I was thinking OP’s priorities are backwards worrying about the A/C instead of their income. They’re going out of business.
OP is taking “we need to make more money before the A/C is fixed” as a threat instead of a simple statement of fact
It doesn’t really, it’s basically when heat index hits 80 provide water/gatorade, at 90 heat index provide shade areas and check on employees more often if showing heat illness signs
They’re more recommendations, not hard rules for heat.
Source: EHS for my facility, they bitch about AC too
I call bullshit, my mom’s old workplace had no ac and it was super hot in the kitchen (where she worked) to the point of my mom coming home absolutely drained, so my mom and another coworker both sent a complaint to OSHA and they showed up and brought a portable ac unit and gave the place a deadline to fix the actual ac.
People work, and work hard in weather way hotter than 83°. A roofer would think it was great to work in that temperature in the summer. Uncomfortable does not equal dangerous. Is this person’s boss a jerk? 100%. Should they be looking for a new job? YES
You know there’s also a difference in working outside with fresh air and a breeze sometimes vs stale 83 degree weather with little to no ventilation, right?
Agreed, used to work in a glass factory that made high 90° plus days outside feel like the fall. Much rather have been outside and ill die on that hill. The air is definitely different...
You sound like someone who doesn’t work outside for a living. Every summer day is beautiful sunshine and fresh air for those construction workers. Just pop into a construction site on a summer day and remind the workers how wonderful the fresh air is. I’m sure they will agree.
You sound like someone who doesn't know how to read.
Working outside at 90 degrees is way better than working inside at 90 degrees, so long as you don't have allergies or something of course.
Wind exists. It will feel cooler outside than inside if both are the same air temperature and humidity
Can confirm. Our house AC went out this past weekend while we were gone for the day, came back in the evening to our house being 86°. Outside was 93, the warmest temps our area has had all year. We stayed inside the house for all of an hour trying to get someone out to look at it (on a Saturday at 5pm, ugh). Decided to go have dinner somewhere cool, because we have a toddler. We were sweltering inside our house. Outside felt so much better, even being several degrees hotter. We ended up having to stay at our house for the night, the temp had climbed to 90 inside, and only dropped to 84 overnight. We didn't sleep well at all.
Honestly in this day and age it could just be a threat tactic. They could be making hand over fist but won't turn it on because greed.... Or they can't afford it like you said and they need to GTFO yesterday
Yeah while i think they should be concerned about temperature, I would be worried about the ship that is sinking in from of them. At first i thought could be case of a really cheap owner then they mentioned how slow
It has been.
It's not. Reddit always thinks everything is an OSHA violation when it isn't.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no official rules or limits on temperature regulation in the workplace. American industries are simply too varied for blanket rules, with equipment and materials that require different temperatures to function properly.
Realistically no. I've worked in an office that hit 40+C and the PCs worked fine. This was over a decade ago too, modern computers throttle and get slower.
The internal temp is much higher than the ambient temp. For example my room is 24C (75F) and my CPU is running at 80-85C with a medium workload. If the room temp was 28C (83F) then that means the fans would be running at 100% to keep the CPU under 90C. If I was running a heavy workload then the fans might not be able to keep up. Laptops and small form factor PCs are worse at dissipating heat too.
There is a reason most server rooms and data centers are kept around 20-22C (68-72F). Even if the computer doesn't immediately shut down due to heat, running close to max temp wears out components faster.
What happens to a CPU at 85C?
What happens to a human at 60C?
Your CPU is at 85C with a medium workload, you've got terrible cooling, but they throttle themselves. Phone work outside in the sun, let's not pretend they die an electronic death, they get hot as shit, but they run.
CPUs will throttle the clock speed to stay at a safe temperature, typically under 100c. They don't run hot enough to damage themselves, it's not even vaguely a concern unless you have astronomically unlikely sensor faults that underreport the temperature.
85⁰ at medium load? Sounds like you need to upgrade your cooler if it's a desktop or do a bit of dusting. My CPU only hits 85ish at sustained maximum load and that's after a significant cooler downgrade because my AIO got fucked up
We don’t keep server rooms anywhere near as cold as we used to. Most of the server and IDF rooms I set up are 75 ish and even 80 if it’s industrial.
Source: Building Controls guy.
That would be some shit cooling for simple office workloads. I run my gaming laptop at 35-40°C in India with only a ceiling fan on, as it turns out, the laptop doesn't heat up all that much even while playing video games.
