Are you hot? I’m cold! Why our office temperature preferences can differ significantly from those of our colleagues

As the weather gets warmer, offices activate the air-con. But with such different temperature preferences, where should you set the thermostat?

Finding the optimal temperature that suits everyone can be an inconceivable task. So why do we’ve got such different temperature preferences? And doesn’t it just affect our comfort level?

Women prefer a rather warmer office

Although there are at all times more similarities than differences between the sexes, women are inclined to feel cold more often than men.

AND 2021 study of over 38,000 participants found that 38% of respondents were dissatisfied with the temperature of their office. Almost two thirds of the dissatisfied were women.

When asked in other studies less satisfied women said they preferred higher temperatures, while less satisfied men preferred a cooler office environment.

Although the small print vary, optimal temperature within the office Down women is commonly about 1°C higher than in men. One study reported that the optimal temperature is 24.0°C for ladies and 23.2°C for men.

Can temperature affect your ability to work?

Room temperature can impact productivity. It has been found that men perform higher in warmer environments (above 25°C). worse in math and verbal tasks, while women performed worse at lower temperatures (below 25°C).

But for other tasks, temperature has no effect. The researchers found no difference within the sexes’ performance on a spread of cognitive tasks, comparable to cognitive reflection tests (where the questions are such that the intuitive answer is the mistaken answer), or cognitive load tasks (by which working memory is overloaded).

It is commonly suggested that temperature may influence concentration, but this is just not at all times the case.

When subjects (men and girls) accomplished a series of cognitive tasks, the outcomes were the identical not applicable at temperatures from 22°C (considered cold) to 25°C (considered hot).

These researchers argued that maintaining the next temperature is perfect for environmental advantages and energy savings.

What is behind the temperature differences between the sexes?

Hormones play a key role in our temperature preferences.

Testosterone causes greater muscle development across the arms. Muscles produce heat, which is why men usually tend to have warmer necks than women. This area is especially sensitive to low temperatures.

Estrogen promotes and maintains difference fat distribution in women who are inclined to wear light more fat between skin and muscles in lots of areas. It makes the skin feel cooler and causes a preference for barely higher temperatures.

Women also are inclined to lower metabolic rate (or slower metabolism) than in men. This means women produce less heat and their bodies are more at risk of feeling cold in lower temperatures.

Women’s preferences can change from week to week

The menstrual cycle has a big impact on temperature preferences. After ovulation, the ovaries release more progesterone. This causes the body’s core temperature warm by roughly 0.3–0.6°C. This signifies that women will perceive the surface temperature as lower than men as a consequence of the greater temperature drop in comparison with their core temperature.

Progesterone helps too save heatdraining blood from the skin to the organs. This signifies that women’s hands, ears and feet can be ready 1-2°C colder than men’s. It is harder to feel warm in a chilly environment when your hands and feet are very cold.

At other times of the month the situation will be the opposite. Estrogen causes blood to flow into the skinleading to greater heat dissipation and potential hot flashes.

During pregnancy and menopause, hormones change again and can flow in several directions. This can make you feel cold, but additionally hot flashes and a transient increase in feelings of warmth, with cooler environments being strongly preferred.

This signifies that some women may prefer a lower temperature one week after which the next temperature the following.

What else influences temperature preferences?

Generally, body size and composition has a robust influence on temperature preferences. Since muscles produce heat, the more muscle mass we’ve got, the more heat we generate, keeping us warm.

Temperature perception can even be influenced by many individual aspects, comparable to age, height and weight. Overweight body size is related to a greater preference for cooler environments.

Age can also affect thermoregulatory mechanisms, comparable to our body’s ability to sweat, in addition to noticing changes within the body temperature. Children too less likely notice cold than adults.

Of course, the kind of work you do also has an impact. The more you move, the more heat you produce.

The dress code within the office also has an impact. If heavy business suits or formal attire are expected, a cooler environment could also be more appropriate.

Ethnicity can also have an effect. After side-by-side comparison in a single study, Asian participants reported that they did more convenient in environments 5°C warmer than participants of European descent.

And finally, we cannot ignore individual preferences. Some people could have grown up in a chilly environment and easily turn into accustomed to the cold, or vice versa.

What in regards to the environmental impact?

Heating and cooling can provide 20–50% energy household use i 40-70% energy use in office buildings.

In summer, higher temperatures within the office don’t use as much energy. In fact, energy consumption increases by 5-10% for every of them 1°C the temperature is lowered.

However, you don’t desire to shut them down an excessive amount of. Air conditioning systems also reduce humidity by removing moisture from the air, which is a very important measure to forestall moisture from forming in indoor spaces mold growth.

Because hormones that influence temperature preferences change throughout the month, health status, body composition, individual experiences and age all play a task, there may never be a one-size-fits-all approach to setting the office thermostat.

Therefore, it is suggested that employees be encouraged to have open conversations about temperature, and managers should hearken to each member’s needs and be willing to switch the thermostat if mandatory.