Advocating for Yourself at Work
It’s July, which means that pretty much wherever you are in America, the corporate overlords have set the thermostat to somewhere in the range of your average refrigerator/freezer. If you’ve noticed that it feels harder to concentrate in your freezing office while furiously rubbing the goosebumps on your arms, it’s not just you. Researchers at Middlesex University have found that lower temperatures really do impact women’s productivity (read the study at PLOS One). When your office is so chilly that you start keeping a Snuggie at your desk, it’s time to speak up.
It might be 80F out, but in here, it’s always winter.
3 Tips For Surviving Your Freezing Office
What can you do about it?
Boss Move #1: Change it
This is a great way to practice asking for what you want/need at work, even if it gets rejected. There is a power in getting comfortable with asking and the possibility of rejection- it just may be the gateway to that raise/promotion you want. Check out the book- Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever to learn more.
Use evidence such as the PLOS One study and your own productivity and goosebumpy arms.
Stay in the facts and gather data as much as possible.
Suggest an experiment to use actual data about office productivity, NOT how many loud complainers there are (men are more likely to speak up about discomfort than women).
Example: Hey Jack, can I share an idea to help increase productivity this summer? Studies have found that women perform better in offices where the temperature is set to higher temperatures (77F or 25C). It’s currently 64 F in our office area, and a sweater doesn’t seem to be helping. It would great if we could experiment with a higher thermostat setting, perhaps a compromise of 72, for about four weeks and really look at the data around performance impacts. When would be a good start date?
Boss Move #2: Leave it
If you can’t convince the boss to turn up the heat, spend more time outside the office. You can also scout your office space for creative alternatives. Take note of other women who are showing up in turtlenecks and sweaters that may be interested in joining your cause.
Sit outdoors if possible – is there a patio at work? Can you work from home or at the coffee shop down the street?
Is there an under-used conference room with its own thermostat that you can commandeer for the summer? Band together with other women to reserve the room and make your own co-working space.
Boss Move #3: Adapt to it
When it’s hot enough outside to fry an egg, but you wear a scarf and three layers of long sleeves in the office.
Maybe you asked for a temperature increase but your experiment was rejected, or only lasted until the boss complained about being sweaty during client meetings. Now, what to do? It’s important for you to still be as productive as possible, and that means being warm enough for your best work.
Wear or bring warmer clothing, including a snuggie, blanket, wool socks or whatever you need to feel warm.
Under-desk space warmer- if management complains or says it’s not allowed, repeat your request to adjust the thermostat or work remotely.
Sit in the sun: if you have an open office plan, shift to be in an area that gets natural sunlight. If this would require switching with someone, you may find one of the men in the sun would prefer the cooler shade.