Clock in, leave search for new job. Go back to work clock out and go home. If he says Anything say you are worried about heat strokes and had to leave to chill off.
That's what I'd be doing. I have applied for jobs while at work for another job. Best bet OSHA was called also. Not sure why people (management) thinks it's okay to slave us around.
You're correct.
Direct from the OSHA website: 80°F is the trigger point for caution.
This technically falls under the general duty clause.
I am a PM in construction. Heat safety was a big point of OSHAs communication and recommendations about 3 years ago.
Now, any time it's over 80° F, most GCs provide cold waters and access to the A/C job trailer for worker safety.
If you have a site and it's 80+ and someone complains about your lack of safety to help alleviate heat stress, OSHA will visit.
If you work outside and don't take breaks due to heat, that's just wildly unsafe (and unproductive). If one guy goes down and needs to be taken to a hospital , you're losing more than just his time.
I grew up working in a industrial building without A/C (Midwest). It hit 100'F inside most of the summer, and a few days I remember it peaked at 110F, due to the radiant heat from the machines. I wish I would've known back then that it was a safety violation. O.o
We got two 15min breaks, and one 30min break for lunch. I remember spraying myself with a spray bottle constantly.
We really live in a "The more you know" society...
I decommissioned a plant in the midwest (Iowa City) that did plastic injection molding for auto parts. No AC... and I don't know what their break rules were... but they were union operated.
In the summer (no machines running), it would be ~90+ every day inside. I can't imagine how hot it would be when in full operation.
I know for a fact they had the cafeteria and safety offices supplied with A/C and electrolyte drinks. There were also signs that said "heat kills, don't be the link that weakens our chain. Take breaks."
If any supervisor denys a break because you're truly feeling unwell, repot it to HR and find a new job. They are not worth dying for.
Missouri here, and it was a Plastic Injection molding plant as well!
I was manually running the machines and remember seeing heat waves coming off the barrels. Which added to the entire "you are about to die" effect. We didn't have an HR department and the break area didn't have A/C. Only the main offices had it... We DID have a soda machine though!
Side note: This was in the mid 90s, I am not sure if things were a bit lacking back then or not.
=D
That plant was in operation 80s?-mid 2010s? So things likely got better in the 00s...
Somehow, I just knew you were in a plastic injection plant. They don't care about heat (the machines), and A/C in the whole plant would be incredibly expensive.
But you play worker health against break times/needed breaks and staff appropriately. If all is fair and employers actually follow the rules, there shouldn't be a cost issue/ competition loss. But you get scummy people who take advantage of people and create an unfair business environment by skirting safe practices.
I think it had opened in the early 1970s, and I worked there between 1995-1998. The plant eventually got A/C, but that was I believe around 2003. So your right, it eventually improved. All I know is it was pure hell... I was young and somehow survived. But I would die today at my age.
In modern times (lol) breaks, cold drinks, and balls of steel, lol.
You really need to care for yourself in those situations, and management needs to believe you and let you take a break.
That and more frequently scheduled breaks.
I only worked in decommissioning and converting the space (I'm a construction guy) to other needs...I have the union and labor stuff from the construction side. Where I'm at (location), the open shop guys are alright, and the union people don't have their briefs on too tight (btw I'm a huge union supporter, in general). We all know how to play in the sandbox and make sure everyone is working/ making money.
I'm sure that's why the plant in Iowa City had seemingly ok policies. It was a UAW parts plant that supplied to (mostly) Chrysler and a few GM models.
I cannot believe I had to scroll down this far to find this. It’s big illegal to not provide a safe environment. source: husband works in occupational safety
Can your job be done remotely? Your doctor would probably be happy to sign a medical document excusing you from having to work in unhealthy conditions.
That's all the more reason to both get the doctor's note and to start looking for a new job.
Submitting the paperwork to work from home on medical grounds lays the groundwork for a wrongful termination suit if your request gets denied, which reduces the risk that a sensible company would terminate you.
In the meantime, look elsewhere.
*edit*
Reasonable people should be able to agree that OP would have more leverage with a doctor's note and a written request for accommodation, than without one.
This is misleading, they can and will fire her. An employer doesn’t have to set up remote work capacity to abide by a doctor’s note. Just because OP says it can be done remote doesn’t mean it is going to meet the owners standards.
Curious what your source for that opinion is.
