by Rebecca Walker — November 2, 2009 In a survey of office workers, 69 percent said they would be willing to sacrifice their preferred ideal temperature in the office to help their company conserve energy. However 78 percent say they are less productive at work when they are too hot or too cold.
Johnson Controls, a global leader in providing energy efficiency solutions, commissioned a survey of nearly 800 American adults who work in an office setting. The findings indicate that many workers think their employers could be doing more to be energy efficient, but also show that business owners must avoid a negative impact on office productivity and the possibility that workers may take action to circumvent their discomfort, including the use of portable heaters or fans, if temperatures are not ideal.
Almost all participants (98 percent) said their office has been too hot or too cold at some point and when that occurs, most (78 percent) said they are less productive. Not only does workplace productivity suffer, individual actions – such as bringing a heating or cooling device into the office – result in increased energy use.
Harris Interactive fielded the study on behalf of Johnson Controls from April 8 – April 10, 2009 via its QuickQuery online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,160 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older, of whom 784 are employed full time/part time and work in an office setting.
For more information, see the Johnson Controls Web site.
