What external factors affect employee performance? This question, of course, should be asked by any manager who wants to take care of his subordinates and increase monthly revenue. Unfortunately, features that are obvious at first glance often go unnoticed. So, for example, in enterprises both small and large, temperature standards in the workplace are often ignored. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the fact that not every employee will be able to work fully while freezing or suffering from unbearable heat.
Who regulates the weather at work?
Are there official documents regulating such indicators? Yes, there are. These are SanPin standards for temperature in the workplace. The regulations contained in them apply to absolutely all companies and all employees (regardless of the size of the company and its nationality).
All information in the standards can be divided into two main blocks: temperature recommendations for various categories of employees and the employer’s responsibility for violating them. Among other things, the standard air temperature in the workplace is regulated by Article 212 Labor Code our country, which states that the employer is obligated to ensure favorable conditions and the regime for work and rest of their employees.
How to protect yourself in the workplace?
What can an employee do if the temperature in the workplace is above normal? If a person is aware of the real risks to his health in such a situation, then it is quite possible to temporarily refuse to carry out his job responsibilities. To do this, it is necessary to draw up an official written statement and submit it to senior management.
The document must contain information that performing the work provided for in the concluded employment contract poses certain health risks. It would also be useful to refer to Article 379 of the Labor Code, which contains information about the legality of such intentions. If the paper is drawn up according to all the rules, then the employee not only will not lose, but will also retain all existing rights. However, you should not overdo it in your desire to take a break from work; it is likely that your superiors will offer you alternative options.
How to get around the law without breaking it?
The management also has its own loopholes and detours. The thing is that SanPin in its documentation indicates such a concept as “stay time” and not “duration of the working day”. Simply put, an employer is not always required to let an employee go home early if they are uncomfortable in order to comply with the law. He can take the following measures:
- Organize an additional break in the middle of the working day in a room with more suitable conditions for relaxation.
- Transfer workers to another premises that meets the requirements.
summer workplace temperature
Of course, office workers are most concerned about temperature standards in the workplace, but it’s difficult to say what causes this trend. It should be noted that managers, secretaries and other intellectual workers are classified as workers with little physical activity. It is generally accepted that their normal temperature should range from 22.2 to 26.4 (20-28) degrees Celsius. Any deviation from the established figures should lead to a reduction in working hours. The reduction scheme looks like this:
- 28 degrees - 8 hours;
- 28.5 degrees - 7 hours;
- 29 degrees - 6 hours and so on.
Using a similar algorithm, the time required to perform work duties in the office is reduced to a temperature of 32.5 degrees above zero. With such initial data, work is allowed for no more than one hour. With the above work, it is completely necessary to cancel or move to another room.
temperature in winter
It should be noted that employees in the workplace can suffer not only from stuffiness and heat, but also from cold (such situations are even more dangerous, but are much less common). What is the minimum acceptable temperature in the workplace? First, let's discuss the algorithm of the day in cool conditions for office employees. The number of working hours for them begins to decrease from 20 degrees according to the following scheme:
- 19 degrees - 7 o'clock;
- 18 degrees - 6 hours;
- 17 degrees - 5 o'clock and so on.
The final mark of 13 degrees Celsius implies the work of an office employee in an unheated room for one hour; at lower levels, work must be canceled altogether.
It should be noted that these standards apply exclusively to production and office rooms, for social facilities the requirements also exist, but are slightly different. For example, the recommended temperature for clinics is about 20-22 degrees.
Classification of all professions
SanPin standards for temperature in the workplace differ for each category of employee. There are three main categories, of which two are also divided into additional subgroups:
- 1a. Energy consumption up to 139 W. Minor physical activity, performing work duties in a sitting position.
- 1b. Energy consumption from 140 to 174 W. Minor physical strain when performing duties that can be performed either sitting or standing.
- 2a. Energy consumption from 175 W to 232 W. Moderate physical stress, the need for regular walking, moving loads weighing up to 1 kg in a sitting position.
- 2b. Energy consumption 233-290 W. Active but moderate physical activity, consisting of constant walking and moving loads weighing up to 10 kilograms.
- 3. Energy consumption from 290 W. Intense load that requires significant strength and impact. Involves walking and carrying large loads.