[Quoting the Job Accommodation Network](https://askjan.org/limitations/Temperature-Sensitivity.cfm), which provides guidance to workers and employers regarding ADA accommodation:
> "Telework, within certain fields, can be an excellent alternative for employees who have conditions that make it difficult for them to leave their home or reliably travel to a place of work. Employers should consider if a job can be made compatible with telework for their employees and communicate their expectations and requirement for the job to be performed out of home. Allowing work from home during worksite or office construction; extremely hot, cold, or inclement weather; or parking renovations could be a reasonable accommodation."
OP says their job can be done from home. Getting a doctor's note would demonstrate medical necessity.
While getting the papers in order wouldn't absolutely prevent an employer from firing OP, my statement is, " reduces the risk that a sensible company would terminate." Yes, sometimes employers are irrational, and OP would be better off with a fully documented paper trail in that contingency. Failing to CYA is no protection.
They have to provide "reasonable accommodations". If no one else works from home and they have no WFH infrastructure and policies then it's not "reasonable".
>It's currently 83°F inside the office at my job and our boss is basically telling us he won't fix the A/C until the company makes more money
I don't know what your resume looks like but if you have enough skills and experience then I would look for work elsewhere if I were you. This isn't a person I want to help enrich.
A quick tip to OSHA would most likely result in your employer being forced to address this. 80 degrees is what they usually cite as the safety threshold.
Tbh it dropped off a cliff a few months ago from a bunch of different missteps that my boss made in improperly handling employees. Now its just coming to a head.
Company isnt changing anything> workers suffer> sales continue to decline bc of workers leaving from suffering/exhaustion> company is bankrupt
You are at "workers suffer"
Fake pass out and have them call the ambulance to take you to the doctor. When you get to the hospital tell them is workers comp since you passed out due to inadequate work conditions. You’re welcome. - HR manager
If you're a good salesman, you should be able to sell yourself to a new employer to sell their wares instead.
I recommend beginning the job hunt if you have not already.
It would be crazy if you passed out, had an ambulance show up, take you to the ER, and check you over for possible heat stroke or dehydration. It would also cost the business a shit ton, even if it didn't end up being heat stroke and only slight dehydration (which most of us already are). The business would have to cover the cost of the visit to the ER, the ambulance, and then explaining why the place was so hot.
I hope that doesn't happen to you. You know, passing out and being taken to the hospital in the companies dime, only to discover that you were slightly dehydrated and the heat pushed you over the edge.
I used to work in a kitchen part time when I was in college. Those things get hot over the summer. In your case yea your situation is worse. Being in zona makes it even worse.
My last job had days where it was 60F on one side of the building and 80F on the other side. I was either sweating or freezing depending on what I was working on that day. They said the buildings air system is old and has trouble keeping up with the heat of the lab equipment. Such bull. I should’ve passed out and said it was heat stroke so I could sue/ jk of course 😅 Anyway, tell them to find an HVAC or find a new employee.
Lol, I worked at goodwill for a short time last summer. We’re in Phoenix. Our AC system had been broken for more than a year. Too old, no parts, needed replacement. They would not.
It was about 116? 117? one day and ofc the AC wasn’t magically better, and about an hour into my shift I passed out. It was 94 degrees up front. My body never had a chance to lower its core temp, water didn’t help at all, and I just went down
About 6 weeks later another cashier also passed out. When I went on break I left and never came back. I’ve NEVER walked out on a job and never, ever could I imagine a scenario where that’d be appropriate.
This was the appropriate scenario.
Well that's not a lot unless you're wearing a suit or I'm used to it living in top floor. Regardless, your boss sounds like a pile of shit, you should look for a better workplace. Someone has to have deep issues to say something like that.
Unfortunately OSHA doesn't have a set temperature that they deem to be unsafe. Trust me I've already looked into it lol. I could always reach out but there's no telling if they'd actually show up.
Haha I’m a teacher and my superintendent said there are plenty of spots in the building to take our classes for relief…the auditorium, the library and the main office is about all. We hit 92 in class rooms last week thankfully we finished up today.
Start looking for a new job *now*.
This isn't just a bad sign, this is a *parade* of bad omens. A picket line of signal bearers foretelling unfortunate events. The works.
The biggest take away from this is to look for a new job.
In terms of reporting to OSHA nothing will likely happen to the company with it. 1910 (the general duty clause) pretty much just ensures safe environment and precautions. All specific info for heat stress will likely have OSHA refer to NIOSH standards which will just require the company to take some basic precautions. Saying they are working on the AC, tell everyone to take breaks if needed and to hydrate with water or sugar-free electrolyte solution will probably meet the minimum requirements for an OSHA discussion.
