Your office temperature is probably perfect for exactly one type of worker: a 40-year-old man who weighs 154 pounds.
This model male’s metabolic rate was used in the 1960s to calculate the thermostat settings most modern workplaces have adopted. Those settings keep him — Average Joe — pretty happy. But they induce shivers and sweat in many of his colleagues who happen to be smaller, larger, younger or older than he is — or, of course, not men.
Thermal comfort, or the extent to which people are satisfied with the physical environment, varies by individual. Yet you may notice that opinions about appropriate office temperature standards sometimes split along gender lines.
That’s because women have average metabolic rates 20 to 32 percent lower than Average Joe, which means they tend to generate less heat, according to research published in the journal Nature Climate Change in 2015. In the summer, office air conditioning may feel especially chilly to women, while insufficient heat in the winter may prompt them to keep their coats on indoors.
The fact that women’s comfort is rarely considered in basic office design reflects their lower standing in the power dynamics of corporations and society at large, says Lori Brown, architecture professor at Syracuse University.
“It’s still a male-centered calculation,” she says. “There has to be more of a consideration of different kinds of bodies.”
That may eventually happen, especially as companies face pressure to boost environmental sustainability and reduce energy consumption by keeping heat and air conditioning set to more moderate levels.
Until then, these tips can help you keep your cool when confronted with uncomfortable office climates.
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Office Thermostat Etiquette
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends office environments maintain temperatures between 68 and 76 degrees and humidity settings between 20 and 60 percent. There may be a setting in those ranges that makes you happy — but it may not be the one your office building uses.
If you and your colleagues have access to the thermostat that controls your workplace temperature, you may notice people sneaking up to it to change the settings to their liking. You may even be tempted to do the same.
Rather than waging stealthy battle, however, it’s probably more appropriate to seek consensus with your co-workers.
“Instead of having this thermostat war, find out if there’s a compromise that you can come to as a group,” suggests Jacqueline Whitmore, etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. “Have an open discussion with your officemates.”
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Common sense and reason should prevail, Whitmore says, which means settings of 50 or 85 degrees are out of the question. Beyond that, the majority rules.
“If the majority of people feel it’s too cold in the office, some adjustments need to be made,” she explains. “But some people are cold if it’s 80 degrees in the office, and there’s no pleasing them. If that person is in the minority, that’s the person who is going to have to take more desperate measures to make himself or herself more comfortable.”
Achieving Personal Thermal Comfort
Maybe the thermostat can’t be changed, or maybe you’re the unlucky person who’s always much hotter or colder than your cubicle companions. There are still techniques you can adopt to avoid suffering at your desk.
Start with your outfits. If you’re frequently cold, forgo the blanket and Snuggie in favor of actual clothing that keeps you warm yet still looking professional. Wool socks, lightweight neck scarves and fleece-lined leggings are good options, says Bridgette Raes, personal stylist and author, as are shirts and pants designed to trap heat.
If you fluctuate between hot and cold, keep a neutral-colored cardigan or a fleece jacket with your company’s logo at your workspace so you can put it on and take it off as necessary. And if you find yourself sweating at work, dress in removable layers and avoid wearing fabrics that don’t breathe.
“Keep in mind when you’re buying tops that there’s a good chance you’ll want to remove your cardigan or jacket,” Raes says.
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In the 1970s and 80s, many buildings were designed to be “hermetically sealed,” preventing occupants from opening their windows, Brown says. That design trend is falling out of favor, so if you’re lucky enough to sit near a working window, you may be able to open it to moderate your immediate surroundings.
Additionally, consider investing in a gadget that helps you regulate your environment.
“Instead of going to the thermostat every hour, I keep a fan on my desk and I keep a space heater in my office,” Whitmore says. “You have to take care of yourself.”
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Winning the Office Temperature Wars originally appeared on usnews.com
