The Heat Is On…
Or is it? A new study shows how your office temperature affects employee productivity.
Sure, your employees might stare longingly out the window,
gazing at a summer sky and wishing they were off sunbathing. But
chances are, it's the weather inside the office
that's causing your staff more concern. You should be
concerned, too, if your assistant is constantly fanning herself or
your CFO is dressed in a parka--in the middle of June. A recent
study conducted by Alan Hedge, professor of design and
environmental analysis at Cornell University, indicates that the
temperature of your office is directly related to how your staff is
performing.
The study sampled the air every 15 minutes at nine workstations
in an office. It also monitored the time the workers used their
keyboards and the time they spent correcting their errors. At 68
degrees Fahrenheit, workers typed 54 percent of the time, with a 25
percent error rate; at 77 degrees, the staff typed 100 percent of
the time, with a 10 percent error rate. Some companies are starting
to acknowledge the problem by installing "personal environment
modules," desktop units employees use to control individual
settings for air temperature, air flow, radiant heat and
lighting.
This doesn't surprise Jonathan Harber, 41, CEO of SchoolNet,
which helps educators identify student weaknesses and develop plans
to improve performance. Comfortable temperatures are rarely felt by
the staff of about 40. SchoolNet's headquarters in New York
City's Chelsea Market is a former Nabisco factory--and a
notoriously drafty building
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During the winter, the building's interior is approximately
80 degrees, while the outer offices hardly crack the high 50s. In
the summertime, everything reverses: The outer offices are cooked,
but the inner offices are refrigerated. "It gets annoying,
especially when you're in a conference room in the middle of
the building, it's getting hot, and people start nodding
off," says Harber. "And then people come in from other
parts of the building, complaining that it's too cold."
Harber stocks his own office with a heavy sweater and gloves with
finger holes so he can type.
As they're outgrowing the premises, Harber has been looking
for new offices that will provide a more temperate working
environment. "Before you lease [space], ask if they use an
air-coolant or water-coolant system," advises Harber, who says
water-cooled air is generally more expensive. "And find out if
they charge you based on the time you use the air conditioning. If
they shut off the air after 5 p.m., and if you or your employees
are working late and turn it on, that can run $500 to $600 an hour.
It's disconcerting to spend all your time managing the
business, then find out your air conditioning can make a bigger
difference to your bottom line than some of your
products."