You should not assume that the higher the category of employee, the more scrupulously the temperature standards in the workplace must be observed in the summer and during winter time of the year. In fact, the law requires that every person be protected very carefully. Moreover, people engaged in active physical labor can tolerate the cold much easier, since they have the opportunity to warm up from the efforts they make.
Where to go for help?
What to do if temperature standards in the workplace are violated, and management continues to force employees to work? In this situation, time that goes beyond the limit given in the laws can be considered overtime. And processing, as you know, must be paid at double the rate.
Where can you complain that temperature standards in the workplace are occasionally or regularly violated? Unfortunately, there is no institution officially dealing with this issue. However, if necessary, employees can send all their complaints regarding unsatisfactory organization of conditions in the workplace to the local labor inspectorate, which can record the complaint and initiate proceedings on it.
In addition to your wishes for organizing a comfortable temperature in the workplace in your company, you can send them to Rospotrebnadzor, they will also help you resolve a controversial situation with your employer.
Amount of punishment and its types
What punishment can an unlucky employer face? The simplest thing is a regular fine, the size of which can range from 10 to 20 thousand rubles. Much worse for any organization is the temporary suspension of its activities, which can last up to 90 days. To avoid punishment, it is necessary to either improve the existing conditions or the employee to the standard required in this case.
How to eliminate violations?
How can you achieve the required temperature in the workplace in summer? Perhaps the only one effective way The solution to this issue is to install modern air conditioners, as well as maintain current system ventilation on high level. No amount of open windows or drafts will help create comfortable conditions in the heat, but will only ensure the distillation of heated air from room to room. Another disadvantage of this method is the high risk of colds among people in the room.
Regarding the need to increase the air temperature, the most appropriate is to use a central heating system.
Rostrud reminded about the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers in the heat. Companies can be required normal conditions labor, and this is not a pleasant bonus at all, but compliance with standard standards for sanitary regulations. If the office is hot, stuffy, or you have to work outside in the heat, you can leave work earlier or take breaks.
Workplace temperature - up to 25 °C
According to Sanpin, a comfortable microclimate is 23-25 °C. If the temperature in the office rises above 28.5 °C, this is a reason to leave an hour earlier. If it is up to 29 degrees, they should be released two hours earlier. And this is provided that you are just working on a computer or with documents. That is, you don't have to walk a lot, move anything heavy, or expend a lot of energy.
Ekaterina Miroshkina
economist
When there is physical exercise, reduce working time at 26.5 °C.
Concrete workers, masons, diggers and athletes should not work at all at temperatures above 31 °C.
If you work outside, then, for example, at 35 °C, no one should work a full shift. There must be breaks: 20 minutes of work - 10 minutes of break in a room with a comfortable temperature or air conditioning. And so no more than two hours per shift.
When the temperature is above 37 °C and you need to work outside, you cannot require workers to go out during the day, into the thick of it. It is necessary to move working hours, for example to the morning.
If an employer requires a builder, salesman, courier or driver to work continuously for eight hours in the heat, this is a violation of labor rights. And you can demand compliance with them in different ways.
Installing an air conditioner or at least a fan in a stuffy accounting office, warehouse, or store is also the responsibility of the employer. At the same time, the air conditioner should not blow at your back: there are standards for air speed and temperature differences.
Drinks during working hours
When it's hot, you need to drink more. At least that's what Rostrud advises. If you work outside in the heat, you should drink a cup of water every 20 minutes. Drink temperature is 10-15 °C. The employer must ensure that water is nearby and accessible. There are no problems with this in the office, but those who work outside need to be provided with water in the heat. The same goes for the first aid kit: it should be available to employees.
Rospotrebnadzor also advises drinking whey in hot weather, mineral water And oxygen cocktails, eat more fruits and vegetables. True, he does not specify at whose expense.
Free workwear
By default, of course, no one is obligated to provide office workers with special clothing. But if the employment contract requires special clothing, in hot weather it should be made of thick fabrics and several layers. This determines how long you can work in the heat without a break.
How to find out how long you can work and when to take a break
For office workers and those who do not work on the roads, near a stove or under the scorching sun, a sanpin with general requirements is sufficient. It makes it clear what the temperature in the workplace should be and how this affects the length of the working day.
