If you're routinely reaching for a sweater at work, odds are
good the thermostat was set by a man. The typical American office
averages a cool 72 degrees, a temperature more comfortable for
suit-clad fellas than blouse-wearing women. "A button-down
shirt and tie make you 2 degrees warmer-and that doesn't
include the jacket, lace-up shoes, and socks, which women typically
don't wear," explains Alan Hedge, a Cornell University
ergonomics professor who studies workplace productivity.
If your boss is reluctant to crank up the heat, tell him a toasty
workplace may actually bolster job performance. In a monthlong
study of office temperatures conducted by Hedge, women made 44
percent fewer typos and increased their words-per-minute by 150
percent when the thermostat was raised to 77 degrees. If that fails
to persuade him, show up for your next meeting in a North Face
puffer and woolen mittens. He'll get the point.
Posted by Jihan
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