Posted on: Monday, July 11, 2005
Too hot? Gimme a brrrreak!
By STEPHANIE ARMOUR
USA Today
As summer heats up and air conditioning turns on, employees are getting steamed up about a common workplace problem: office temperature.
Research shows that productivity falls as offices get colder. And chilly offices can lead to workplace tiffs about the thermostat, with unhappy workers toting space heaters, shawls and fuzzy slippers to the office even in summer.
How some cope:
Amanda Carmichael, 24, at Waterhouse Public Relations in Chattanooga, Tenn., keeps a blanket and two extra sweaters at work. She has also worn long johns under her pants. "When I wear skirts, I even bring a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and socks to slip on when I'm at my desk," Carmichael said in an e-mail.
At Kelley Blue Book in Irvine, Calif., Robyn Eckard, 31, keeps a space heater running in her office even though it's 90 degrees outside. "Two girls here have blankets, and you walk by, and they look like little Eskimos wrapped up in there," Eckard said.
At New York-based business communications firm CooperKatz, Andrea Martone, a vice president, has used a seat-warming cushion that her husband takes on hunting trips to keep warm. She's also used mitten warmers in her shoes. "You look like a dork, of course, but you shut your door," said Martone, 50.
