LONDON, March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Survey shows extent of time wasted due to inadequate temperatures. Women suffer more than men.
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A survey suggests around 2% of office hours are wasted due to the temperature alone, potentially costing the UK economy more than £13bn annually*. The survey also shows the extent of the divide between men and women when it comes to comfort with the office temperature.
One Poll surveyed 2,000 people on behalf of heating and ventilation specialists Andrews Sykes, in a bid to discover how much the temperature affected workplace efficiency and output. It was found that less than a quarter of office workers find the temperature in their office comfortable, with more than a third suggesting they take at least 10 minutes out of work each day due to temperature alone.
The ramifications of this are larger than may be expected: 29% of people surveyed estimate they spend between 10 and 30 minutes each workday not working due to an uncomfortable office temperature. A surprising 6% believe they spend more than half an hour each day not working well for this reason.
This means that an office of 100 people will have at least 8 hours wasted each day, due to the temperature alone. The full figure could be more like 18 hours - the equivalent of more than 2% of staff members never turning up to work.
Helen Pedder, head of HR for ClearSky HR, said: "Whether temperatures soar or plummet, unbearable office conditions can have a serious impact on employee health and well-being. Unfortunately the law is left open to misinterpretation by simply stating that employers must provide a 'reasonable' workplace temperature.
"Until health and safety guidance provides clear and coherent requirements, there are various steps that an employer can take to prevent a dip in productivity and performance. Relaxing dress code requirements where appropriate and providing heating and/or cooling devices are effective methods that help to regulate thermal comfort."
Some further stats we found:
*Assuming an average wage of £26,500; 29.84m UK employees and a 228 day working year.
Andrews-Sykes are the UK's leading specialist hire company for providing pumping, heating and cooling solutions. They aim to help their customers address real-life challenges - planned or emergency - in the fastest, most expert professional and cost effective ways.
Michael Edmondstone
PR and Content Marketing Manager
Forward3D
Michael.edmondstone@forward3d.com
+44(0)20-3476-3722
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