Good idea or bad one? Opinions please.

[Friday]

I work in a small office in the back corner of a large governmental processing facility. There are seven of us (3 on days, 3 on swing, one midway) plus a boss. We don't all particularly like each other but we have managed to peacefully coexist for years and years. Recently we've been dealing with temperature issues because we have one person who's comfort range falls considerably below the norm. If you have a few minutes to kill please read the following details and let me know if you think the Email I'm going to send my boss is out of line.

D has recently had a problem with being too warm all the time. Now he admits that it's because he has high blood pressure he isn't doing anything about. Because the auto setting on the thermostat in our work area broke a few years ago, the locking cover was removed and we've just been setting it manually. You have two choices, either the heat or A/C is on full blast or it's off. Mostly we've just left it off because we get enough bleed over from the main part of the building to keep it comfortable but D has decided that because HE'S hot, the A/C should be on all the time. (It's not been over 74° in the office yet this summer.)

I'm not a delicate flower. The heat in my home is never set above 68°, but when the air temp in our work area is 66° and the A/C is still on and blasting right down my neck (just the way the directional vanes are set) then I'm too damn cold. It has been so cold that the boss actually taped cardboard over the air vent in his office. However, when I told him that I was cold too Wednesday afternoon and asked him to please either tell D to leave the damn thing alone or get it fixed so it could be set at the federally required temps and locked down, his response was to tape the cover back on while leaving the A/C on and today he gave me one of those stupid rubber bracelets. Know what it's 'cause' is? To break the 'Complaining Habit'. Nobody got one but me.

I am going to send my boss the following Email. I don't know if it's a good idea or not but I just can't swallow this episode and say nothing, not to mention the fact I'm tired of freezing.

Mr. L*******,

The regulations for energy conservation require that the setting for the A/C in our office be no less than 78° (ASM 541.11). Wednesday at 9 pm the temperature in my work area was 66° and the A/C was still going full blast. If this situation can not be resolved by coming to you then I have no choice but to go elsewhere.

In my 30 years at the **** ****** there have been a lot of unpleasant experiences, but never have I been as insulted, hurt and angered as have been by your actions yesterday. Your bracelet was discriminatory and just plain nasty. How unfair that you can both complain about the freezing temperatures in our office and do something to protect yourself* from them but when I complain I am expected to not only to just live with it but am figuratively slapped in the face by your bracelet. I guess the respect for one another that I thought existed in our office was just a figment of my imagination.

S***** ****

*He climbed up and covered the vent in his office with cardboard and keeps his door closed so he stays nice and warm.

[BeautifulPoeticDisaster]

I would love a work temp of 66* LOVE it.

I think it is cruel that people can use blankets and extra clothes to warm up, but those of us that are hot blooded can only take off so much before we are in trouble.

I understand you wish to be comfortable. Maybe suggecting the person use a fan when the A/C is not on?

I can't offer advice because I agree with the other person. People work better in a cold environment than they do in a warm one.

[Friday]

The thing is, he was perfectly comfortable at 70° last year, but now because of the medical issues he refuses to deal with, the rest of us have to suffer (I'm not the only one unhappy, just the most vocal). I could even deal with 66° if it didn't include icy air blowing on me. The regulations state 'heat set at 65° and A/C at 78°. I'm willing to compromise but 66° and below is not a compromise. You may work better at 66°, but most don't. We're not doing heavy physical labor. We're standing at a counter or sitting at a desk inputting reports while our noses drip and our ears hurt.

Anyway, the question was whether or not the Email was rational rather than confrontational.

[Ruby Ripples]

Originally Posted by Friday

I work in a small office in the back corner of a large governmental processing facility. There are seven of us (3 on days, 3 on swing, one midway) plus a boss. We don't all particularly like each other but we have managed to peacefully coexist for years and years. Recently we've been dealing with temperature issues because we have one person who's comfort range falls considerably below the norm. If you have a few minutes to kill please read the following details and let me know if you think the Email I'm going to send my boss is out of line.

D has recently had a problem with being too warm all the time. Now he admits that it's because he has high blood pressure he isn't doing anything about. Because the auto setting on the thermostat in our work area broke a few years ago, the locking cover was removed and we've just been setting it manually. You have two choices, either the heat or A/C is on full blast or it's off. Mostly we've just left it off because we get enough bleed over from the main part of the building to keep it comfortable but D has decided that because HE'S hot, the A/C should be on all the time. (It's not been over 74° in the office yet this summer.)

