Ask Abi...

Blue Stream Academy team member, Abi, is here to answer your questions and give advice to our readers.

Q

Dear Abi,

I work in a small office with three other colleagues, and we all get along fairly well. The office can get a little bit chilly if the weather is cold, and we tend to pop the air conditioning unit onto a warm setting to make the temperature more comfortable to work in.

One of my colleagues gets warm very quickly, and often switches the air conditioning to an ice-cold setting whilst leaving the room or without anyone noticing. I sit under the unit and as you can imagine, during the cooler months, the cold air hits me very quickly, making me shiver!

When we ask the individual why this has happened or if we can turn the heating back on, she snaps saying she is too hot and cannot bear to have the heating on for any longer, leaving us all tense with a frosty (pun intended) atmosphere.

How can we approach this subject without causing a dispute to ensure that we are all working comfortably?

Thanks in advance!

Anon

A

Dear Reader,

Thank you for getting in touch with this problem – this problem is a lot more common than you would have thought!

The first thing that I can suggest is having an office wide discussion to try and find a suitable compromise between both extremes, this may involve layering up with a cardigan and scarf, or your colleagues layering down to just their top/shirt. If this doesn’t work, a rota may be worth considering, balancing out the temperature by alternating it throughout the day.

It may be worth talking to your manager/employer regarding this, or if you have an upcoming DSE assessment bring it up then. Your manager may assist with reasonable adjustments, such as a fan for your colleague or a heater for next to your desk – it is worth remembering however there is no minimum or maximum office temperature, only a guidance.

I hope you can find a comfortable temperature and resolution!

Abi

Abi Bowler

Events & Media Manager

If you have a question or problem and would like some advice, please feel free to contact Abi via email at: bsatoday@bluestreamacademy.com