For HR administration, part of managing a staff is making sure all workers remain productive. While issues such as attitude, laziness or outside stress may play a part in an employee performing below par, another factor to consider is the weather.
According to The Washington Post, with the summer months approaching it's important to realize that too much heat can be a productivity issue. Citing data from the U.S. General Services Administration, workers generally tend to be most productive at an average temperature of 76 degrees.
However, at least 40 percent of offices surveyed by the GSA were keeping temperatures lower than that to counter the heat, leading to 61 percent of workers feeling too cold.
This may be a necessary approach, though, especially during the early weeks of summer. Because people in chillier climates such as Washington, D.C., are not yet acclimated to higher temperatures, they're more likely to be adversely affected in say, a stuffy office, notes the news source in a separate article.
During Memorial Day, temperatures in D.C. reached 90 degrees for the first time all year – so it may be time to regulate company air conditioners sooner rather than later.