For calculations for some types of work there is a manual with tables and formulas. But dealing with them is difficult. To understand whether your rights have been violated regarding the duration of work in the heat, you need to take into account energy consumption, moisture loss and body temperature. This determines how many hours you can work per shift and how often you take breaks.
To calculate, you need to solve the equation multiple regression with six variables. If you have special conditions labor, don’t try to calculate it yourself - look for an expert.
What to do if it’s hot at work and the employer doesn’t respond?
If you have to work in the heat and have questions about compliance with your rights, it is better to do this:
- Explore employment contract. What is your position, work hours, employer responsibilities. The contract should not contain conditions that contradict the labor code. If it says that you have an 8-hour shift without a break and you take care of the working conditions yourself, this is illegal. What if it turns out that there is no agreement or you
- Understand which category your position falls into. In the table with temperature conditions there are different categories of work. They are described in Appendix 1 “Characteristics of Work Categories”. For example, a dispatcher, accountant and office manager are category Ia, a teacher, agronomist and nurse - Ib, a truck driver or a builder - IIb. They have different conditions in terms of temperatures, shift lengths and breaks.
- Check job description and labor regulations. They are rarely read, but there is a lot of interesting stuff there. It may suddenly turn out that your employer owes you much more than he gives you. And it may not even be related to the heat.
- Contact management: shift supervisor, foreman, director, or at least the HR department. Explain what causes discomfort and how the problem could be solved.
- Consult labor inspection. They will help you sort out your rights. Suddenly it just seems to you that you can demand air conditioning, but according to the law this is not the case. If you feel like you can’t breathe in the office, this is not yet a violation. For consultations
Polina Smekhova 06/16/2016 623
Even though summer has not yet arrived, the sun is shining brighter every day, the air temperature is inexorably rising, and the room is becoming stuffy. It's time to learn how to cope with the heat in the office.
When your brain refuses to think, clients and colleagues become annoying, and the oppressive heat seems to make your blood boil in your body... imagine the snow-capped Alps. They say visualization helps to cope with many problems. In the meantime, we will tell you what to do when the office is unbearably hot.
In order to get rid of the exhausting heat, we will act in the following directions.
Making your stay in the office more comfortable
- Place an aquarium with water. The evaporating moisture will cool the air.
- Spray plants with large leaves with water. They will retain moisture for a long time and the room temperature will drop slightly.
- You can spray the surrounding area with water using a spray bottle.
- Cover the windows with reflective film with the mirror side facing the street.
- If you have air conditioning in your office, then you are in luck. However, the air conditioner dries out the air a lot, so be sure to also get a humidifier.
- You can place a crystal ball or figurine at your workplace. Hold the crystal in your hands for a while. Even in antiquity, it was used to cool drinks and the body, which it successfully copes with to this day. Crystal is also prescribed the ability to activate mental activity and develop intuition, so that you will not be afraid of the intrigues of your colleagues.
We drink more
Quench thirst and help cool the body:
- hot green tea, especially with cardamom, ginger or verbena;
- fruit drinks and compotes, juices without pulp;
- mineral water;
- water with lemon juice - it will also relieve lethargy and fatigue;
- natural bread kvass;
- teas with pieces of fruit and berries (rose hips, grapefruit, orange, etc.).
However, forget about coffee, as it greatly dehydrates the body. You should also not drink chilled drinks; they will only provide a short-term cooling effect and can cause a cold or sore throat.
Switching to the summer type of nutrition
When it's hot, you don't always feel like eating. But it’s worth eating those foods that not only won’t overload the body, but will also make it easier to cope with the heat.
What to eat in hot weather:
- cold soups (okroshka, green borscht, beetroot soup);
- vegetables, berries and fruits (especially watermelon, grapefruits, cucumbers and tomatoes) - they will gradually replenish the body with fluid;
- fermented milk products and boiled fish.
Eat proteins in the morning and carbohydrates in the evening. IN summer time You should limit your consumption of honey, meat and fatty foods as much as possible, as they cause a surge of heat in the body. Also, do not add too much salt to your food. You should eat less confectionery products, especially since they spoil quickly in the heat. But by adding red pepper to your food, it will be easier for you to cope with the heat.