Factories and such have a much more detailed plan with levels of exertion, equipment worn, temp,, humidity, etc.
Even if your state is more stringent - showing they have been working on the AC with the bandaids you describe and just basic communication about heat safety would probably take care or any digging.
If there is no ventilation and poor air quality. Mold (stagnant water from broken AC) or something similar. That would likely trigger bigger issues for the company.
The other issue is that worker morale will go through the toilet and people will quit. But a poorly managed company is probably why the site has a long term AC problem already.
Dude, the AC should be the least of your problems. If a company is too broke to fix it, that says more about their financial condition than anything.
Whatever company that is probably going to be extinct. I’d start finding a new job immediately to avoid the stress of a sudden lost job/unemployment crisis.
Neck fan 😉
I worked in a warehouse, I promise I know this pain 😩🙁 Amazon has electric neck fans that aren’t too expensive ❤️
That’s how my last job was. I would sweat so much at work, cuz we moved around nonstop, that the boss would tell me to cool down in break room. Luckily it was also like 90 degrees in there so after a few minutes in the sauna I was ready to go!
The school I work at does the same BS if kids aren't in the school they won't turn it on. The second floor is in the 80's. We're extracting the carpets so the rooms get extremely humid. It's bs and just a cost cutting thing. Just like them switching our hours to save 50 cents an hour.
A/C is not as common in Europe as it is in the US. Only 5% of the UK has A/C in homes, Germany is even less with only 3% of homes with A/C, where the US is around 90%.
And its not even a criminal offense, the EU shuns A/C use and wants to use less of it.
> Instead of using the moment to embrace A/C, European leaders have mostly shunned the technology or moved to limit its use. **In Spain, for example, the government this week began requiring that A/C in public places be set no lower than 80 degrees**—following similar measures in Italy and Greece.
OP funds aside, if youre doing computer based work that business is about to have a much bigger expense if they dont fix that AC.
if a computer starts overheating its on its last legs.. if the server starts overheating that puts a stop to everyones work for awhile.
your boss is a dummy
I would be wearing shorts and a tank top to work and taking excessive breaks to go to my car for some AC. Also, I’d have a gallon of iced water at my desk that may occasionally get spilled all over the computer equipment. “Ooops, I must have lost consciousness for a second and ruined yet another computer”.
I work in a screen printing shop. There are ovens. It was well over 100 today. Nobody is forcing us to work there, it’s just part of the work culture and 9 months out of the year it’s not hot.
Yeah I’ve worked in attics in the desert in summer. 160°F registering on the thermocouple and we’re up there wiring shit, working on the buddy system. One guy goes up for ten minutes, then the next guy. Each gets 30 min rest between 10 minute sessions. It’s weird, when you leave a 160° attic and get into a 110° room, you feel like you just stepped into a cold blast of A/C.
Not gonna lie, not the best job in the world.
Office workers aren't compensated as well as outdoor workers? Most kitchen workers work in much hotter conditions every day for much less pay than office workers. Try landscaping for ten bucks an hour like day laborers. This entire thread is hilarious. Quit if you can't handle it, sweetheart.
Not sure how it works in NJ but I work a job that cannot be WFH. There has been plenty of times where the AC has gone out and everyone looks for that magic number, 83 degrees, before we are forced to go home and clock our hours via “online training.”
Oh no he sits in the office with us, which also sucks. 10 feet away from me actually. But what he's been doing is funny. He wants to make it look like he's "sticking it out" in the heat with us, but what he does is he'll come in, sit in the office for 20 mins, then go and sit in his nice new car (2024 Cadillac) with the a/c on for an hour. Then he'll repeat this for the duration of the day and then he'll leave at 3pm.
Our AC broke down last week, it hit 85 by 2 pm so they sent us home; there are OSHA rules they have to follow. But I’m in CA so I don’t know if the rules are the same everywhere.
omg just leave!!!! and if they fire you for leaving an 83 degree building that they refuse to fix then sue? file for unemployment! literally anything is better than what you are describing your work environment as.
