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Cold offices, cranky workers?
Newspaper report says chilly workplace temperatures top the 10 most common office complaints.
July 6, 2005: 9:08 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - As summer temperatures rise and air conditioners get turned on, chilly office temperatures can lead to tiffs in the workplace, according to a report published Wednesday.

In a survey by the International Facility Management Association, complaints about office temperatures top the 10 most common office complaints, USA Today said.

"There are temperature comfort ranges. It's kind of a science and an art," Don Young at IFMA told USA Today. "Some workers wear sweaters, and the people next to them are hot," he told the newspaper.

From bringing flannel pajamas to the office to keeping space heaters running by their desks, workers are finding numerous ways to battle the cool temperatures indoors this summer, the report said.

Some companies are finding ways to compromise between hot and cold employees. The report said at one New York office, cold employees barter soft drinks for time without air conditioning.

Other firms install dummy thermostats so workers think they have control over the temperature, the report said.

The battle over the thermostat is not only a source of workplace arguments, but it has an impact on the bottom line.

When office temperatures were turned up from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, typing errors fell 44 percent and overall typing output rose 150 percent, USA Today said, citing a 2004 Cornell University study.

That translates into about an extra $2 per worker in productivity when temperatures are turned up, the newspaper said.

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