Struggling with productivity? You may want to check the thermostat.
Jokes about women always being cold and men always being warm are seemingly as old as time.
But a study published in the journal PLOS One suggests an increase in women’s productivity in warmer environments. The study consisted of 543 students doing math and verbal tests in a room at 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and then 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Women answered significantly more correct questions when in the warmer room.
“In the workplace specifically, studies show most offices have temperature standards based on that of a 40-year-old man, weighing 155 pounds,” Dr. Jacqueline Koski, a family medicine physician at Aurora Health Center in Neenah, WI, says. “Since women make up nearly half of the workforce, these standards aren’t very practical.”
“Several biological factors explain why women tend to be colder than men,” Dr. Koski says. “Differing metabolic rates, hormones, muscle mass and blood vessel location all play major parts.”
Additionally, the study illustrates women prefer temperatures 5 degrees warmer than men.
Because the study suggests men are insignificantly affected by this increase in temperature, “this solution may be a win-win for all,” Dr. Koski says.
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About the Author
Bonnie Farber, health enews contributor, is a communications professional in the Public Affairs and Marketing Operations Department at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. In her free time, Brianna enjoys living an active lifestyle through biking, hiking and working out at the gym, but even more than that, she especially loves spending quality time with her two cats (Arthur and Loki), son and husband.
Finally, someone really gets it. Please turn the heat up a few degrees.
It’s freezing in here!!!!
Touche!! But will the problem be solved? I freeze 3-4 days out of the work week, and I know I am less productive because of it. Want more productivity, turn the heat up!!
Too warm = less productivity. You get sluggish and tired when it is too warm. 91?!!! That’s way too hot. Cool is invigorating. If you want to warm up do some work!!
TOTALLY agree! 91? Are you out of your mind? My personal experience is that I prefer it way cooler than my husband and we’re constantly in a thermostat battle. I know many women feel as I do. Keep that temp down and dress in layers, one can only strip down so far in a workplace before being asked to leave. Just sayin’ 😉
I am female, and always warm. I am always, ALWAYS the odd one out in a workplace full of women who are perpetually cold. (We have to keep it that way so our sensitive instruments won’t overheat.) On the flip side, I am always the first to feel when the AC occasionally goes out in the summer. They know it’s really an outage if I go, “Hey, it just got hot and muggy in here…”
If a person is too cold they can always put more clothes on, if a person is too hot, do you want them taking clothes off? I don’t think so.
One of the nicest things about working remotely is that I can adjust the thermostat to my own taste. Now I work in a comfortably warm home office, instead of shivering under blankets, summer and winter, in a frigid office.
One of the benefits of working from home…I have control of the thermostat : )
My clinic is always cold because all of the atmospheric settings are determined by the needs of the surgery center on the second floor. I’m always wearing flannel or sweaters.
I replied to another’s comment with this but feel this deserves its own spot…91? Are you out of your mind? My personal experience is that I prefer it way cooler than my husband and we’re constantly in a thermostat battle. I know many women feel as I do. Keep that temp down and dress in layers, one can only strip down so far in a workplace before being asked to leave. Just sayin’ 😉
It’s entirely too cold in our office! Air is constantly blowing on our necks,more aches and pain. Then I become like I’m in hypothermia mode,I become sleepy and all I want to do is sleep and can’t concentrate. Keep it at 72-75 and all will be well 😊