Heat in the office? How team performance and profits melt away

Why will the team be slower and less accurate in the heat?

Our brain's operating power is finite and temperature-dependent, just like computers. To put it simply, when our bodies have to expend a lot of energy to fight excessive heating, such as cooling (sweating), there is less energy left for thinking, decision-making and creativity. We want to avoid overheating at all costs, just like a laptop that is frantically whirring its fan.

Research shows that the ideal temperature for mental work is between 22-24°C.

Is it familiar?

Before lunch, the team is still buzzing, but after lunch, in the afternoon heat, everyone "melts down". The Excel spreadsheet that once seemed simple is riddled with errors and creative brainstorming is stalled. This is not (necessarily) laziness, but rather a typical sign of heat stress. A hot environment has been shown to slow down reaction times and impair concentration.

The real cost of climate war

One colleague is cold, another is hot. The dispute over the thermostat not only dampens morale, but can also affect company revenues. If the temperature falls outside the optimum22-24°C range, someone's performance is bound to drop, which means more errors and lower productivity.

What is the WBGT index and why is it important?

The WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) is a special indicator that takes into account not only air temperature, but also humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and radiant heat. This gives an accurate indication of how much heat is stressing the human body. This indicator is much more reliable than a simple thermometer. For example, if the WBGT rises above 28°C, the risk of fatigue and errors increases significantly, and above 32°C, there is a serious performance decrease. In a work environment, this is something to look out for (as well as carbon dioxide levels), as it can help identify latent heat stress, for example in a poorly ventilated meeting room. It is a good idea (and not expensive) to get a WBGT meter. This will allow you to measure heat stress in real time and avoid subjective "who is hot" debates.

Water - rest - shade

To avoid the adverse effects of heat researchers have proposed a simple three-pronged model - Water, Rest, Shade (WRS) - which is easy to understand and follow. The point is that by paying conscious attention to these three factors, the risks of high temperatures can be reduced. Incidentally, workplace temperatures and related measures (e.g. cold drinking water, provision of breaks) are laid down in Joint Decree 3/2002 (8.2.2002) of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Republic of Finland.

Can behaviour planning help - case study

Sometimes small, consciously designed interventions can achieve spectacular results. A recurring problem for a previous client was a noticeable increase in errors from inaccurate data entry during the summer months. As there was a high turnover and many student workers during the summer months, the high number of errors was attributed to this. At the same time, older workers considered the use of "air conditioning" to be unhealthy, so work was carried out in offices with temperatures of 28 to 30°C.

The company manager saw an efficiency training as the solution, so we met him in a very sweaty (it must have been about 29 degrees in the meeting room) meeting. Asked why they don't use the air conditioning that is already installed, he gave two reasons: first, it increases electricity consumption and it is very important to control costs, and second, there are constant discussions about who is "sensitive" to the draughts generated by the air conditioning.

We know from behavioural science that if we want to change behaviour, the easiest (and often most effective) way to start is to change the environment in a targeted way. With this in mind, we have suggested that instead of training, we should first try to "experiment" with changing the work environment.

Knowing that temperature and hydration levels have a serious impact on performance, we proposed three interventions that are cheap and simple.

1. Hydration:The kitchen balloon water dispenser was "difficult" to access (had to go out to a room at the end of the corridor). To make access to water easier, we placed four additional water dispensers: three in different parts of the single-room office and one in the meeting room, so that everyone had a water source just 2-3 steps away. Each employee was given a company logo canteen (largely made available from leftover exhibition backpacks).

2. Rest: Since the workers were partly on a performance wage, they understandably wanted to maximize their income by not taking breaks. Not very democratically, we temporarily introduced a mandatory 10 minute break every 2 hours (in addition to the lunch break). Then the central server went down, making it impossible to work. Besides, the legal requirement is 10 minutes break per hour.

3. The lounge next to the kitchen was set to a cool 22°C all day, which cooled the kitchen. Anyone who wanted to could cool down here during the breaks. The cooling was turned up to the maximum in the early hours of the morning, and a pleasant 23-24°C was waiting for the staff when they started work. During breaks, we also turned up the cooling and ventilation.

The result: after one month, the number of faults has dropped by 17%. After initial resistance, office morale has also improved noticeably. The investment was not significant (and has paid off), and the impact is measurably positive.

After a first start, the initial response was positive.

Tips and suggestions

Managing workplace temperature is not an unnecessary expense, but aninvestment in the most valuable resource of all: the mental performance and well-being of your employees.

-Measure and optimise! Use a WBGT meter and aim to maintain a temperature of 22-24°C. Although information alone will not cause a change in behaviour, it is a good idea to explain and show the relationship between temperature, hydration and performance.
- Make it attractive! Make hydration and breaks simple and attractive. Strategic communication is important.

- Make the environment more stimulating! Taking into account local conditions and employee needs, whether it's physical rearrangement, timing or changing the right working conditions, it's usually easier than motivating people to do anything.

A consciously designed environment that promotes mental freshness can directly contribute to a company's success, reduce errors and increase employee satisfaction.

Gerlei Béla MSc. MBA

Expert in language use and behaviour