Cold office - AIBU?

[AnnieG1986]

My department has recently had an office reshuffle and one individual has moved back to our office, away from the rest of her team, because she found the new building too hot / light (it's a very spacious modern building with lots of windows). She's an older admin assistant (65+) who works on site two mornings per week.

Apparently she has an underlying medical condition (been through occupational health) which requires a cool environment which I understand, but the office is freezing for the rest of us - someone was wearing a coat indoors yesterday, in August, and I've just returned home to finish off my day's work because it was so cold. And most of us are in the office much more than two mornings a week.

AIBU to find this a problem ?

There's a minimum safe working temp get a thermometer and see what your office is actually at

No I don’t think it’s a reasonable adjustment if the rest of you are left feeling too cold.

What is the temp in the office? Everyone will vary as to what they find most comfortable but a comprise should be found. Does the person need to come into the office for those two mornings?

Can that person not be given a fan for their area? Seems a better solution then everyone else freezing.

I don’t think there is a minimum working temp as what would people that work outside or in the fridge/frozen dept do - but I think the expectation is that 16 degrees is the lowest acceptable office temp and find it hard to believe it’s that low in August. Unless the aircon is on?

Yes, the aircon is on. I'll check exact temp tomorrow.

Sounds like this colleague should have some sort of fan/desk fan/air cooler by her place and the air con should be set to a comfortable room temp

Acas page: https://www.acas.org.uk/extreme-temperatures-in-the-workplace#:~:text=What%20a%20reasonable%20working%20temperature,effort%2C%20it's%2013%C2%B0C.

I used to work in an office where they deliberately had the air con on blast so that female staff would put cardigans on over their spaghetti-strap best tops. Obviously that's not necessarily the case here, but it might be that there's more than one reason why they're keeping the office cool.

@AnnieG1986

I sympathise with her, due to a variety of things I am always too hot. It's horrible. I'd work/live in an ice box if I could, I dream of being cold.

However, I accept I'm the abnormal one.

can she not WFH? Or from an office on her own??

if not can you have the AirCon down as low as is comfortable with a cardigan/jumper on for the rest of you & an additional small aircon just for her? The rest of you should be able to be comfortable witH just A cardi/jumper.