Temeratures in offices and arguments about it.

Archeron

Just wondering if anyone has ever come across this before.
I am one of those people who dislikes heat. In fact, I'd be happy to have my desk outside in the snow, and would be pleased to work like that.
Unfortunately, the office I work in, the other two people are what I call "frozen holes" and are perpetually freezing regardless of the heat around them. One of them is actually now wearing a coat, a scarf and a hat. No kidding.
As a result, they pretty much control the office heating, and its on full blast, for every hour of the day. Every window is sealed shut, and the temperature is at an unhealthy level. (have no guage at the mo, but I reckon its over 30 degrees right now, and still the scarf and woolly coat are present).

Because of this, I am always uncomfortable in work now, its sweaty, nasty, and makes me really tired and I find it hard to concentrate and I get regular headaches. I've tried the middle ground before, but it doesnt work, as one of the colleagues having just had a baby, feels that she is entitled to "look after herself" properly, and part of this is constant blazing heat that would rival Hell itself. If a window is opened to let some air in, its shut after 5 minutes, and the heating goes up higher to cancel out its effects.

Anyone ever deal with this, and how did you get round it? I've actually taken to eating my lunch in my car now, as its only place thats even vaguely comfortable from a temperature point of view, so I must seem like a right socialite!
This is actually one of the reasons I am looking for a new job now, (that and my colleagues are all assholes!)
Anyone any tips on dealing with this?

Barlow07

Archeron wrote: »

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Anyone any tips on dealing with this?

If i was you, just come into work about 1hr early and open all the windows in the office and go back to your comfortable car and when they come in the room should be niced and chilled

I wouldnt say your looking forward to the summer having to work in those conditions :rolleyes:

Archeron

Barlow07 wrote: »

If i was you, just come into work about 1hr early and open all the windows in the office and go back to your comfortable car and when they come in the room should be niced and chilled

I wouldnt say your looking forward to the summer having to work in those conditions :rolleyes:

Nice thinking. Unfortuantely, the office only opens 10 minutes before the cold people start, so I cant do this. I tried opening the windows once but I got caught, and the only thing that chilled me that day was the looks I got shot from the wool wrapped clan.
I like your thinking though!

run_Forrest_run

this happens all the time in our office, there's about 50 of us in an open plan first floor office. The problem is that the existing AC system was not designed for such an area (they modified the layout of the office floor). They added extra intakes and outlets but the system just can't handle it so sometimes it is nice (and cold..me too, I could work out in the snow!) and other times it is baking in here..

The battle usually involves the women giving out that they are cold and the lads saying they are too warm!

The company are too mean to invest in a proper system and guess what, we have no windows that can be opened (that would make far too much sense :mad: )

Barlow07

Archeron wrote: »

Nice thinking. Unfortuantely, the office only opens 10 minutes before the cold people start, so I cant do this. I tried opening the windows once but I got caught, and the only thing that chilled me that day was the looks I got shot from the wool wrapped clan.
I like your thinking though!

Plan B: Get yourself a 10ft fan and have it on full, keep you nice and cool. The other option would be to talk to your Manager or Supervisor, but if your looking for a new job its not just this.

dudara

We can't even open the windows in our office, and I'm someone who loves fresh air. Too much heat and air-con makes you feel dull and tired.

cold_filter

Get a fan or move your desk to a window open it and if anyone tries to close it tell them to go back to their own desk.. or....

come in wearing a banana hammock and if the kick up a fuss tell them that as the office is so warm and you dont want to over heat and this is is the best way to keep cool...

GoneShootin

Barlow07 wrote: »

Plan B: Get yourself a 10ft fan and have it on full, keep you nice and cool.

This is what has happened to the 30 or so folks upstairs in our building. People got their own heating/cooling fans and are on ALL the time. It's a microcosm for the world climate change situation

jenny-walsh

I'm a frozen hole, however I don't like to put others out so I have a heater that has travelled with me from job to job. I'd leave my jacket on and put my feet on the heater...problem solved. And since every office in the world is kinda chilly i tend to stay pretty alert. I'm so much in the habit now that I don't even have the heating on even though i'm the only one working in this office/kitchen
They obviously don't give a **** about other's comfort. Have a word to a manager, say you're finding it hard to work in these conditions.

But, as mentioned before, if you're leaving and you consider your colleagues assholes in general then there's more to this.

Archeron

cold_filter wrote: »

Get a fan or move your desk to a window open it and if anyone tries to close it tell them to go back to their own desk.. or....

come in wearing a banana hammock and if the kick up a fuss tell them that as the office is so warm and you dont want to over heat and this is is the best way to keep cool...

We have a dress code to wear collared shirts or jumpers. Last week I wore a jumper over a t-shirt (all my shirts were in the to-be-washed bin), but it got stifling so I took it off to reveal a t-shirt underneath. Lo and behold, I got hauled up in front of a manager for not adhering to the dress code. Even though he agreed the heat in my office is ridiculous, no-one seems to want to challenge the cold people. Not sure how thay'd react to a banana hammock though but I can imagine.

There is a few reasons I want to leave, and this is not the main one, but I just want to try and not overheat in the time I do have remaining working here. This is probably quite common I suppose.
I went outside to the carpark a minute ago to get some air and came back in covered in snow!

mikemac

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

The battle usually involves the women giving out that they are cold and the lads saying they are too warm!

Yep, I also would be delighted to working outside in the snow

It definitly is a case of the girls always complaining about being cold in my office. The heating is full blast and it goes over 30 degrees sometime.

I offered to comprimize and have it around 22 degrees but got outnumbered and lost. In fact, I started a similar thread to the OP a few months back on this.

I'm not sure why the women don't give a damn if the lads are feeling tired and even dizzy from the heat and lack of fresh air. If they are cold they can put on a jumper but a lad can hardly take off his shirt if it's melting.
I've a fan at my desk but the girl behind me complains about the breeze and I often arrive it in the morning to find it hidden in a cupboard somewhere. Ya, very funny seeing it belongs to me, not the company :mad:

seamus

Women in general have a smaller body mass than men and have more nerve endings per sq. cm of skin, so they have a tougher time in general maintaining body heat and will "feel" cold when men don't.

I wouldn't say I love the cold, but it definitely takes a lot for me to say I'm cold. This is one of those things you need to get management involved for.

Build a case:
1. Get a decent thermometer and make a note of the temperature, three times a day for a week, then take an average.
2. A comfortable temperature is somewhere between 18 and 22 degrees. Work out how much energy would be saved if the temperature was dropped from the average to 20 degrees. Money talks, so show them how much it's costing them.

Then try to get people into a meeting. Get them to agree to "designate" one person as the guy in charge of the heating. Preferably management so that they can't really be overruled. That way you won't get people randomly screwing with the heating.

the_syco

Ask one of the managers could you use him as a reference. Mention the heat as a reason for leaving:D

Seriously, multiple big LOUD fans, and earplugs. Can't hear the fan, or them moaning, and you'll be cold.