Top tips to keep office staff cool during Summer
Look after your employee’s wellbeing during the summer months, maintaining the health and productivity of office staff.
Why is it important to keep your office and staff cool during summer?
Summer months can see a drop in work productivity and an increase in “sickies” as staff struggle to cope in hot and stuffy offices. Keeping your staff cool and comfortable during the summer is essential both for the health and happiness of your staffas well as for preventing a drop in work productivity in the hot afternoons.
Below we’ve outlined the top ways you can keep your staff happy, cool and productive during summer.
Keep air-con on during summer
Air-con will be one of the fastest ways of cooling your staff down during the hot weather. Where possible keep the air-con on and maintain a comfortable working temperature for your staff throughout the summer.
Encourage staff to dress appropriately
Air-con will be one of the fastest ways of cooling your staff down during the hot weather. Where possible keep the air-con on and maintain a comfortable working temperature for your staff throughout the summer.
Provide staff with personal fans
If your office does not have air-con and getting air-con installed isn’t an option, make sure there is an adequate supply of personal fans for your staff to use. Staff can keep cool and it will encourage them to keep their desks clear of excess fly-away paper!
Keep windows shut during the hottest part of the day
You might think opening the windows helps cool the office, but if the temperature outside is warmer than the temperature inside the building then you’ll only lose the cool air that has built up in the office. Only open the windows in the early morning or evening when the temperature outside is cooler than inside the building. Always keep the windows shut when you have the air-con running.
Avoid excessive electronic devices
Electronic devices such as phones and computers are inevitable in the workplace, but every device gives off heat that will contribute to the warming of your office. Where there are non crucial devices that can be switched off for the day, such as display screens or vacant computers, be sure to switch them off. As well as keeping the office cool you’ll be saving electricity.
Provided a shaded outdoor are for breaks
If your office includes an outdoor area for lunch breaks, make sure it has adequate shade. This will allow your employees to take a break outside while keeping cool. Your staff will come back from their lunch feeling fresh and refuelled.
Use blinds or sunscreens
If your office has large windows that act as a suntrap consider installing blinds or sunscreens that prevent too much sunlight from entering and heating the office. Sunscreens & blinds can also prevent too much sun glare on work screens, reducing eye strain for your staff.
Provide access to chilled water
Make sure that your staff not only have access to plenty of drinking water but that they have the option of chilled or ice cold water so they can quickly cool themselves down and maintain a comfortable temperature.
Keep strenuous activity to a minimum
If you’re considering an office reshuffle and need to move heavy furniture or anything else that would involve strenuous activity, try and delay this to a day when the weather is not so hot. If it can’t be delayed then get as many staff as possible involved to help share the responsibility and reduce the amount of activity per staff member.
Move staff to cooler areas of the office
If certain areas of the office catch the sun more than others then take this into consideration when planning your office layout. Move staff working spaces to these shaded, cooler parts of the office and keep sunnier parts of the office as reception or communal spaces.
Give staff plenty of space
Make sure staff are not over-crowded and have plenty of breathing space between them. Having personal space is better for productivity and overall wellbeing.
Switch off at the end of the day
At night the temperatures will drop giving your offices a chance to cool. As we mentioned earlier electronic devices give off heat, so at the end of the day make sure all the computers are switched off rather than left on ‘sleep’ or ‘standby’. Also ensure that all the lighting is off so there isn’t anything generating heat. This allows your office to cool before the next day.
Treat your team to ice cream
This will really boost morale more than it will actually cool your staff down, but treating your staff to a refreshing treat during the hot summer weather will make them feel revitalised and give them a positive push through the hot and draining weather.
Encourage staff to stay hydrated
Make sure there is an adequate supply of water coolers so staff have access to fresh cold water as often as they need it. When it gets hot, send out a reminder to staff highlighting the benefits of staying hydrated to encourage them to drink more water.
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