Minimum Working Temperature

[platypus]

According to regulations, the minimum allowable working temperature is 16oC (13oC for physical indoor work). However at my office, I'm always the only person that is cold. And everyone insists on opening windows, which is fair enough, except they always open the window near my desk as well.

It's really getting on my wick, during the first week of February I kept my gloves on because my hands were so cold, and even today I'm sat in my fleece jacket and neck gaiter because the powers that be insist on opening the windows.

Is there anything I can do, legally speaking since they are completely unreasonable on compromise? I guess I can just grin and bear it at the moment, but we're moving office in a months time to a new building with...air conditioning .

It's going to be continually "cool" there, I can feel it. Not to mention recirculated germs...wohoo :/.

 

[platypus]

Wear a jumper. Cold hands are partly solved by an ever running supply of hot tea - that's one of the few things I come to work for... BRB - just gunna get a cuppa.

I'm already wearing a jumper.

Underneath my fleece jacket and scarf. It's ridiculous to be expected to work like this.

 

[platypus]

I really feel for you there - I hate air conditioning!

Luckily I'm normally too hot, so I'm glad to have the window open. Do they really force you to have your window open, even though you've complained? I'd just close it and say "can't you see me sat here in a coat and now-later-gaiter?!".

Yes. Everyone laughs when some bright spark spots me in my coat, "Oh look, he's cold again". It's a real riot.

When I dare to close the windows (any of them) I get someone standing up and saying "It's boiling in here, stop shutting the windows," to the point where one of the directors (small company so we all work within fairly close proximity) came up to my desk last week and told me "enough, you're the only person thats cold here so stop closing the windows."

I'm actually beginning to dread the idea of Air Conditioning, given the trouble I have with colds and flu's. It's going to be awful.

 

[platypus]

Are you usually cold elsewhere? at home for example. My girlfriend is overly sensitive about temperature and can be cold in the car when im about to pass out from heat exhaution!

Maybe its just you that is oversensitive? in which case talk to the powers that be an see if you can move desk away from the window, and if they dont listen goto the doctor and see if you can find a medical reson why they HAVE to listen to you?

Home appears to be really well insulated, the central heating is set to 18oC, and it never really feels cold.

I'm pretty cold in most other places though. I do agree that I'm over-sensitive, and that doesn't really help matters, but there's nothing really I can do about that. I wouldn't mind so much if they'd let me shut the windows behind me, or stop opening them.

A new office pro is that the windows don't open far at all, the con is that it's air conditioned.

 

[platypus]

So what is the temperature at your desk?

I've no idea, sadly I've no way of measuring it, aside from saying 'its bloody cold!'.

It sounds like maybe you have a weak immune system and bad circulation, have you been to a doctor about this at all? maybe there is something that can be done so you dont suffer as much with the super sensitivity to cold?

Yeah I definitely think I have bad circulation, maybe a poor immune system too, though I take vitamin c every day. I guess I should go and see a doctor, I don't really want to go and gripe though.

 

[platypus]

Can't you compromise somewhat here? You get to close the windows behind/near you and they wear a bit less into the office - still maintaining decorum (or not, as they choose).

I tend to suffer the opposite problem to you though, I'm almost invariably too warm in any office I've worked in so while I'm down to short sleeves and visibly overheating the rest of the office is complaining of the chill.

I've been down the compromising route, not one person is willing to even talk about it anymore.

As for office decorum, it's anybody's game as far as what you want to wear here. One of the directors wears shorts, tshirt and wanders round bare footed. All year round :/.

At least its not too bloody hot, thats way worse

Obviously for me it isn't.

 

[platypus]

You could however argue that the working temperatures are not reasonable, and this should be taken up with your health and safety representitive.

Sadly, the H&S person is one of the aforementioned directors, and he finds it amusing like the rest. The impending air conditioning is causing me a bit of stress actually, I know it's going to be set too low for me to work comfortably, and the re-circulated air..

Thanks for the link.

 

[platypus]

Just opened the window on the far left wall to create a breeze through the office. Cry.

 

[platypus]

Well, they sound like a nice bunch. If it were me, and politely trying to compromise (just shutting your window isn't an unreasonable thing to do!) didn't work, I'd be looking elsewhere for employment.

I am looking for employment elsewhere though, but for reasons not related to being cold all the time.

Just take one of them aside and quietly ask them something like "So, do you guys get off on taking the mickey out of the symptoms of my heart condition?". "It's not like I can help what I'm born with, is it?".

Do your damnedest to make them feel guilty.

Haha .

 

[platypus]

What about the fan heater idea? We used to do that at work because our secretary was always complaining about being cold when we were in shirts with the sleeves rolled up, so we got her a fan heater to shove under the desk - problem solved.

Aye thats a good idea I hadn't thought of. Will see how cold they set the Air con and then maybe give it a go.

 

[platypus]

Same here. Can work in temps around -20. Generally it's kept just above freezing. Stop being a girl.

And I doubt you do what I do, or that I could do what you do. "Being a girl" is nothing to do with wanting comfortable working conditions.

 

[platypus]

Great, got into work and all the windows are open full. It's like a bloody icebox in here. There's no real point my getting a thermometer to measure this room, as we're moving in two weeks, but I will probably need one for the new office.

Can't choose your workmates unfortunately

No . They all think it's a big joke, *******.

 

[platypus]

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh but isn't it unreasonable for you to want the windows closed when this would presumably leave all of your workmates feeling uncomfortably warm?

It probably is, but I've already mentioned it's something I'd be willing to compromise on - the problem is they open all the windows, and create a draught through the office, one that goes straight over my desk and seemingly through me.

And they will not compromise on it, it's just funny that I'm always cold. It seems trivial, but every day I'm just getting more and more resentful.

 

[platypus]

Well we've moved to the new office, and I'm now shivering at my desk. The tossers at work put my desks next to an air con outlet, it's noisy and cold. There's so much literature and legislation involving working conditions getting to hot, but apparently so little about the cold .

I've started looking for a new job.

 

[platypus]

What do you do? How can the management respect you so little? Is there a lot of bullying in your work place?

Software. And no, I'd say there's no bullying in the work place. Doesn't help though.

 

[platypus]

One of my colleagues is permanently cold, even when the rest of us are nearly melting in Summer (with beads of sweat on our foreheads,) she insists on having a radiator on under her desk. There is something wrong with her body, or she (self confessed) is just accustomed to much higher temps than normal. What temperature do you keep in your house/flat, if I may ask?

According to the thermostat (which I'm not sure if its accurate or not, but..) 24oC.

 

[platypus]

AT the end of the day theres plenty of things that can be done, a coat might look stupid, but a thermal vest can do wonders and can be completely unseen, moving desks out of the way , have a desk in a corner and have a cheapo partition thing put up as lots of offices have anyway.

But its worth going to the doctors, feeling cold and bad circulations can be symptoms of MANY different things, it could be something serious. It could be something as simple as a bad diet causing your metabolism to be incredibly low, burning fuel is what heats us. Something causing you to feel cold might be easily fixable or something you want or need to fix anyway.[/QUOTE]Trouble is I'm already wearing a thermal "under armour" shirt, a thick rugby shirt, a fleece jacket and my scarf, and all I can feel is the breeze from the ******* air conditioning.

 

[platypus]

has the law been changed by then by any chance

There are "reasonable" limits, as directed by the HSE, but no actually legislated minimum or maximum.

Recommended are 16oC-27oC.