Create a light summer look
Nothing brightens a woman up in the summer...at least cosmetics. Believe me, floating foundation and smeared eye shadow will not add beauty to you, but will make you feel worse. Also give your hair a break from styling products.
In the summer, it is worth switching to clothes made of cotton or linen. It is better if it is spacious. A summer suit for a man should be light shades of brown, gray or blue; it is better to choose a suit jacket with or without a short lining.
Women whose dress code does not allow them to show up to work without tights should consider buying stockings soaked in a special cooling agent.
Choose open-toed shoes: for men, it is better to choose moccasin-type shoes for a suit.
What else should office workers do in the heat?
- You can improve your condition by wiping the skin behind your ears with a damp cloth or blotting with cold water.
- Spray from a spray bottle open areas bodies.
- Rest during breaks.
- Plan important work for the first half of the day.
- Wash your face and hands with cool water more often, or at least wipe your face with tissues.
- If you feel very weak, try vigorously rubbing your ears or pressing firmly on the pit under your nose. By influencing these points on the body, you activate all processes in the body.
- Drops essential oils Apply lavender, mint, grapefruit or immortelle to your temples and wrists. They will refresh your body and your mind.
Have a cool working week!
Greetings, dear friends! I don’t know about you, but here in Novosibirsk it’s relatively cold period coming for November. It seems sunny and dry, but due to the humidity and northeast wind it is quite cold.
I think that you can try to reduce work at low temperatures. You will learn how to do this from this note.
The main thing here is to understand at what temperatures it becomes possible to shorten the working day.
Taking into account the requirements of the Labor Code, the hygienic standards contained in the sanitary rules and regulations (“R 2.2.2006-05. Guidelines for the hygienic assessment of factors working environment and the labor process. Criteria and classification of working conditions" and "SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96. 2.2.4. Physical factors of the production environment. Hygienic requirements to the microclimate of industrial premises. Sanitary rules and regulations”, which establish, among other things, optimal and permissible temperature indicators for workplaces), the head of the company may decide to shorten the working day or stop work at extremely low or high temperatures.
But the employees themselves may require this. According to Article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee has the right to workplace, corresponding to state regulatory requirements labor protection and conditions stipulated by the collective agreement. According to the law “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population”, working conditions, the workplace and the labor process should not affect harmful effects per person. What if not the cold in the workplace can lead to hypothermia and illness?
Thus, the employer is obliged to control the microclimate at the enterprise, including the temperature in the workplace. Temperature measurements at workplaces are carried out using a thermometer or psychrometer at least 3 times per working day (shift).
After the measurements, it is necessary to draw up a protocol in which to justify and evaluate the measurements taken for compliance with the regulatory requirements of the Sanitary Rules. Only after carrying out all the necessary measurements, the employer can decide to reduce the working day of employees based on the norms of the Sanitary Rules and retain full-time work for the employees. wages taking into account that the ambient temperature does not correspond permissible values.
If the work is related to the implementation labor activity on outdoors, then Article 109 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for special breaks for heating at low temperatures. These breaks are included in the total working time.
And in judicial practice There were precedents when employees defended their right to a warm workplace.
In the Determination of the St. Petersburg City Court dated October 25, 2010 No. 14529 state enterprise an order was issued to eliminate violations, including non-compliance temperature regime in enterprise premises and workplaces.
And in the Resolution of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Volga-Vyatka District dated December 11, 2008 No. A82-653/2008-9, the court indicated that the employer did not provide safe working conditions for its employee, which led to an industrial accident while the employee was insulating windows due to unsatisfactory maintenance of the building , expressed in lack of insulation window sashes for work in the autumn-winter period, as a result of which the air temperature in the workplace was below normal.
For reference:
At what office temperatures is a shortened working day possible?
Working conditions are regulated by sanitary rules and regulations SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96 “Hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises.”
According to the document, those who work indoors are divided into five categories:
- sedentary work. This includes managers, office workers, garment and watch production workers. For them the most comfortable temperature indoors +22°С - +24°С.
