Improving every employee’s comfort in their personal workstation is a vital part of improving overall productivity and wellness in the office. That is why ergonomics is considered an important field that fundamentally aims to improve the comfort, productivity, accuracy, safety, and many other properties of each team member. An expert office interior designer can help you with this by designing and retrofitting the environment and workstations accordingly.
But most of the time, one important aspect is overlooked by many designers which is temperature control. Accurate temperature requires adequate attention as it has a huge role to play in increasing the comfort level in the office premises. Most workers find it difficult to work in an office environment where it is either too hot or too cold. According to reports, people find it tough to focus on their work if they sweat more or shiver due to cold. Thus, by meeting the perfect temperature, you can improve your employees’ comfort and productivity in your company.
How Temperature Control Affects the Office Productivity?
According to research, it is seen that the productivity level of an employee is at its peak when the temperature is nearly around 71.6 Degrees Fahrenheit. Improving the temperature control can save almost 10% of the labor hours for each employee. In short, it becomes easier to do a challenging job when you have a comfortable environment to work in.
Too hot, cold, or fluctuating temperature can compromise the efficiency, output, concentration, and accuracy of an employee. Cold or freezing temperatures can cause muscle tension, creating immense discomfort and pain for the individuals. It has a more adverse effect on women as they tend to include less muscle mass compared to males.
Thus, warm temperatures are best for achieving maximum physical comfort. They lead to a friendly working culture in the company, influencing the openness and mood of the team members. The indoor office temperature also affects numerous human response systems, like perceived air quality, weak work performance, thermal discomfort, and symptoms of sick building syndrome.
Only a Thermostat will not Solve the Problem.
Extreme or cold weather conditions in an office premises can have a serious impact on the productivity and well-being of the employee. But the primary problem is that there needs to be a perfect or universally preferred temperature. What is the ideal temperature for you? It may be too cold or hot for me. Our perception of physical thermal energy changes from individual to individual according to their weight, gender, season, stress levels, age, and clothing preferences.
Even the work type we are doing in the office space can influence our thermal choices. For example, those employees doing more creative work mostly like to work in a warm temperature. Psychological aspects also influence our temperature perception, making us fussy and fickle. Since our bodies cannot assume precise readings like thermometers, mostly our preferred temperature is all in our heads. Thus only installing a thermostat will not help in temperature control and will thus affect the office productivity.
How to Control the Temperature in an Office?
The best alternative for temperature control is to equip every employee with the most appropriate technology, such as space fans and heaters. It will give them complete control over their workspace and allow them to easily achieve their customized, comfortable version. In this way, with the help of energy-efficient cooking and heating desktop solutions, you can reduce your dependency on HVAC systems.
You can select a tool or customized equipment with an inbuilt fan that powers through a USB charge. This equipment usually operates quietly at a given speed and distributes the air in the chosen direction. It can also elevate the computer to the perfect height for a healthy and comfortable posture for the neck and back.
Cooling cushions are another great product that can decrease hot body temperature without hassle. An ergonomically designed cushion improves blood circulation, relieves spinal pressure, and promotes healthy posture. It will make your long working hours in the office more comfortable, just like a piece of cake.
You can also install a high quality space heater in all your employees’ workstations. These heaters come with several options for setting the temperature on the thermostat and making your workplace warm and comfortable.
More Ways for Temperature Control in an Office
Most of us suffer from cold hands while working in an office. Cold hands can be due to an unhealthy typing position that prevents accurate blood flow. When you are typing, place your forearm at a 90-degree angle to the upper arm, parallel to the floor. Maintaining this healthy and ergonomic posture will also help prevent other syndromes like tendonitis, tension neck, thoracic outlet, and many more.
Final Thoughts
Employee comfort in an office is a vital aspect that can influence every other element, including productivity. Thus, your Office Interior Designer should take care of everything, from the lighting style to the desk and chair heights. Environmental considerations like temperature control should never be neglected, as they can achieve greater comfort for your employees, regardless of what they are working on.
