As winter approaches, many employers will be concerned about rising energy prices – and trying to balance that with employee comfort. Reports show that gas prices could rise up to 16 times that of April 2021, making it a constant challenge to keep employees warm whilst keeping bills down.
While costs are a concern, employers should not be tempted to counter this by turning the heating down or off. The 1992 Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations state that it is the responsibility of the employer to provide a comfortable workplace and the recommended minimum temperature is 16 degrees. As well as legal obligations, as an employer, you have a responsibility for your employees’ welfare. Spending time in a cold environment can harm your employees’ health and can exacerbate serious conditions such as COPD and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions. For an employer, this can lead to high employee churn as well as sick pay and recruitment costs – making turning the heating down a false economy. Flexible Plastic Sheet
When employees are comfortable, they are more productive and more loyal, so, in this section, we’re sharing tips from Richard O’Connor of First Mats on keeping employees warm without turning up the heating:
Flooring – In a workspace, hard flooring such as tiles, wood or laminate tends to be practical in terms of cleaning but it can also suck the heat from a room. Carpet and rubber flooring can help to warm a workspace by retaining heat, thereby keeping employees more comfortable.
Rising energy costs may impact your business but, not as much as a loss of employee productivity and loyalty. We’ve all been hearing a lot about The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting in recent months and failing to provide a comfortable workplace may mean losing your most valuable assets – your employees.
This month saw the introduction of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme for businesses which has been created to help companies cope with the current crisis so employers should take full advantage of this as well as put in place some of the tips from this article to ensure that employee wellbeing is taken care of whilst keeping energy bills as low as possible.
HR News is managed and published by Codel Software Ltd.
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