Who is being unreasonable about the heating?

[Adizona]

Two colleagues work in a clinic.
A works in the clinic which is large room, open plan with no windows, 2 adjustable setting radiators and air con.
B works on the reception desk which is medium room, floor to ceiling windows which do not open and a door along the front, one non adjustable radiator and air con.
All radiators are controlled by hive which is set to 22 degrees (temperature only reaches 21 degrees with the heating on) and the hive thermostat is in reception.
The on/off button for the heating is in the staff room which can only be accessed via the clinics.
A is constantly complaining that they are hot and keeps turning the heating off via the on/off button leaving B complaining that they are freezing and keeps going back to turn on the heating back on.
A says B can put on extra layers, B says that they are already wearing thermals and has a blanket as the door keeps being opened by patients and the windows let a lot of cold in.
B says that A can turn the radiators down/off, A says this doesn't work as the radiators are still slightly warm if the heating is on and she want them cold.
Both women are perimenopausal age (if that is at all relevant)
So who is being unreasonable and how can this be resolved?
Management are useless, avoid confrontation and will not get involved.

My mothers' desk at her work was situated in direct path of a bad draught. She complained numerous times and nothing was done about it. She ended up off sick with a bad neck, caused by the draught and the constant scrunching causing muscle pain.

It was soon resolved when she said she was considering escalating things due to her health being impacted by inactive management.

I've got an old heating system where you'd be able to turn off the radiator in one room and put the thermostat in another room to maintain a certain temperature. I don't know about Hive, but I'd hope a newer system had more capabilities, not less than my old one

Management did get involved today but only because the person that A was working with (who was the only person qualified to do the treatment, A&B are not qualified) threatened to go home. They monitored the temperature for the first two hours (they checked this via the air con display) as A refused to have the heating on again and it was between 15 and 17 degrees.
Management spoke to A and sent out an email, reminding everyone that temperature needs to be between 18 & 20 degrees to be comfortable for all staff and patients.
A was absolutely fuming and made things incredibly uncomfortable which will go on for the rest of the week, we have a different qualified person in daily so it will be interesting to see what happens but tomorrow will be more comfortable, temperature wise, as the owner is working as the qualified person.
To answer a few questions:
portable/oil heaters are not allowed.
A doesn’t wear layers are far as I am aware but I will majorly kick off if I find out they do.
I cannot put more layers on, I would not be able to move or do my job comfortably.
No A&B cannot swap desks as the jobs they do are different and they are required to be done in the designated areas.
I agree that additional doors or something that keeps out the cold would make a huge difference but the owners will not pay out for this.

I agree I am being slightly unreasonable as I do feel the cold easily but that have no heating on at all is incredibly unreasonable and selfish.

I know I mentioned earlier, but can you ask your employer specifically about infra red panels.

Without seeing the fire risk assessment portable heaters could end up next to the waste bin etc, you can't control where then end up so its hard to manage risk. Wheras a fixed panel could be more controllable. If its more about staff forgetting to turn them off, there might be options for thermostats or timers.

I will ask but If this incurs a cost the owner/management probably won’t go for it, They complain when the air con goes on in the summer because it costs too much to run but the reception area reaches 28 degrees with the door open.

They hate any additional costs which is why they were reluctant to get involved with the heating as having it on costs money.

Working at 12 degrees is illegal, if the room temperatures vary by this large amount then more radiators need putting in the colder room or the heating needs to be split up by zones. I worked in an open plan office where this was always an issue and the solution was to do this, so the heating would come on in our section of the office only. You need to log the temperature variations in each room and send it to HR stating the legal requirements.

A temperature between 18 and 20 degrees would be boiling for me. I absolutely hate being hot. You can add more layers if you are cold but the person who is hot has no other option.

Not and work you can’t - 18 to 20 degrees is a sensible and normal working environment forcing people to work below 16 is against health and safety making people wear layers in a reasonable temperature isn’t fair

There are no amount of layers that could reasonably be worn that would make me feel warm enough while sedentary at 12°C which the OP is working at. The only thing which would help is active heating, which she isn’t allowed. Being unbearably hot at 18-20°C is unusual, 18°C is still cold for most to be sedentary in, especially dressed for the office. Feeling the cold all day is miserable too, layers don’t help with extremities (can’t wear gloves when I need to use a computer for example) and there’s a limit to what you can wear, especially in an office environment. Theres a reason there’s minimum working temperatures and people aren’t just told to layer up.

A should be formally disciplined for turning off the heating. She’s not being helpful and turning off the heating completely opens up the clinic to mould / damp etc. Tell her if she feels too hot she needs to get a fan or you can supply one if you feel she has a point.

Can a not wear less? Or have a fan in her room? No way would I work in a room that's 12 degrees my lips and hands would be blue

Do you get sick pay? I'd go off sick based on that and explain that you'll come back when the heating is on and A turns her radiators off. That's a simple solution? I note she also has Air con - so radiators off for A and Aircon then everyone is happy including the customers.

Honestly it sounds like a proper shit place to work. Start looking for a new job- perhaps a large company that offer HR/unions/benefits and decent heating/aircon and don't moan about costs. Good luck.

Just go off sick OP. Let the GP know it’s under 16 degrees and they can write a fit note for you too.

I think turning off the radiator is an even easier option - the too warm person just needs to turn off the radiator in her room and the problem will probably be solved.

Yesterday was fine except A making their feelings about the heating being on and being too hot known to everyone!
I turned the hive down to 20 degrees so it never goes above that and they radiators in the clinic are on 2 out of 5 so warm but not hot this is because others work in there to and patients are required to remove their coats.
However today A called in sick, said she had become far too hot yesterday and it’s made her ill, owner was keeping an eye on the temperature yesterday and the clinic did not go higher than 18 degrees.
A is now refusing to come into work until we all agree to turn the heating off or allow the air con on, she wants the room to be at approximately 15 degrees and has apparently consulted someone legal (I don’t know who) who has told her that this is a reasonable adjustment because of her hot flushes.
I will have to leave if the heating is turned off because I just couldn’t cope being freezing all the time and I have previously suffered badly with chest infections which is why I moved to a desk job as previously I worked as TA and covered playground/lunchtimes which wasn’t helping.
There is clearly a middle ground here but she is so determined to have it all her own way that’s she’s willing to lose pay over it.
We only get SSP.

I think she’s trying to have people on to get her own way. Turning down the heating to below the recommended minimum is not a “reasonable” adjustment. A reasonable adjustment would be to for example allow her to wear looser fitting clothes instead of a uniform that may be more restrictive or for example giving her a fan. Be that a desk fan, standing fan or ones that can be worn around her neck. They can’t jeopardise the comfort and wellbeing of the majority of the staff and patients for the sake of one person. I think you need to push this harder if it comes to it.

Given that 16 degrees is the minimum health and safety guidance temperature that is not a reasonable adjustment

i would say you have made the reasonable adjustments (turning it down to 20 having the temperature at 18) I would refuse anything else and cite H&S

Honestly just get a new job, sounds like a shit place to work, absolutely awful.