Central heating is too hot, AIBU to look for a new job?

[SillieSarah]

The office is really hot. I’m going to work in sleeveless tops. I’m going home with headaches etc. myself and other colleagues do as well. We are using fans to try and cool down, management say it’s an acceptable temperature (they also don’t work in the office). They have said in so many words it’s just me.

AIBU to look for a new job? Been at the company three years, seen a job with more responsibility but I’m scared.

for reference the office is reading between 23-26 degrees. Depends on the thermometer location in the office, also different thermometers. I’m feeling I’ll during and after work. Why am I so sensitive to the heat? Im summer I don’t tend to feel too hot

I assume there's no windows to open.

Anyway you can turn the heating down yourself ?

Urgh what a vile temperature to be working in. I could not do it. Who decides on/controls the temperature? Why do the wishes of that one person trump the rest of you who are clearly all blisteringly hot? Do you have a head office you could complain to?

It's like the post office in my little market town... 83-85% of the year the heating is on. Literally just July and August it's off. The rest of the year it's on, and set on 25-27C. I would fucking die!

We can’t control the office temp, it’s faulty. This week people had the oil radiators out…. And then next day the fans on. Depending on outside temp etc.

I’ve escalated it…. They don’t have to work in the office so really just see this as an irritation imo despite me suggesting it’s a health and safety concern. Unable to turn down the office temp, numerous people getting ill.

That’s way too hot to work in, they need to sort it out

“Escalated”. God I seem like an idiot but I’m here thinking everyone hates me.

26 is far too hot, it should be about 21 I think. Is there no way a plumber can come in and reset the thermostat?

Dress in light clothes and drink plenty of water. If you’re in a trade union I’d give them a ring, or speak to an employment solicitor for advice (if you can afford it), it’s very unfair on you to need to hunt for a new job because they’re not maintaining a sensible temperature.

I had this problem in a job many years ago. After researching the H&S implications with a view to approaching the managment, I learned there are none! There is no maximum allowed temperatures for workplaces in England, only minimums.

The problem was eventually solved by going directly to the building's maintenance man and asking him to open the windows, which he did cheerfully.

We had the same problem years ago. A group insisted 25C or more was an acceptable temperature to work in. Until someone passed out at their desk, ambulance was called etc then we got it down to 20C.

My office is 24 ish this time of year. It's warmish. It was 32 in the summer.

Many years ago…. Today thermal discomfort is the buzz word. Despite what a thermometer says, if we are too hot/cold out employer needs to consider it.

Do they have carbon monoxide alarms?

Are you able to open the windows? I’d open as many as possible to get a breeze going and cool it down.

Blimey. If I'm having a bad day with my chronic pain and am pretty sedentary I can go 22°
26° sounds like Hell

No gas.
im hot.

Yes two are open but it’s an open plan office…. And rain etc

yep!

If all employees are telling managers it is too hot then why are they saying it is just you?
The temp seems excessive if 23-37c
You say the controls are broken - do they not care that they are wasting excessive amounts of cash on heating every month? Presumably the company in question has no climate policy to reduce its co2 footprint either?

My last office read at 30 degrees in the winter -: they couldn’t get the heating right. It was literally sickening. I was bright red every day at work, it was unbearable. I said to the office manager ‘I’m like a hot hog, it’s disgusting.’ He tried to fix it, but said as the sun shines on the building it wasn’t easy to get right. Wore t-shirts and had to always have my hair up.

current office 21 degrees year round - bliss! Wouldn’t be unreasonable to move jobs for this reason.

Does think link help? Employer could do a thermal comfort questionnaire with employees…or ask everyone in the office to fill it in then send all of them to HR!

HSE guidance

My office could be unbearably hot,
27° isn’t unheard of. I’ve left before now to wfh and told my boss that if I stayed at work I was going to fall asleep at my desk 😂 We
did consider rocking up to work one day in bikinis to try and get the point across!

It seems a bit better at the moment. I guess it’s a priority now they’re paying through the nose for the gas!

Wow, times really have changed! This is from gov.uk:

Workplace temperatures

During working hours the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be reasonable.

There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, eg when it’s too cold or too hot to work.

However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work.

There’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit.

Employers must stick to health and safety at work law, including:

keeping the temperature at a comfortable level

providing clean and fresh air

Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature isn’t comfortable.

Where do you work?! I've never had a job where I'm not absolutely freezing. 26 sounds like heaven

With regard to the "it's just you" comment, can you draft a letter to the management asking them to adjust the heating and then have all your co-workers sign it?

That's hot, I'd expect 18 to 20. I find 22 too hot at my DGM's house. Heating feels completely different to summer heat.