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I can't handle the cold

W

Wireless

Well-Known Member
I work two part-time jobs. One is in a nursery and the other is in the supermarket.
The furnace at the supermarket has been broken since Thursday evening. It is so cold! I can focus properly and it triggers anxiety attacks in me because I can't escape the discomfort until my shift is over. We've been allowed to get hot drinks from the canteen when we want them, but it's not enough for me. Every hour I find some excuse to go the canteen for a few minutes of relief before returning to my work.
Unfortunately, in the UK there is no solid law regarding minimal acceptable temperatures for working environments. There is a guideline stating that employers have a responsibility to maintain a comfortable environment for their employees, which means our manager can lawfully keep the store open until repairs are complete - which, rumors have it, won't be anytime soon!
I had thought of calling in sick, but my supervisor will guess that I'm not physically sick. Plus, you have to fill in a detailed Return To Work form explaining why you were away. I can't face the thought of that interrogation.

How do you guys cope with situations like this without being overwhelmed?
Thank you
 
That messed up. Get the owner and lock him up in the coldest room for some days until he gets the heat back on. Wish I could think of some useful advice for you.
 
I'm very sensitive to the cold and can totally relate to this problem. When I was staying at my mum's house a while back, I had no heating in my room and during the winter months it was too cold to work. I didn't get much understanding from her, either.

If this is a temporary heating failure, then there's probably not a lot you can do about it until it gets fixed. If, after two or three days the problem isn't fixed, you could approach your boss and say that you are finding it hard to work because you hands are cold, it's slowing you down a lot and you can't work as efficiently, could a temporary heater be provided? The last thing a boss wants to hear is that an employee can't work as fast - it may affect the business too, as the customers will also be cold. Otherwise, the only thing I can suggest is thermal underwear to wear under the uniform - shirts and longjohns can help, though I'd avoid woollen ones because they are scratchy, and plenty of hot liquids.
 
Can you keep a large thermos of hot drink at your station? My husband found one at an outfitters store which is stainless steel and keeps coffee hot for a whole day (I kid you not). I can't recall the brand but I am sure it will come to me.

You might ask the employees who work in the freezers and cold storage what they recommend, too! ;) Before our house had central heating, I just wore heavy Irish cardigans (layers of them), fingerless gloves, and heavy hats and socks all the time.
 
Wireless said:
I work two part-time jobs. One is in a nursery and the other is in the supermarket.
The furnace at the supermarket has been broken since Thursday evening. It is so cold! I can focus properly and it triggers anxiety attacks in me because I can't escape the discomfort until my shift is over. We've been allowed to get hot drinks from the canteen when we want them, but it's not enough for me. Every hour I find some excuse to go the canteen for a few minutes of relief before returning to my work.
Unfortunately, in the UK there is no solid law regarding minimal acceptable temperatures for working environments. There is a guideline stating that employers have a responsibility to maintain a comfortable environment for their employees, which means our manager can lawfully keep the store open until repairs are complete - which, rumors have it, won't be anytime soon!
I had thought of calling in sick, but my supervisor will guess that I'm not physically sick. Plus, you have to fill in a detailed Return To Work form explaining why you were away. I can't face the thought of that interrogation.

How do you guys cope with situations like this without being overwhelmed?
Thank you
Click to expand...


Hang on - I'm from the U.K and I came across this when the heating at my workplace failed: HSE - Temperature: What the Law says
It might not be 'absolute legal requirements', but it still should be taken into consideration if the temperature has dropped below that level and its affecting your work productivity.
 
There was something about stuff being either too hot or too cold, and we humans over react to it. zen and that type of stuff related. Its like the trained Monks have high tolerance to pain,changes,temperature, etc,etc.

So what if, we just need to become more human, better than human. not better than human, but like more , like a better living human being???
 
We keep our thermostat turned down a little because it doesn't bother the kids or my DH, and it helps us save some money. But I'm cold! One of the things I've done is get some really warm, thick socks that I wear over regular socks, and I dress in lots of thin layers (that's warmer than one thick layer). This year I invested in some base layer clothing that is designed specifically to help keep the heat in. Men's base layers are cheaper, and you can get pants or a top for about $12 on amazon.com. Wal-Mart has pretty cheap base layer clothing, too. (stupid question--do they have Wal-Mart in the UK?)
 
AGXStarseed said:
Hang on - I'm from the U.K and I came across this when the heating at my workplace failed: HSE - Temperature: What the Law says
It might not be 'absolute legal requirements', but it still should be taken into consideration if the temperature has dropped below that level and its affecting your work productivity.
Click to expand...

