How Workplace Temperature Impacts Productivity

If you've ever had an ongoing thermostat battle with a colleague or been forced to outfit yourself depending upon the boss's fluctuating comfort zone, then you've experienced the frustrations associated with workplace temperature issues. However, this constant climate conflict becomes more than a pesky annoyance when it impacts overall productivity.

Hot Versus Cold
When the brain is preoccupied with monitoring body temperature, it's easy to see why workplace productivity can suffer. The optimal temperature range for the greatest output at work is between 69.8 degrees and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a 2006 study by the Helsinki University of Technology. A 2004 Cornell University study found workers who struggle to stay warm make more mistakes, which in turn can lead to a 10 percent spike in hourly labor costs. A 9-degree boost in office temperature -- from 68 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit -- significantly improved worker performance. Typing mistakes decreased 44 percent, while overall keying output yielded a 150 percent increase. In contrast, an overly heated workplace can leave employees fatigued, irritable and struggling to concentrate.

Penny Wise, Dollar Foolish
It's important to keep heating and air conditioning costs within a specific range to meet operational budgets, but sometimes the meager savings made in one area can be exponentially lost in another, more important area. Bosses who control the thermostat by keeping it low in winter and high in summer can ultimately cost themselves more in reduced staff productivity. According to a 2009 CareerBuilder study, one-third of more than 4,000 workers surveyed cited temperature as a primary workplace issue.

Gender Fluctuation
The battle of the sexes often takes place near the workplace thermostat, a dispute that's physiological rather than sociological. Due to their greater muscle mass, men usually get hot more quickly than women. At the same time, women have a greater number of constricted vessels that keep blood near the skin's surface. This is partly due to the female body's biological tendency to pool blood around the core organs, which draws it away from the extremities and leaves women with the constant need to warm up their cold hands and feet.

OSHA Recommendations
There are no specific OSHA guidelines or regulations that pertain to a work environment's climate. However, the agency does address the subject in its technical handbook by suggesting temperatures stay within the range of 68 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and that humidity not dip below 20 percent or rise above 60 percent.

Originally written for and published by Demand Media