I'm not a delicate flower. The heat in my home is never set above 68°, but when the air temp in our work area is 66° and the A/C is still on and blasting right down my neck (just the way the directional vanes are set) then I'm too damn cold. It has been so cold that the boss actually taped cardboard over the air vent in his office. However, when I told him that I was cold too Wednesday afternoon and asked him to please either tell D to leave the damn thing alone or get it fixed so it could be set at the federally required temps and locked down, his response was to tape the cover back on while leaving the A/C on and today he gave me one of those stupid rubber bracelets. Know what it's 'cause' is? To break the 'Complaining Habit'. Nobody got one but me.

I am going to send my boss the following Email. I don't know if it's a good idea or not but I just can't swallow this episode and say nothing, not to mention the fact I'm tired of freezing.


S***** ****

*He climbed up and covered the vent in his office with cardboard and keeps his door closed so he stays nice and warm.

I am SO sorry you had to go through that. WHAT an a*hole to give you that bracelet, I would have been furious, AND I would have wanted to send the above email too. However, I think it's always a better idea to keep anything printable, calm, cold and professional as much as you can, as it could be shown to others higher up. I think you could maybe send him an email more in the following vein, while stabbing pins into a voodoo effigy of him. This way, YOU can take this matter higher if you get no resolution, and you can show the mail to whoever, and they can see the whole situation. What do you think?

ps I disagree with the above post. I think that the temperature should be set for the comfort of the majority. That man can get his BP in check, or bring a fan in to work. 66 degrees is uncomfortably cool for sitting in, your fingers must get like ice!



Mr L

I send this email to you as an official request to have the A/C in our office turned off. The regulations for energy conservation require that the setting for the A/C in our office be no less than 78° (ASM 541.11). Wednesday at 9 pm the temperature in my work area was 66° and the A/C was still going full blast. As you are aware, this is due to one member of staff feeling too hot due, by his own admission to having an untreated medical condition and he keeps turning the A/C on for himself while everyone else in the office is uncomfortably cold. You yourself have taped cardboard over the air vent in your own office so that you do not have to suffer the cold temperatures that the rest of us are being forced to, as you are not willing to work in that temperature.

When I approached you and requested that this situation be remedied, you taped the cover back onto the thermostat, with the A/C still turned on with the result that it is constantly on now. When today you handed me a rubber bracelet with the cause being "To break the complaining habit", I was shocked and dismayed at your complete lack of professionalism in this matter. In the thirty years I have worked here I have never been more insulted or upset.

I hereby request again that the A/C be turned off in accordance with the energy conservation regulations, or I shall be forced to take this matter further and forward this email.

[Friday]

I may very well steal that Ruby, thanks.

Other than the pure nastiness of the bracelet, what pisses me off is that D knows the rest of us are freezing and knows a trip to the doctor would help his problem. He just doesn't freakin' care.

[Ruby Ripples]

Originally Posted by Friday

I may very well steal that Ruby, thanks.

Other than the pure nastiness of the bracelet, what pisses me off is that D knows the rest of us are freezing and knows a trip to the doctor would help his problem. He just doesn't freakin' care.

You're very welcome, Friday, I really hope you get the situation resolved. The selfishness of both these men just makes me ill! I honestly can't see why D doesn't just bring a fan to the office. I think when your boss gets a cold and impersonal email from you , it might be enough to give him a fright and spur him into action. He will see at least how serious you are. I will say again, what a pair of a*holes!

Good luck!!

[BeautifulPoeticDisaster]

I honestly wasn't aware that having high BP could make you hotter. I'm just naturally hot blooded.

It's nice here in England that everyone gets hot so easy, lol.

I do think you should suggest a fan. When discussing issues with a boss you will get better results if you offer suggestions as well.

I also didn't read that it was a blowy A/C as well. Central cooling is less blowy and feels comfy at 66* sitting...but if it is blowing at you, I could see why you would be cold.

I still do feel for the hot guy, but I have always been hot, not just one summer and then not.

I hope it resolves to make everyone happy.

sorry if my first post offended...Im grouchy right now, lol

[BubbleButtBabe]

Friday I would like to add to Ruby's post..If you have a human relations department I would forward a copy of that email to them as well..Let your boss know you are not going to sit and take his abuse..Maybe add in the email some where, that the man that has the medical condition could bring in an outside fan for his own use..Just my own $.02

[Jane]

It is HIGH blood pressure, not HOT blood pressure.

