Originally posted on LinkedIn by Demand Logic Chairman, Sonny Masero
With the prolonged heatwave, there have been repeated calls for legislation to close offices and schools when the temperature reaches 30 degrees indoors.
In the meantime, one survey has shown that one-third of office employees have been taking "sickies" to get out in the sun rather than being trapped in an uncomfortable office. Combine this with the World Cup absenteeism and we'll have had an unproductive (but great!) summer.
We can cope with that if it is another 40+ years until the next one and heatwaves don't become more common with climate change. These extreme outcomes may be time-limited, but this poor temperature control in offices will make staff unhappy and less productive, even when the temperature is between 25-30 degrees and below 21 degrees. And when the building can't cope, like the 300,000 sq ft one shown in the picture, it will waste energy, emit more carbon and run the HVAC when it is not needed.
With approximately 2,400 people in this building, it will cost in the region of £1.8m in lost productivity if the temperatures stayed like this all year, based on an average salary of £41k (and this is a bank's office in London).
