TESTIMONIALS – Between reluctance and heatstroke, some employees are subject to the choices of their employers. Le Figaro collected their feelings and their adaptation solutions.
Energy sobriety is also invited in companies. In view of the presentation of the government plan on Thursday, the Medef and the social partners have transmitted their measures. Among them, “regulate (the) temperatures in the workplace“. The text recallsthe usefulness of optimizing heating temperatures at 19 degrees“, a temperature that is not necessarily respected in companies. So how much does it make in your workplaces? Between 14 and 25 degrees, according to employees interviewed by Le Figaro, many of whom regret this situation.
“I had a really hard time concentrating in this cold.“, says Edgar *, 29 years old. Last week, this project manager consultant noted a temperature of around 15 to 16 degrees in his office. Despite three layers of clothing on his back, he recognizes that “the situation was complicated and painful“. On Monday, his company turned on the heating, allowing it to reach 18 degrees. “It’s bearable, but as I’m quite chilly I keep a jacket or a fleece“, he explains. Impossible to increase the thermostat, it is a collective system whose temperature is directly decided by his superiors.
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Same observation for Lucas *, 26, administrative agent at the Bourges Plus urban community. “My office oscillates between 16 and 18 degrees, I have to keep my coat on“, he laments. He adds that “this temperature is too low to work behind a desk» and that his «hands are cold to type on the keyboard“. To avoid shivering, the best solution is thus “to wear an undershirt, a fleece jacket, a jacket and to drink a hot drink“. On the business side, there is no debate, the heatingwill be lit as late as possible to save money», that is to say, not before the end of October.
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More than 25 degrees in an open space
Faced with this situation, Lucas is currently realizing “research to see if he can perform [son] right of withdrawal“. “If the temperature drops below 15 degrees I will inform the unions to find out what steps to take“, he bids. An approach approved by Thierry Meillat, labor lawyer: “If an employee notices a defect, he can speak to the staff representatives or the labor inspectorate.» «If your company has a social and economic committee, it is associated with all the provisions relating to health and safety», and can therefore intervene.
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If the cold has a direct impact on work, other companies do not hesitate to overheat their premises. Victoire*, 23, recorded a temperature of 25.3 degrees Monday in her open space. According to her, “22 degrees would be fine“but out of the question to drop to 19 degrees. “I don’t wanna live in a cooler“, she laughs. The young woman notices that the heating causes many debates in her team with the creation of two clans: the pro-19 degrees and those who are against. “One of my colleagues simply uses electric heating, while another wants to open the windows in relation to the Covid-19it’s fun for everyoneobserves Victoire.
This subject sometimes gives rise to comical situations, as in Raphaël’s company, which decided to limit the heating to 20 degrees, against 23 in previous years. In one of his tweets, he recounts a recent anecdote:One of my collaborators asked most seriously if we could offer electric blankets to prevent everyone from getting sick.“On social networks, the clichés of thermometers in the office are multiplying. “Heating has become a real social issue, it is now at the heart of all discussions between colleaguesconcludes Victoire.
*Names have been changed.
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