Revealed: Office temps are a productivity risk for business owners

Alliance Climate Control surveyed 1,000 Australian adults who work in an office at least one day a week. The results show that office temperature can be a severe productivity and profitability issue for business owners.

Hot offices are impacting employee productivity:

In a typical work week, productivity is affected on 23.5% of summer workdays, equivalent to around 1.17 days a week over five days in the office. This can cost Australian businesses an estimated $5.64 billion in lost productivity each summer. 

How productive are you when the office is too hot or cold?	Too hot	Too cold
50% productive or less – Extremely affected	10.6%	5.1%
60% productive – Severely affected	8.0%	7.8%
70% productive – Significantly affected	19.6%	15.7%
80% productive – Moderately affected	26.3%	24.6%
90% productive – Slightly affected	22.1%	27.0%
100% productive - No impact	13.5%	19.8%

A closer look at productivity shows that ‘overheating’ is a common workplace issue during summer, with 34.0% reporting their office as too hot for at least one in four office days. When office temperatures rise, the most common response is a drop to around 80% productivity (26.3%). Nearly one in five workers (19.6%) report operating at just 70%, while close to one in ten say their productivity falls to 60%.

On hotter days, men and women have similar average productivity, 77.7% and 78.7%, respectively. At the extreme, 12.2% of women and 9.0% of men report being 50% productive or less when the office is too hot. 

Hot offices can lead to workplace conflict:

Workplace behaviour  when the office is too hot	Total
Stressed, anxious or irritable	50.1%
Slower decision-making	46.9%
More frequent/longer breaks	43.2%
Adjust my behaviour	40.0%
Take longer to complete tasks	36.6%
Use personal equipment	34.5%
Communicate less effectively	30.1%
More likely to WFH	28.5%
Disagreements with coworkers about the temperature	26.3%
Arrive late/early to avoid uncomfortable temperatures	24.2%
Frequently adjusted thermostat	23.7%
Avoid talking to colleagues/socialising	23.2%
Avoid meetings/collaborative work	20.6%
Wear extra layers/bring a blanket	12.5%

Inconsistent air conditioning is also a clear source of workplace conflict, discomfort and dissatisfaction. Over half of office workers (50.1%) said hot offices make them feel more stressed, anxious and irritable; emotions that can affect how employees perform. Around half also report slower decision-making (46.9%) or taking longer or more frequent breaks (43.2%). Interestingly, more than a quarter of employees (28.5%) are more likely to work from home, highlighting the knock-on effect overheating can have on productivity and office use.

The impacts also affect team collaboration. A fifth report that excessive heat makes them avoid meetings or collaborative work (20.6%), while 23.2% avoid socialising with colleagues altogether. More than a quarter (26.3%) even have direct disagreements with their coworkers about the office temperature. 

Goran Surbevski, Climate Control Expert at Alliance Climate Control, comments:

“Our research shows that office temperature has a bigger impact on workers than many realise. When offices are too hot or too cold, it doesn’t just affect comfort; it can influence sleep, mood, and productivity. Uncomfortable office temperatures can lead to fatigue, irritability, and even push people to adjust how, when, or where they work.”

“Office managers should work to maintain a consistent and comfortable office climate to help employees perform at their best, stay healthy, and feel comfortable. Managers can implement simple strategies such as regulating heating and cooling systems, allowing flexibility in how employees manage their environment, monitoring the temperature and communicating temperature policies. This can make a big difference in supporting wellbeing and productivity during the summer months.”

About Alliance: 

Alliance Climate Control is a family of professionals working together to build Australia’s best and most trusted name in air conditioning and electrical services. Their mission is to bring comfort, safety, and quality workmanship to every home. Their vision is to become the leader in the HVAC industry, setting the standard for service excellence and helping elevate the industry to new levels of success.