The Effect of Heat on Productivity
The heat in an office is inversely proportionate to the worker’s productivity in that office. This statement has been confirmed by several studies in the UK that assert that wall unit and portable air conditioners are actually a necessity more than a luxury. A study done by Daikin UK, two years back found that in excess of 60 percent of workers in the UK felt too hot in summer. A quarter of the 2000 research subjects felt ‘miserable’ when they overheated and another quarter felt more stressed and under pressure when they were too hot. Aside from this, dehydration is caused by overheating and in extreme cases this can lead to death, particularly in the elderly.
 Stress, depression, dehydration and discomfit are quite a long list of symptoms and it’s hardly surprising that the end result is diminished productivity. In fact, over 60% of people working in an environment at the wrong temperature feel sleepy and just under 60% are less productive. Many employees often feel more stressed in the heat too. Stress has been predicted to cost the UK economy in excess of £3.7 billion each year. If productivity levels are down by 60% then you can only imagine how much money a business is losing from its offices being the wrong temperature, let alone how working in this temperature is affecting the employees’ quality of life.
 The solution is simple and not all that pricey. If your office is over 25° Celsius, buy or rent a portable air conditioner. They’re inexpensive and effective. Just don’t be tempted to swing to the other extreme. Another study has shown that if an office is cooled to under 23° Celsius, there is an increase in staff sicknesses and a decrease in comfort again. Sick leave can also cost a company a considerable amount of money, so it’s really to everyone’s advantage to keep the temperature at a happy medium.
Dehydration occurs if workers are overheating and losing moisture through sweat, and not replenishing the water in their body by drinking enough water. Dehydration causes reduced concentration, tiredness, headaches, and eventually kidney stones. Water coolers or taps should not be further than a few metres away from each employee, so that they can drink water throughout the day, especially in summer. Healthy people have pale yellow urine, so if yours is darker you should be drinking more water.
Above incentive schemes and bonuses, one could say that keeping an office cooled and with a large supply of cool water during summer is central to that company’s productivity and the employee’s job satisfaction. Don’t ignore the body’s basic needs in order to cut costs; a body, like any machine, operates optimally at a certain temperature.