Your boss is a weasel, and should address the issue, not have you do it.

He gave you a bracelet, get him some of those bull balls that they hang on the back of pickups.

Okay, venting done.

I would point out to him that it is HIS responsibility to address the inter-personal disputes in the office, not you. I would also give the bracelet back and tell him, obviously it was intended for someone else.

[Risible]

That was completely unprofessional, and bitchy I might add, of your boss to award you with that bracelet. Unbelievable. I can only guess at how insulted you must feel. That incident alone is a different issue altogether, and, while he probably thought he was being funny, it really isn't a laughing matter.

Ruby's email suggestion is toned down and, because of its neutrality, will likely get a better result from your boss and/or higher ups. Your version, while well deserved by the boss, will likely serve to inflame him and make matters worse.

FYI, a/c's aren't designed to run below a setpoint of 68 degrees. Set below that, they will sooner or later ice up, and if that isn't remedied, will damage the compressor and then you'll have no cooling at all. The fan will continue to run, but no cooling. So, wait for that to happen, and when the tech shows up to investigate, let him know that the thermostat is broken and needs replacing.

[Forgotten_Futures]

Okay, my two cents:

1) Don't be confrontational. Don't shove his bad actions in his face. If he's not civil enough to realize what he did wrong there, telling him about it won't make him any happier. I suspect his reactions to this matter are directly related to the cause.

2) Where possible, don't leverage federal guidelines. You never know when that will come back around and bite you in the ass. Tell the simple and honest truth: One guy in the office has a medical condition and won't get treated for it. As a result, he wants the air down to feel comfortable, which causes the rest of the office to be uncomfortable. One man's self-inflicted pain should not inconvenience everyone else.

3) Use the CC feature. CC to HR if possible. If the problem isn't dealt with in a timely fashion, resend the original mail, but CC to your boss and HR with the primary recipient being your boss' boss, noting that the mail has been sent before.

4) Give your boss every chance to resolve the issue himself without involving too many other people. The workplace is about politics, and you never want to tick off people if you don't have to, yet, at the same time, never be afraid to utilize political pressure to get what you want.

[Zandoz]

My experience is that if you complain, no matter how justified, it's gonna come back to haunt you. Anything you say can and will be used against you by someone you cast a bad light on, if they are in a position to do so, no matter how much they deserve it. Is the problem worth the very high likelihood of making things for you more miserable in the long run? If not, bring a sweater to work...been there, done that.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Zandoz

My experience is that if you complain, no matter how justified, it's gonna come back to haunt you. Anything you say can and will be used against you by someone you cast a bad light on, if they are in a position to do so, no matter how much they deserve it. Is the problem worth the very high likelihood of making things for you more miserable in the long run? If not, bring a sweater to work...been there, done that.

And MY experience is that the squeaky wheel actually DOES get the grease.

Suffer in silence? Neither likely nor healthy.

[Risible]

I just thought of something else, Friday. Tape cardboard over the supply air grill that's blowing air on you. If your boss questions you, say something like, well, I didn't want to complain any further, so I decided to just do something about it.

Restricting the airflow will hasten the icing of the coil and the demise of the compressor, and you'll have the benefit of blocking the airflow to your back and neck.

See? Everyone's happy.

[Ruby Ripples]

Originally Posted by Jane

And MY experience is that the squeaky wheel actually DOES get the grease.

Suffer in silence? Neither likely nor healthy.

Absolutely agree.

If a person can't make a valid complaint in the workplace and have it resolved,then they went about it the wrong way, or they shouldn't work there. No way would I be sitting in a sweater with sore ears and a headache just because one selfish ass wants his own way.

A long time ago I worked in an office that had south facing windows, like a greenhouse. One year in summer it got into the 90s, no AC of course, being Scotland. I complained twice to my superviser, she did nothing (She didnt have to work in that temp) so I took the complaint higher, stating that I had already complained further up and that I had almost passed out with the heat (true) and could not work there any longer. I was immediately given a fan, and a few days later some dark reflective coating was stuck to my window, to stop the worst of the rays getting in. It was the best that could be done in the circumstances and I was glad of it. NOBODY should have to sit and suffer temperatures below or above those of comfort, for eight hours a day. Workplace bullying cannot be allowed to continue. Laying down and giving in ie. wearing a sweater just enables their behaviour further. Sure my supervisor was in a huff with me for a week after it, but... why? Because I didnt want to suffer miserable conditions that she certainly wouldn't have. So, Friday's boss can suck it up and deal. I'm sure she is a good employee and has no need to worry about "regulations" being brought to bear on her.

