Do you find yourself in a constant struggle to find the ideal office temperature, one that makes everyone happy? Well I hate to break you the bad news, but it’s never going to happen! According to a recent study by the University Southern California, men and women will most likely never agree on the “perfect temperature”, however, turning up the heat may increase productivity.
If you weren’t aware, women prefer warmer temperatures, and now science is confirming why it’s time to adjust the office thermostat. The USC study found that women performed better on math and verbal tasks at higher temperatures, between 70 and 80 degrees. The complete opposite stands true for men, who performed better at temperatures below 70 degrees, but the relationship between temperature and the men’s performance was less pronounced.
This information comes on the heels of a 2015 study in Nature Climate Change, which indicates that many office buildings set their temperature based on a formula developed in the 1960’s, a time when men made up a majority of the workforce.
Authors of the recent study say their findings suggest that, in mixed gender workplaces, the temperatures should be set significantly higher than current standards to increase productivity.
One author, Tom Chang, says, “This study is saying even if you care only about money, or the performance of your workers, you may want to crank up the temperature in your office buildings.”
MadgeTech data loggers are often used to monitor temperatures within office buildings in an effort to save on energy. Conducting a temperature mapping study can help reveal changes that need to be made to HVAC systems, saving you money while encouraging more productive and content employees.
For more information about conducting a temperature study with data loggers, give call us at (603) 456-2011 or email info@madgetech.com