Women have worked for years to break through the proverbial glass ceiling, but is there also an ice ceiling to contend with?
Regulations for standard temperatures currently used in offices were set in the 1960s and were based on the ideal state for male workers, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change journal.
The standard office temperature is set at 21-22 degrees Celsius, which is perfect for the average 40-year-old, 154-pound man. However, women are more comfortable, on average, at 24-25 degrees Celsius.
“In general, females prefer a higher room temperature than males in home and office situations, and mean values may differ as much as 3 [degrees]” the journal’s report states.
The study looked at the thermal state of 16 young adult females performing light office work sitting behind a desk.
In its report, Nature Climate Change recommends changing the regulations for office temperatures to better account for differences and ranges in age, sex and body size.
“With this analysis we aim to point out the importance of using the actual metabolic rate, instead of a standard one based only on a male.”
The study points out that turning down the air conditioner would not only serve to make female workers more comfortable; it would also create less of an environmental impact as air conditioners would not have to work as hard.
