Although some parts of the country still feel like summer, this week we officially begin the fall season. The Farmers’ Almanac recently released its winter forecast for 2009-2010 predicting that three-fourths of the United States will experience colder than normal temperatures on average. When temperatures plunge, what can human resources do to reduce energy bills without worsening the seasonal thermostat skirmishes so common in many workplaces and avoid being dubbed the “thermostat police”? Here are some ideas and links to a website that can help you find ways to cut down on energy use for heating your office this winter.
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Practical energy conservation
The first step in an energy-saving campaign is effective communication. “Be very transparent,” says Margaret Morford, president of The HR Edge, Inc., a management consulting and training company. Tell employees it’s important to the environment to use resources wisely and that the company wants to do its part to help. Also remind employees, she says, that “every dime we save means there are more profits available for benefits and raises.”
Morford urges employers not to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. There’s a temperature at which people lose productivity and begin to cancel out energy savings. You don’t want people feeling sluggish because there’s not enough air conditioning or making mistakes at the computer keyboard because their fingers are freezing.
Setting formal policies on energy use (“All employees must unplug their computers when they leave for the day”) is a bad idea, Morford says. When employers tell employees on the front end why conservation is important and show them how to use energy wisely, most people will do the right thing. Deal with those who don’t through persuasion and a little peer pressure. Morford suggests that a manager might say something like this to an energy waster: “Please turn off (the lights, your monitor, etc.). All your coworkers are doing it. It’s like you’re saying to them, ‘I don’t care whether there are profits for benefits and raises.'”
On the issue of employees using space heaters or personal-size fans, address these gadgets as a safety issue. So long as safety isn’t compromised, Morford is amenable to letting employees tailor their individual work areas to their own comfort needs. And giving people leeway in some areas builds up goodwill and credit for managers to draw lines or cut back in other areas. The more you can cater to individual needs, the better an employer you’re perceived to be, she says. “It’s amazing how reasonable people can be if you don’t pound them on the head.”
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Some legal fine print
Disability non-discrimination laws and general labor law may have a bearing on energy-saving campaigns. Perhaps surprisingly, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t mandate specific building temperatures but recommends setting office temperatures in the range of 68 to 76 degrees. OSHA’s general duty clause requires employers to provide a safe workplace — meaning free from recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause employees death or serious physical harm.
Some employees may have health conditions that require a warmer or colder temperature. The Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local disability discrimination laws may require accommodations to heat-sensitive, qualified, disabled employees. Accommodations could be:
- giving the employee greater control over the temperature of her particular work area (through use of space heaters, for example);
- providing the employee with special equipment to alleviate the problem;
- allowing flexible scheduling and flexible use of leave time; and
- allowing work from home.
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) may protect employees who band together to protest work conditions, including extreme temperatures. In one such case, the U.S. Supreme Court found that seven nonunion employees who walked out to protest the company’s failure to provide adequate heat were protected under the NLRA.
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What employers can do
Here are a few very low-tech tips to get started:
- Use natural light if possible, and adjust blinds to reduce glare. Task lighting will use less energy than overall lighting.
- In winter, open blinds on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to provide natural heat. At night, close the blinds to reduce heat loss.
- Unplug equipment that drains energy when not in use (e.g., cell-phone chargers, fans, coffeemakers, desktop printers, and radios).
- Turn off your computer and monitor at the end of the workday if possible. If you leave your desk for an extended time, turn off your monitor.
- Have a qualified professional perform an energy audit. Check with your utility company for names of auditors.
Many websites offer information about saving energy in the workplace. Check out the following resources for more ideas: