Turtleneck atmosphere at the coffee machine. Energy saving obliges, companies have revised the thermostat downwards. A context that is not necessarily comfortable when you spend the day behind the keyboard.
“After a few hours, my fingers freeze”underlines Amélie who works in public administration in Nice.
“Some colleagues have tried to get the word out to superiors but obviously it’s not a question of going beyond the government’s recommendations…”
The challenge: managing energy
A limit that doesn’t bother Cindy Lafaix, all smiles in her thick poncho. Behind her desk a Nice green in La Colle-sur-Loup, the executive assistant holds the reins of the thermostat: “We are in an old stone building so when we arrive on Monday morning it burns!”. But it’s not about blowing reversible heaters at full speed.
“We had to change the dress code, yes. Wearing a blouse is a little more difficult. At work, we all dress warmer”says the manager in the midst of the thirty workstations available to colleagues.
In the world of the shared office, it is essential to manage energy in the best possible way. Véronique Marce, in particular responsible for the Vence BaousCamp coworking space, testifies to it: “We are gas heated, so our users of individual spaces are requested not to turn off the radiators completely when they leave, but to lower the temperature. Otherwise it requires too much expense to get them going again.”
The business promotion manager, who also wears several layers of clothing, agrees that hot drinks have become popular in cold weather. Comfort that keeps hands warm: “Look, while I’m talking to you, I made a little muff with my scarf, let’s do what we can”.
“We heat up to 21°”
Comfort: sinew of war for shared workspace managers. “For our part, we have invested in electric convectors to replace our reversible air conditioners”says Mélodie Becquet at Les Satellites in the center of Nice.
“We have a problem with the windows in the lower room, the cold comes from there. But as tenants we can’t do the necessary work.”
Here, let’s not hide it: “We are not at 19 degrees, but at 21″. Especially since the attendance at 15 avenue Georges-Clemenceau increased with the worsening of the weather: “We see some people coming more often. That’s the whole problem for telecommuters: bills go up when you’re home.”
