Posted By Sarah D Hi there. I work for a large company which has previously allowed employees to request heating/lighting adjustments but this has got a bit out of hand and now employees expect us to create individual microclimates for them. Is there anybody out there who works for a large (office-based) organisation that allows these adjustments, and if so how do you manage them??? I've inherited a seriously flawed process and am firefighting at the moment! Currently I'm going with only those who have documented medical requirements for lighting can request adjustments in a bid to filter the demands. Oh - and does anybody else raise desks for employees? I know a height adjustable desk isn't a legal requirement, but this is something else we do and are now gradually moving away from (cheaper to buy non-adjustable desks apparently). I'm anticipating problems and would appreciate any guidance anyone can give me. Thanks in advance!

Posted By Konstanty Budkiewicz Sarah, You face a common working conditions problem. Web Link:http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/temperature.htm provides guidance on work temperatures. When you look closer at the problem you will find that many persons arrive at work in skimpy clothing and rely on your heating and ventilation equipment to provide micro climates to keep them warm. In that regard it is worthwhile getting an HVAC engineer or similar to give you an overview of air circulation and known hot/cold spots. Are heat sensors in sensible(sic) positions and thereby provide a robust feedback loop? Do windows get opened? Are electric heaters stowed under desks? What time do you start and shutdown the room heating (cold soak)?. This issue will cause you endless PR grief, so keep staff engaged and communicate; the issue, your review and remedial actions. Energy bill expenditure is an issue for management (15% increases this week for some). That should be drawn into the equation (cost/benefit). Moving onto desk height. I disagree that desk height is not a legal consideration. I see it as part of DSE assessment. Of late, I have sponsored 2 raised desks for persons with known back problems. It was once again a cost/benefit consideration: we estimate that it costs £1500 to recruit our specialist admin staff. Rest assured that this issue will dribble on so keep your staff reps onside. Best wishes (the complaint level it gets worse with the Summer). Kon CMISOH

Posted By Sarah D Thanks everyone... We do have thermostats (we don't allow desk fans, personal heaters) etc. etc. and our buildings are all quite new so our heating/cooling systems are quite sophisticated. Largely, it seems it's staff discontentment/control issues (we've gone through a few big company changes) so it's increasingly hard to please everyone. We've made a rod for our own backs by making lots of adjustments in the past, and now the decision has been taken to be less flexible (in order to make savings) which obviously staff will react to. No easy answer I know, but it's good to hear how everyone else deals with it. Many thanks again.