[mango]

You have another option...

Bust the A/C unit (or turn the machine off and bust the control) so he has to get it fixed properly.

[Spanky]

1. Wire snips: $5.00
2. Removing cover of thermostat: FREE
3. Snipping 4 control wires: FREE
4. Replacing cover of thermostat: FREE
5. Watching your boss and colleagues setting and resetting a now dummy control panel. PRICELESS

I hope you figure it out, Friday. I work for myself and am glad about the lack of office politics. I would vote for the sweater option Zandoz speaks of. If you get confrontational, which you have every right to do based on what the boss has done, you just have to be willing to deal with the office political reprecussions.

Good luck in whatever you decide(d).

"And remember, I'm pullin' for ya, we're all in this together." (Red Green)

[Esme]

I, too, recommend the HR route. If he's going to play nasty games, the best thing for you to do is go the complete opposite and be extremely professional and very by the books.

It's insane that one person can control the climate, both literally and figuratively, in your office. The fact that your boss was so incredibly disrespectful tells me he's not going to be much help, so it's time to find someone higher up who can.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[moore2me]

Originally Posted by Friday

I work in a small office in the back corner of a large governmental processing facility.
.

You then go on to mention ASM 541.11

Friday - I worked with governenment regulations for over 20 years & know a little about how the mind of bureaucrats work. I need some more information to see what applies in your case.

- Are you in Washington state?
- Are you a federal government run, or state run, or some other type of government run (city, county, etc.)?
- What is ASM in reference to? (I couldn't find it on the internet).
-How many employees are employed in the facility?

Moore

Why I need to know.

State laws cannot be enforced in different states. What Washington state passes cannot be enforced in Arkansas. Federal laws usually can.

However, some federal laws only apply to large business. Small businesses may be exempt.

Some standards (ANSI) are not regulations. Sometimes the ANSI regulations have been adopted by the US government into their regulations. OSHA has done this on occasion.

Some businesses cannot easily be regulated on temperatures - laundries, metal working shops, bakeries, freezers, ice cream factories, etc. are under different temperature regulations based on what the industry is.

Also, outdoor work fits into this category. We usually try to protect the employee in these cases instead of controlling the external temperature.
However, most of the time this is a series situation - not just for comfort, but a case of heat related illnesses or cold related illnesses.

If all this sounds like bureacratic doublespeak - you're probably right! That's why so many lawyers work for the government. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Blackjack]

Originally Posted by Friday

D knows the rest of us are freezing and knows a trip to the doctor would help his problem. He just doesn't freakin' care.

So them send him on a trip to the doctor.

Seriously, that drywall was meant for someone to get their head shoved through.

[Zandoz]

Originally Posted by Jane

And MY experience is that the squeaky wheel actually DOES get the grease.

Suffer in silence? Neither likely nor healthy.

But also, very often the squeaky wheel gets kicked and replaced. She's already gotten one kick for squeaking. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you" could easily be rewritten to "Don't PO the hand that writes your reviews or signs your paycheck". Yeah, it sucks that that's the way it is, but that's the way it is.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Zandoz

But also, very often the squeaky wheel gets kicked and replaced. She's already gotten one kick for squeaking. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you" could easily be rewritten to "Don't PO the hand that writes your reviews or signs your paycheck". Yeah, it sucks that that's the way it is, but that's the way it is.

It's always been the times I took crap lying down instead of speaking out that I got booted.

[Friday]

I work in a large, federal facility with several hundred employees. The only reason our office has a separate thermostat is because it is an enclosed area with a lower ceiling that is open to the public (the rest of the building is not). The climate control system is building wide and as such it is unlikely that a little stress from our corner will lead to any damage to the system. The thermostat is actually set no lower than 70° but because it is set in a sheltered corner with heat emanating from the machinery in that corner and no A/C vents, the temps in the rest of the room are considerably lower even though it may be 70° in the area the thermostat is located.

Moore2me, I am in WA state working in a public service situation that is strictly indoors. The ASM 541.11 states this:

"All installation heads must follow these energy conservation measures:

b. Maintain a maximum heating temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit during working hours and 55 degrees Fahrenheit during nonworking hours.

c. Maintain a minimum cooling temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit during working hours and no cooling during nonworking hours."

While it has certainly occurred to me Spanky to disable the thermostat entirely, the sabotage of any piece of government equipment is liable to result in loss of retirement as well as a possible jail term. Not a choice I want to make.