- if you spend the whole day on your feet. For example, these are controllers, sales consultants. They must operate at +21°C - +23°C.
- The work involves some physical stress. For example, tour guides, employees of cleaning shops at machine-building enterprises. Optimal temperature for them - +19°С -+21°С.
- work involving walking and carrying weights up to ten kilograms. These are mostly factory workers - mechanics, welders. For them, the room temperature should be +17°C - +19°C.
- involves heavy physical labor, for example, in foundries and forges. This category also includes loaders who carry furniture and equipment heavier than ten kilograms. For them the temperature is slightly lower - + 16°С -+ 18°С.
When the temperature in the workplace drops 1 degree below normal, working hours are reduced by 1 hour.
Thus, at a temperature of +19°C, the working day of an office worker will be 7 hours, +18°C - 6 hours, and so on. At a temperature of +12°C and below, work stops and, according to Article 157 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, working time in this case is paid by the employer in the amount of at least two-thirds of the tariff rate.
However, I would like to note that SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96 does not have the status of normative legal acts, and therefore the requirements established by these acts cannot be considered as mandatory, and are only advisory in nature.
If the workplace is located in unheated premises or the work is carried out outdoors, you can be guided by “MR 2.2.7.2129-06. Work and rest regimes for workers in cold weather in open areas or in unheated premises,” as well as regulatory documents at the regional and/or municipal level.
1. Article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation - an employee has the right to a workplace that meets state regulatory requirements for labor protection and the conditions stipulated by the collective agreement.
2. At the same time, Article 212 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation obliges the employer, among other things, to ensure working conditions in each workplace that comply with labor protection requirements; organizing control over the state of working conditions in the workplace, as well as over the correct use of personal and collective protective equipment by employees.
3. Based on Article 219 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, every employee has the right, including to a workplace that meets labor protection requirements.
4. At the federal level, requirements for working conditions are regulated by Federal Law No. 52-FZ of March 30, 1999 “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population” (hereinafter referred to as Law No. 52-FZ).
4.1. In particular, paragraph 1 of Art. 25 says that working conditions, the workplace and the work process should not have a harmful effect on humans. Requirements for ensuring safe working conditions for humans are established by sanitary rules and other regulatory legal acts. Russian Federation.
4.2. According to paragraph 2 of Art. 25 of Law No. 52-FZ individual entrepreneurs And legal entities are required to carry out sanitary and anti-epidemic (preventive) measures to ensure safe working conditions for humans and to comply with the requirements of sanitary rules and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation to production processes And technological equipment, organization of workplaces, collective and individual means worker protection, work, rest and consumer services workers in order to prevent injuries, occupational diseases, infectious diseases and diseases (poisonings) associated with working conditions.
5. In accordance with clause 4.2 of SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96. "2.2.4. Physical factors of the production environment. Hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises. Sanitary rules and regulations" microclimate indicators must ensure the preservation of the heat balance of a person with environment and maintaining the optimal or acceptable thermal state of the body.
5.1. Based on clause 4.3 of SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96, indicators characterizing the microclimate in production premises, are, including air temperature, air speed.
6. “MR 2.2.7.2129-06. Work and rest regimes for workers in cold weather in open areas or in unheated rooms,” as well as regulations regional and/or municipal level.
That's all I have. Until new notes!
Stuffiness and heat lead to a decrease in labor efficiency. Two-thirds of HeadHunter survey participants admitted that they work worse due to high temperature in the office. In addition, in stuffy office accumulates carbon dioxide, exhaled by employees. With its increased content in the air, people's brain activity decreases. There are many studies on this topic, we have already written about one of them.
Effective solves the problem of stuffiness. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by researchers from Harvard University.
The diametrically opposite problem is drafts from open window in winter or cold air flows from the air conditioner. If a person sits in a warm room with an open window or an air conditioner running, the temperature of certain parts of his body can drop by 20°C. Such local hypothermia is dangerous due to a sharp decrease in immunity. The body becomes more vulnerable to infections. The result is muscle inflammation or acute respiratory disease.
We get a vicious circle. It's stuffy in the office - open the window, hot - turn on the air conditioning. It becomes fresh, but cold. We close the window, turn off the air conditioner - and do it all over again.