I was just about to post that link, whilst there is no 'law' there is a health and safety standard in the UK, as you've quoted.
 
The first winter when I had moved from California to Nevada I froze. Sitting each night in my living room shivering...keeping the thermostat at a level that satisfied my budget rather than my well being.

I still turn the thermostat off at night, but while I am awake I keep it at 71 degrees fahrenheit and wear plenty of heavy clothes indoors. Even while living one day at a time I can't do so if I'm freezing all the time. I guess my body became acclimated to temperate California weather over the years. Or I'm just getting older. Probably both...

For as frugal as I can be this is one issue where I've learned not to try to cut corners.
 
Naturalist said:
Can you keep a large thermos of hot drink at your station? My husband found one at an outfitters store which is stainless steel and keeps coffee hot for a whole day (I kid you not). I can't recall the brand but I am sure it will come to me.
Click to expand...

The thermos I mentioned is from hydroflask.com . They aren't cheap, but a very nice luxury!
 
That sounds terrible! I hope your boss gets that damned heat situation sorted out right away! Does he work there too? How does he keep warm?
 
What? Discreetly throw a handful of nails under his tires on the way in to work, cough on his coffee cup when you are sick, put vaseline on his doorknobs, just kidding.
Start dressing for the cold.. You will be comfortable and he will begin to realize how ridiculous it is to have everyone dressing like they are forced to work outside.
Dress in layers making sure that you keep your neck warm. This is essential for your comfort, and to prevent illness.
 
Unfortunately employers can often be incredibly irresponsible and absent minded about maintaining a safe working environment. Whether it conforms within laws and regulations or not. Probably a dynamic no different "across the pond".

When I was a workers compensation underwriter, I occasionally took great relish in personally chastising our insured business owners over their mistreatment of employees in scheduled inspections. Most of the time they were scared to death of me and anything I wrote down...which could easily translate into higher premiums or worse...non-renewal.

On occasion I'd see conditions I couldn't believe professionals and non-professionals had to work under. :eek:
 
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My husband had the opposite problem last summer at his workplace. The air conditioning system malfunctioned, his boss thought he was quite the repair guy. Instead of having the system serviced right away, he started tinkering with it himself while his employees sweltered. After a whole week of extreme discomfort, he finally got somebody professional to fix it. Everyone cordially hated him at this point, of course.
 
I don't feel I can keep my house above 62 degrees ( I know 16 is 61 in Celsius) because of the cost of propane. I wear warm socks, slippers, genes, one or two sweat shirts and a very heavy, full length robe in order to tolerate the cold I impose on myself. I use an electric blanket on my bed during the winter. During the summer I am almost scantily dressed to allow me to keep the use of the central air to a minimum. I have other things I want to use my money on than temperature control. However, before I retired I did allow myself more creature comforts.
 
Oh how horrible for you and yes, if there is no way out, panic starts kicking.

Just an idea for you. Not sure if you have to wear uniform, but even so, you can wear things under or over. Jersey is great to ware, which you could wear under your uniform. Wool is great too, but mixed in with a softer fabric, because pure wool is corse.

Little is better than many and I mean, layers. Sitting up, rather than crouching is a way to mentally warm up.

You can also try and reason with your supervisor that feeling cold results in colds and flu, which means, less work which means less money, so wouldn't it be wiser to make the invironment warmer? Of course if you are in a huge building, then that is just not achievable, because the heat will spread and thus cool, so it comes down to you dressing for the occasion.

I live in France now; am from the UK and I often see women, especially walking around with layers of clothes on, but they are shivering and huddled over. I am out in my 80% wool knee length coat, with either one jumper underneath or a cotton scarf for my throat area and thigh high boots and barely feel the cold. The key is wool, because it is warm and waterproof, but again, mixed with another fabric is best.

Lol obsession with clothes and fabrics, does have its usages hehehe cannot dress make at all, but love the practical element
 
Thank you, everyone, for all your helpful and sympathetic replies.
Today I heard rumors that the furnace will be fixed by this evening - hopefully! Also, they've finally brought in some temporary heaters, which helped a little.
 
Could you be anemic? I used to have problems with the cold. They cleared up a lot after I started taking a children's multivitamin with 90% daily recommended iron intake. I wouldn't go taking an iron supplement, it might shock your system, kids vitamins are safer, in my opinion.
 
MicroWeiss said:
Could you be anemic? I used to have problems with the cold. They cleared up a lot after I started taking a children's multivitamin with 90% daily recommended iron intake. I wouldn't go taking an iron supplement, it might shock your system, kids vitamins are safer, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea. I've not considered this before, so I looked up the symptoms. It doesn't seem likely.
 
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