When I am too hot at work, I like to open a window, retrieve an ice lolly from the kitchen, and kick off my shoes. But for many people, this is not an option. Finding the right temperature can make a big difference to how happy—and productive—we are at work. It can also be the cause of some serious arguments.

The idea of a perfect temperature, though, is something of a red herring. Research into workplace psychology shows that, ultimately, people just want to have a level of control over their environment.

Take Steve, for example. I interviewed him as part of a research project looking into people’s well-being at work. Commenting on the heat of an earlier August he said:

“You watch the sun moving ’round the office. When it gets to you, you know you’re going to cook like a Sunday joint. And it’s always sticky. We have to ask [the facilities management team] to get the temperature turned down, but by the time they’ve done it, the weather’s changed, and you’re bloody freezing instead.”

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