Mental Health Training

Office Temperature affects Staff Wellbeing

Posted by on 3 Mar, 2017 in Mental Health | 0 comments

Office Temperature affects Staff Wellbeing

Over the past few weeks the great British weather has yet again been a major talking point; one day quite mild, dry and bright conditions the next storm Doris takes hold, blowing in the cold, rain and snow and causing road traffic and other travel chaos throughout the UK.

Clearly as a business owner or employer you have responsibilities to ensure an appropriate working environment for your staff. But, as the temperature outside is constantly changing, it’s often difficult to gauge how to set the temperature indoors, especially when older heating and ventilation systems are not that flexible and this can affect the mood of the people occupying the space…

Apart from being a legal obligation to maintain a suitable temperature range within the office, research shows that providing a comfortable environment for your workforce has a noticeable effect on morale and wellbeing!

We’ve lost count of how many times employees claim their workplace is draughty and freezing cold, while others grumble of theirs being stuffy and too hot to work effectively. Some have even complained that the same office can demonstrate both deficiencies! We appreciate that a lot of this comes down to individual preference, and whilst you can’t please everyone all of the time; by talking to staff and understanding their requirements, you could provide the optimum working environment that will help towards maximum productivity and increased mental health and wellbeing.

Here are just some of the ways you can help…

  • Ensure your heating and ventilation systems are serviced regularly
  • Position desks away draughty doorways and corridors.
  • Give staff some control over their workspace; for example, can they open a window if they’re too hot? Or turn the heating up if they’re cold?

Generating and maintaining an ambient temperature will keep staff happy!

As winter moves to spring and beyond, isn’t it time you reviewed the wellbeing of your workforce? www.whitespace.org.uk

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