Due to the energy crisis, Germany is suffering from a lack of gas. Should Putin turn off the gas tap, it could get cold in the winter. Companies are therefore desperately looking for solutions for their employees in the office.
12, 17, 20 degrees – how cold or warm should it be at work? Lower natural gas and electricity consumption can help to stabilize the energy supply in winter. Turn down the heating a bit in winter and the air conditioning in summer: the usual temperatures could change in many offices and factory buildings so that Germany has more natural gas and electricity left over.
The reason: the energy crisis. With a possible Russian gas supply stop, the appeals for savings from production and private households extend to the working world of millions of people. Whether and how new rules can be enforced is, however, just as vigorously debated.
“Every degree counts,” said the President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), Peter Adrian, of the German Press Agency. It is therefore important to think about the minimum temperatures required on the job. “In my warehouse I have to guarantee either 17 or 19 degrees – depending on the extent to which people occasionally work there. Adrian thinks it’s easy to turn the dial in offices too. “Then you might have to dress a bit warmer.”
In politics, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is looking for “solutions”. In the event of a gas emergency, how can the need to save more energy be reconciled with protecting the health of the workforce?
Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has not yet had to announce the third and highest warning level. In the event of large quantities of gas escaping, this step should first lead to rationing in the industry – and some companies even suspending their operations entirely.
The economy therefore has a direct interest in not letting the worst happen. However, the fact that the focus is now on workspaces and conditions makes the German trade union federation somewhat suspicious. In any case, blanket changes in temperature are difficult to imagine, says Board Member Anja Piel.
Because a job is not just a job. In addition, the energetic renovation must progress. “Ordering employees to freeze or wear thick sweaters is irresponsible,” says Piel. And: “The debate about the question ‘How cold is it at the workplace?’ is superfluous and not productive.” The decisive factor in the current occupational health and safety law is “flexible guide values for the lower temperature limit”.
The lower thresholds are defined in a so-called technical rule. Accordingly, the minimum values for the air temperature should be between 12 and 20 degrees Celsius, depending on the severity of the activity. 12 degrees apply to hard physical work, 17 to 20 degrees for less physically demanding work. The temperature in break, standby, sanitary, canteen and first aid rooms must be at least 21 degrees. The Ministry of Labor said: “This rule does not meet binding requirements in the event of a gas emergency.”
The DIHK boss asked for understanding. Regulations have to be reassessed. “This includes regulations to heat workshops, offices and even warehouses to certain temperatures. The values are prescribed by the workplace ordinance, even if people who work there want to get by with less.” The International Energy Agency warned: “This winter will be very, very difficult in Europe.”
This is how the companies deal with the issue: Deutsche Telekom adheres to the valid guideline of 20 degrees for light work while sitting. “Should there be any temporary changes to the regulation, we would of course take them into account.”
At the consumer goods manufacturer Henkel, the smaller part of the energy requirement in the summer goes into office buildings. “For the autumn/winter we are dealing with various possible scenarios – depending on how the gas supply develops over the course of the year.”
As a large supermarket chain, Rewe is examining whether the temperature in the shops could drop a little. “It still has to be clarified what is reasonable and what that brings,” it said. However, the company is less concerned with the often gas-intensive heating than with the often electricity-intensive cooling – there can hardly be any savings.
The software group SAP has not taken any additional measures, also because many employees are working from home. For the coming heating period, the goal is 21 to 22 degrees in offices because of the predominantly sedentary activities.
The automotive supplier Continental explains: “We are examining how and whether energy can be saved by regulating the room temperature at the workplace.” Many point out that they want to discuss the topic with the works councils – this is the case at VW, for example. There is still no clear line among the metal employers in Lower Saxony.
Total metal boss Stefan Wolf believes that the leadership must set a good example. He exhibited lighting and irrigation in the garden at home. “If I’m not a role model, I can’t expect the same from my employees either.” The internal temperature in the company had already been reduced to 18 degrees in April.
