Cold office can chill workers’ productivity

If your office is often cold, take note — chilly environs may lower productivity.

A study by a Cornell University ergonomics professor found a correlation between typing mistakes and temperature. When an office temperature was cut from 77 degrees to 68 degrees, typing mistakes rose by 74 percent and typing output fell by 46 percent.

“This study shows that when employees get chilly, at least in this case, they are not working to their full potential,” said Alan Hedge, the researcher.

Hedge placed data loggers at nine employee workstations to take air temperatures every 15 minutes for a month. The data were then correlated with typing data for the month.

The study was conducted at Insurance Office of America’s corporate headquarters in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and presented this summer at the annual Eastern Ergonomics Conference in New York City.

Charity

Scotch Fabric to collect, clean coats for needy

Scotch Fabric Care will be collecting coats for its 18th annual Scotch Share the Warmth program. Anyone who would like to donate coats may drop them off at any Lawrence location.

Scotch cleans the coats and works with the Salvation Army to distribute them to the needy. The company also will accept and clean blankets, scarves and matching gloves.

Groups interested in collecting coats for the program may call Scott Shmalberg, president of Scotch Industries, at 843-0639.

Since 1986, Scotch has cleaned more than 133,000 coats in Lawrence and Topeka.

Motley Fool

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