how cold can you work

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your interesting question. I do not believe that I have ever been asked this before. I personally can take it pretty cold. My house's temperature is usually between 68-71 during the summer months and I work from home. So I like a nice chill in the air. But when my nose gets cold then I make it a little warmer. I become uncomfortable when my nose is cold to the touch.

Thanks again for the question. Keep them coming.

wow Michael, this is MY question!!

People have different comfort levels, and, generally speaking, men prefer it to be a little cooler than women. Fighting for control of the thermostat is common in some offices! The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no law on temperature, only "recommendations."

A lot depends on whether you are acclimated to the environment, if you are moving or standing still, and the degree of mental concentration required. For example, if someone is standing at the gate for a very cold Friday night game, counting how many cars come in, they might be really cold, and they aren't moving around (which makes it colder yet!) but the task they are doing is pretty simple. Conversely, someone who is bundled up and moving around a lot begins to perspire, and that makes them colder yet. There's only so much "wicking" undergarments can do! It's also difficult to do certain tasks bundled up, esp. tasks requiring manual dexterity.

People do all sorts of things in the cold. They normally dress for it. This includes working in refrigerated warehouses.

As for me. . . . I was a police officer for 25 years at the SA Airport. Part of our job was working traffic in front of the terminals. We just pretty much bundled up and went out there, without thinking much about it. After all, that was our job. After leaving there, I took an office job. I worked at the State Workforce Center on Walzem Road. That building has issues!! We actually went an entire winter with NO heat. It was horrible. The summers were just as bad, as then they ran the AC too cold. What made it worse is that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. When I get cold, it is very painful. I had to make a reasonable accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act. (ADA). Management agreed to not put me in a work area where the temperature was below 70 degrees. I also got to use a personal heater. I did not over-react if the temperature was 69 or even 68., but below that, I would speak up.

This is an interesting question! Can you tell me what prompted you to ask it, if you don't mind me asking?