a certain extent, but I guess I've been spoilt. She's gone to the toilet. It's too obvious to just go and open the window isnt it. Maybe I'll get courage and just ask her.

I mean I get it, it can be draughty in the winter with a cold breeze, but even if she could just give us a blast of air every few hours.

Try some black cohosh as a supplement, it really helps with those symptoms.

Exactly this. Make a fuss, OP. We have a right to have our needs met during peri and menopause and the new government guidance is the ideal hook to hang it on. You should be talking to your line manager about a seat swap, or finding you a window seat elsewhere if that one isn’t in her control.

You can bet that if a man was experiencing the equivalent, he wouldn’t be suffering in silence.

If she won’t have the window open would she swap seats?

Ventilation is needed to help people concentrate too. If you don't want to make it about you (though as I said above, its a fair request) then point out that high CO2 levels slow down everyone's productivity (science!)

Of course she's entitled to not be distracted by noise too, so maybe she'd be more comfortable away from the window...

Open it! It’s not her window to control, she just sits near it: if she doesn’t like the noise she could swap desks.

That would annoy me, I like to have fresh air circulating, and I've no where near as good a reason as menopause. It just keeps my brain more active. Tell her you're feeling faint and need fresh air. I hate working in large office spaces where you cannot even open the windows a crack.

I used to have the opposite problem - the woman next to me in the window seat had the window open permanently, sometimes with her fan on too. At 8am in December when it's -4 outside, it got a bit much sometimes and we did fall out over it more than once!!

The joys of shared offices...one person's fresh air may mean other people being cold (esp in this part of the UK at this time of year unless you're wearing coat). That's not conducive to productivity either.

Is the office otherwise well ventilated, ie is it a large space, could you open the door? Could you use a desk fan? Could you swap desks or change the layout of the office?

We have screens up too, so this inhibits air circulation. I did open the door a few times, but she said it was "too noisy" and closed it!

This would drive me mad. Either get her to open the window or swap seats. Just because she doesn't want it open doesn't mean the rest of the people in the office should suffer.

Whilst you sort out what happens to the window, buy yourself a small USB desk fan. Virtually silent, 3 speed settings and an absolute bloody godsend. Mine is on and off all day and has made ALL the difference when I'm at my desk. Under a tenner on Amazon Prime and you'll have it by tomorrow.

Just open it. Don't aske it isn't her window. Announce you are opening it for 10 mins to freshen the air and then it can be closed if anyone finds it too cold or noisy.

So she’s policing the window and the door? Not on. I would buy a doorstop and keep the door open, open the window whenever she went to get tea, and invest in the noisiest fan I could, because I am petty and prefer office warfare to actually working.

This. DH has one in our home office - it's pretty fierce for such a little gadget (and very quiet).

Ha, me too!

I’d speak to whoever’s in charge and ask for a solution, her hearing doesn’t trump your comfort. Also I’d just open it when she’s in the toilet, even if she just closes it again atleast there will have been a small fresh air blast!

Both your reasons are valid, but if the noise doesn't bother you, the logical option is to swap desks. You could mention it in a very innocent way. Say that the window won't be open all the rime hut 10mns every hour or so.

Oh God yes, i remember this well. I used to work in a large office and it was always cold in the mornings and would take a couple of hours to warm up. The part timer would then swan in and announce "ooh its stuffy in here" and whack open the window despite the weather outside.

After a few minutes it would be freezing and several of us who were in the blast range of the freezing wind coming in from the window would be sat in our coats with blankets on our knees and she still didnt get the hint. Usually someone would be fed up of having a freezing cold draught blown on them and slam the window shut.

A few times it turned into outright war.

Is she unaware of covid guidance which quite clearly states windows should be open for good air circulation which in turn decreases the risk of catching covid. I would be bringing this to the attention of your boss. And buy her ear plugs then she won't hear anything!