Third of Britons make up an excuse to get out of work during a heatwave, survey claims

Of those in the office, two in five have fallen out with a colleague over the temperature of the air conditioning

Millions of workers say they feel “trapped” in their office when the sun is shining outdoors, a survey has found.

As the UK basks in temperatures of almost 30 degrees Celsius, three in five office-based employees admit they feel glum at the thought of being stuck indoors during the heatwave.

And a third went as far as to say they feel trapped inside, while one in four believe they are wasting their life in front of their computer rather than making the most of the nice weather.

Almost one in five even admitted to being distracted at work by thoughts of their friends and family who are out enjoying the sunshine without them.

Working Britons wish they could take 12 extra “sun days” a year to soak up some extra Vitamin D.

The results emerged in a survey by Andrews Sykes, which has brought the sun indoors at one office by creating an ”office beach”.

Complete with sand, cocktails and games, the “office beach” brings a taste of the summer to an otherwise-drab office environment.

A spokesperson for Andrews Sykes says: “Workers this week have definitely been feeling the heat cooped up in their office blocks, and it can be demoralising to see the sun peeking through the window from behind your computer monitor.

“Hopefully our office beach has brought a bit of sunshine into the lives of all the workers stuck indoors during the latest heatwave.

“And who knows, maybe it will catch on in offices around the country looking to bring a taste of summer into the workplace.”

The survey of 2,000 office workers found 31 per cent have been guilty of coming up with an excuse to get out of the building and catch some extra rays on a workday.

A third of those have pulled a sickie, and one in ten have said a relative was unwell and they could not make it in.

While 28 per cent spend their ‘sun day’ in the garden, one in seven hit the beach.

But for those left behind in the office, tensions soon rise with two in five office workers admitting they have fallen out with a colleague over the air conditioning in the office.

Of those, 41 per cent were griping because they felt conditions were too cold, while 36 per cent were left sweating it out, waiting for some relief from the heat.

And 42 per cent work with a colleague who is always cold, even when the office is stifling for everyone else.

Researchers also found the temperature of the average office is usually a warm 21 degrees Celsius, but workers would prefer the cooler climes of an office conditioned to 18 degrees Celsius.

And two thirds wish their employer would do something to permanently improve the temperature in the office.

A spokesperson for Andrews Sykes says: “If you have ever spent an extended period of time working in an office environment, you will know that your colleagues have all kinds of habits, preferences and idiosyncrasies to contend with.

“Keeping everyone happy and comfortable can be a nightmare.

“We all know that one colleague who runs a little colder than everyone else, yet refuses to wear a jumper, or that one person who sneaks the thermostat down a few degrees to keep the sweat off their brow.

“In these summer months it’s important to keep our tempers cool as well as our offices – don’t let a hot office give you a hot head with your colleagues or your boss.”

South West News Service