Zandoz, I am really sorry that you felt you needed to be a doormat to keep your job. I am not mentally capable of letting people walk on me and I don't intend to start now. I am not being unreasonable and were my large (about 700,000 employees) federal entity employer insane enough to try to take action against me for this (they aren't, in my 30 years people have only been fired for stealing, physical violence or sexual harassment and often not even then), it would merely result in my being able to retire several years early with a big, fat cash settlement to boot.

I have sent the Email. Due to Ruby's calming influence it was much less theatrical than my original but hopefully will do the trick.

This is an official request to have the Thermostat in our office repaired immediately so the temperatures can be set at the federally mandated temperatures and locked. The regulations for energy conservation (ASM 541.11) require that the settings in our office be 65° for the heat and 78° for the A/C. Wednesday at 9 pm the temperature in my work area was 66° and the A/C was still going full blast. Even on a good day, that would be ridiculous, but having dragged myself in with stomach flu and a fever yesterday it was horrible.You yourself have taped cardboard over the air vent in your own office so that you do not have to suffer the cold temperatures that the rest of us are being subjected to, as you are not willing to work at those temperatures.

When I approached you Wednesday and requested that this situation be remedied, you taped the cover back onto the thermostat, with the A/C still set on 70°. This results in the A/C being on almost constantly now because it is consistently warmer back in that corner. Then yesterday I was handed a rubber bracelet stated to be from you with the cause being "To break the complaining habit", I was shocked and dismayed at your complete lack of compassion in this matter and outraged by the fact that you singled me out. In the thirty years I have worked here I have never been more insulted or upset.

I hereby request again that the A/C be set in accordance with the energy conservation regulations, or I shall be forced to take this matter elsewhere.

[biodieselman]

Originally Posted by BubbleButtBabe

...If you have a human relations department I would forward a copy of that email to them as well..Maybe add in the email some where, that the man that has the medical condition could bring in an outside fan for his own use..

First of all, I want to thank all of you guys who tamper with, play with, modify, destroy & break air conditioning systems. You guys made it possible for me to buy a brand new bad-ass truck. I'm in the a/c biz.

Your boss is in the wrong. It is his responsibility to create productive & comfortable working conditions for as many as possible. It is our goal, in my industry, to create temperature conditions that satisfy 80% of the people. It's impossible to satisfy everyone. The unhappy 20% need to adapt to industry standards by using a personal fan, a personal space heater under their desk or by wearing lighter/heavier clothing.

Industry standards are 68 for heat & 72-74 for cooling depending on activity level. There are 26 pages of reports from studies on this very topic in the ASHRAE 1997 Handbook 'Fundamentals', (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). There is a science to creature comfort.

66 degrees while sitting at a desk performing light duty office work is an intolerable working condition. Following are minimal recommendations.

1. Replace damaged thermostat.

2. Adjust set-points to 68 for heat & 72-74 for cooling. Leave system in 'AUTO' mode.

3. Leave the damn thing alone!

4. Replace the locking cover. Refer to #3.

5. Remove all cardboard covers over supply air grilles. They make deflectors if the moving air is causing a draft. A supply air fan on a Constant Volume air system has no capacity control. Air is a fluid, so visualize air as you would a river with canals tapping off the main river flow. If your cardboard damns up the flow in one office, the supply fan doesn't care, it will push more air out of the remaining 'canals'. If the additional conditioned air flow makes them cold, they cover their supply grilles. Soon, as Ris said above, the compressor will fail & no one will have any AC until an expensive repair is performed. Refer to #2 & #3.

6. An AC unit does 20 degrees worth of cooling across the evaporator, meaning if the air in the conditioned space is 70, then 50 degree air blows out the supply. If the supply grille is right over your desk, that 50 degree air will feel pretty damn drafty. BRRR! Ask your building maintenance guy to see if there is enough slack in the ductwork to move it to another spot in the ceiling t-bar. If this simple task is too high tech for him, call an HVAC contractor. If the supply can't be relocated, insist on minor ductwork modification or insist on having an air deflector installed. Try these first, and if they should not work, insist on an air balance. Too many people have have been tampering with the system.

Try to be nice. It's your boss's job to create productive, comfortable working conditions.

[Friday]

I'm trying Bio, really I am. It just feels like I'm trying all by myself at the moment.

Try to be nice. It's your boss's job to create productive, comfortable working conditions.