The temperature of your office or work environment can affect your productivity. Work at the wrong temperature and your productivity may suffer. What is the best temperature for your work environment?
According to a Cornell News article titled “Study Links Warm Offices to Fewer Typing Errors and Higher Productivity,” a Cornell University ergonomics study found that workers are more productive in warm offices. The article reads: “When the office temperature in a month-long study increased from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit [20 to 25 degrees Celsius], typing errors were reduced by 44 percent and typing production increased by 150 percent. “
But there is another study on office temperature and productivity that has different findings. According to a study by the Helsinki University of Technology, they found that productivity peaks at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). Above 73 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 24 degrees Celsius), productivity gradually drops. The higher the temperature thereafter, the more productivity will drop.
Productivity also drops when the temperature is too cold. Below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius), productivity gradually drops. The lower the temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the more productivity drops.
To find which temperature works best for your productivity, try different temperatures and see how it affects your productivity. 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit might be the best temperature for you, as the Helsinki University of Technology study found. It can also depend on your body. For a slim person, a higher temperature might be better. But for someone who is not that thin, a lower temperature may work better.