Having just wandered back in the door from a much-needed annual break I was struck by how hot the office was! “It’s not as hot as last week” I thought, so I asked around… “Guys, how did you cope in the heat last week?” A flurry of comments and stories of achievement in the heat came to me thick and fast, highlighting what an inventive and creative bunch I work with! Let me share some of the ideas our staff brought to the fore:
1. Iced bottles in front of fans – this apparently helps the air that is coming to you stay cooler!
2. Leaving ceiling lights off in the morning to keep the space cooler for longer.
3. Linen say the girls – wear anything linen and stay cool. The guys said linen trousers are very cool to wear and short sleeved shirts in natural fabrics are a must. Smart move folks!
4. Drink plenty of water. Keep a bottle on your desk and a bottle in the fridge and alternate between the two.
5. Having lunch under the shade of the trees in the garden. This reduced their personal heat levels and gave each person a more relaxed demeaner when entering the warm office again – connecting with nature is always a relaxing and calming way to enjoy your break time.
6. Buying a round of lollies! Yes indeed! Good old fashioned ice cream to allow you five minutes rest and enjoyment.
7. Turning off PCs and printers of an evening to allow the room to cool. It is surprising how much heat each piece of equipment generates.
As for the external staff? Well, I would like to pay tribute to each and every one of them. They set alarms earlier and planned a commute that gave them time to take a more leisurely pace and perhaps enjoy a gentle walk through a park. They wore lighter clothing to travel and took something more formal to change into. Others made sure they had iced water from their freezers in the morning and wore light footwear with something more suitable in their rucksack.
All in all I think with the combined teamwork we got through heat, humidity, travel chaos and frayed commuter tempers to achieve 99% of the work allocated. Well done team, you really ‘make it happen’ at Deaf Umbrella!
Without our excellent and conscientious staff (everyone is included here, as they all have an important role to play) we could not be the business we are today with levels of service which are the envy of our competitors!
I don’t often get a chance to tell each and every one of the Deaf Umbrella staff how proud I am of them – but as I sit withering away in this hot, sticky and stuffy office today, I wish to share my gratitude. #immelting
If you have any other ideas to stay cool; do share please.
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