T-shirts & heating on at work?

Caporegime
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17 Feb 2006
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I sit next to a window at work which can be opened. If I don't open my window, the office would stay sealed all day. I like a bit of fresh air so I open it...

Cue my co-worker saying, "It's alright for you, you've got a jumper on, what about those of us without sleeves?" Pointing to their short-sleeved top and bare arms :p

I just wonder what that says about us as a society.

That we're wasteful? Would we rather burn more gas/electric to heat an office to summer temperatures than wear more clothes?

Or that we simply don't think about it? The cost of heating just doesn't even factor into our thinking at all?

Or do we feel entitled to be comfortable in the clothes we want to wear, regardless of practicality?


The window got opened anyhow, because I'm a sod like that, and breathing the same stale air all the time makes me uncomfortable :p And I've got the window seat :D But I'm in a minority of 1, all the rest would rather the windows stay closed and the arms stay bare :p

I hope it snows this year :p
 
I find that even when wearing thick clothes there are parts of me (joints etc) that feel the cold regardless. But then again, I'm not a big girl's blouse unlike some of your colleagues so I get on with it.
 
I hate some of our clients for this, especially offices that have a higher amount of women. That heatwave we had a few month ago wasn't hot enough for some people they still had the heating on!

I think most people don't care as it's work and they aren't forking out for the heating bill. It's the same with air con, rather then open a window lets crank the air con on.
 
Yeah there's 4 of us in my office and I think it's an age thing. I'm sat by a window and I still have it open in October. Young (28-29ish) girl sat next to me will happily keep my window open. Other side of the office is two girls in their early 60s, their window shut and central heating on.

Haven't turned my house central heating on yet, and still sleep with bedroom window open.
 
I generally say that it is more acceptable for them to put more clothes on than it is for me to remove mine.
 
I think most people don't care as it's work and they aren't forking out for the heating bill. It's the same with air con, rather then open a window lets crank the air con on.

Actually today we had the heating *and* the air-con on.

As well as the window open :p

What's worse is that I work for the local council, so it's all paid for with your taxes... :eek:
 
I find the office (~150 people) too warm, so always have a t-shirt on, it's probably that warm for some working environment regulations.
 
The air con was on 25C today in the office. I hate life, that's far too friggin hot.
 
At least you lot have a constant temperature, ours is all over the place :( 1 min it's boiling the next it's cold... idiots haven't got a clue.
 
I find the office (~150 people) too warm, so always have a t-shirt on, it's probably that warm for some working environment regulations.

Regulations regarding specific temperaturess are fairly non-existant it just has to be a "reasonable" temperature which is kind of subjective.

Guidelines are 16C for office environments but it is little more than a guideline in reality and no max limit.
 
Actually today we had the heating *and* the air-con on.

As well as the window open :p

What's worse is that I work for the local council, so it's all paid for with your taxes... :eek:

Shocking, isn't it?! Look at all of the £1 coins drifting out of the window while the heating and air-con cancel each other out :D I work in the admin block of a hospital (so still public sector like you are) and they programmed the radiators to turn on starting 1st September. Yes, 1st Sep! Gladly, we can switch them off, but my colleagues next desk along from ours insist that they keep theirs on :(
 
LOL, we used to regularly have the girls with hot water bottles on their laps when it was a barmy 22 degrees inside controlled. No windows open.

Was a joke. Early 20's in open plan office :( They were nice looking though :)
 
I'm one to prefer just sticking a jumper on.

Last winter, I would have happily gone throughout without turning the heating on (I'm in a flat above a shop, so it never gets as cold as a house would), but my housemate/his girlfriend (when she was here) kept insisting it was turned on (well, not insisting, just turning it on) rather than put a jumper on (I never even wore a jumper, so that shows how it wasn't actually that cold!)

Just for this small place it cost us about an extra £200 over what it should have been because of the heating on occasionally (whenever I noticed it had been turned on I turned it off again) so I would shudder to think how much it would cost to heat a large office unnecessarily.
 
The problem with my work is similar. Had a perfect day last week where I was finally at a comfortable temperature when I got in, but one person felt a bit chilly and suddenly all the heating is on max and it was tropical. I should strip down to boxers one day to put them off :p
Not the worst thing though, the worst is noise pollution. We have one team behind our team who are always playing music weather we want it or not. And two of my teammates wear earphones and listen to their own music which is loud enough for me to hear. I have expensive earphones that noise cancel but I'm not allowed to use them because I cant hear when my boss calls me when wearing them! So have to listen to 3 different lots of music, in the heat.
 
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