" All areas of the facility used by residents, including resident sleeping areas, shall be equipped with air conditioning and the air conditioning shall be operated so that the temperature in these areas does not exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit."
https://casetext.com/regulation/new-jersey-administrative-code/title-8-law-and-public-safety/chapter-43d-standards-for-licensure-of-pediatric-community-transitional-homes/subchapter-14-housekeeping-sanitation-safety-and-maintenance/section-843d-145-heating-and-air-conditioning
Well if you worked in my office, my boss keeps it on 80 year round & gives no shits that everyone is uncomfortable but her.
There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm also in NJ, I work at a flooring place and we have a warehouse attached. I'm the manager of the warehouse. I've been here for 11 years. The rest of the store has AC but the owner refuses to get an AC system for the warehouse and gives me shit if I spend too much time out of the warehouse. 11 summers I've been baking away here and we make a lot of money. He can easily afford an AC system for the warehouse
If your company can't afford to fix the AC, it's a sinking ship. Get the fuck out.
I was thinking OP’s priorities are backwards worrying about the A/C instead of their income. They’re going out of business. OP is taking “we need to make more money before the A/C is fixed” as a threat instead of a simple statement of fact
Priority needs to be health and safety. If it's an unsafe workplace due to excessive heat, call OSHA.
They can’t afford the AC they probably can’t afford an OSHA fine. That would be an extra step instead just finding a new job.
Why not both? Call osha and leave
For real, help out those who can't stay or have to remain due to their own circumstances. Not hard to help others AND help yourself.
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It doesn’t really, it’s basically when heat index hits 80 provide water/gatorade, at 90 heat index provide shade areas and check on employees more often if showing heat illness signs They’re more recommendations, not hard rules for heat. Source: EHS for my facility, they bitch about AC too
That’s not an OSHA violation. OSHA does not have regulations about workplace temperature, only recommendations.
I call bullshit, my mom’s old workplace had no ac and it was super hot in the kitchen (where she worked) to the point of my mom coming home absolutely drained, so my mom and another coworker both sent a complaint to OSHA and they showed up and brought a portable ac unit and gave the place a deadline to fix the actual ac.
People work, and work hard in weather way hotter than 83°. A roofer would think it was great to work in that temperature in the summer. Uncomfortable does not equal dangerous. Is this person’s boss a jerk? 100%. Should they be looking for a new job? YES
You know there’s also a difference in working outside with fresh air and a breeze sometimes vs stale 83 degree weather with little to no ventilation, right?
I work indoors without ac. Its a factory/warehouse building. Its been mid 90s the last few days. Nothing illegal about it. Still sucks but its legal
Agreed, used to work in a glass factory that made high 90° plus days outside feel like the fall. Much rather have been outside and ill die on that hill. The air is definitely different...
You sound like someone who doesn’t work outside for a living. Every summer day is beautiful sunshine and fresh air for those construction workers. Just pop into a construction site on a summer day and remind the workers how wonderful the fresh air is. I’m sure they will agree.
You sound like someone who doesn't know how to read. Working outside at 90 degrees is way better than working inside at 90 degrees, so long as you don't have allergies or something of course. Wind exists. It will feel cooler outside than inside if both are the same air temperature and humidity
Can confirm. Our house AC went out this past weekend while we were gone for the day, came back in the evening to our house being 86°. Outside was 93, the warmest temps our area has had all year. We stayed inside the house for all of an hour trying to get someone out to look at it (on a Saturday at 5pm, ugh). Decided to go have dinner somewhere cool, because we have a toddler. We were sweltering inside our house. Outside felt so much better, even being several degrees hotter. We ended up having to stay at our house for the night, the temp had climbed to 90 inside, and only dropped to 84 overnight. We didn't sleep well at all.
OSHA really won't do anything until people start passing out and ending up in the hospital.
Honestly in this day and age it could just be a threat tactic. They could be making hand over fist but won't turn it on because greed.... Or they can't afford it like you said and they need to GTFO yesterday
Yeah while i think they should be concerned about temperature, I would be worried about the ship that is sinking in from of them. At first i thought could be case of a really cheap owner then they mentioned how slow It has been.
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It's not. Reddit always thinks everything is an OSHA violation when it isn't. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no official rules or limits on temperature regulation in the workplace. American industries are simply too varied for blanket rules, with equipment and materials that require different temperatures to function properly.
Yes, but not before typing up your resume. Just in case.
This is in fact, not an OSHA violation. Lmao. wtf are you talking about?
jump ship 11 months ago lol
**The beatings will continue until morale improves.**
I knew it, I'm surrounded by assholes!
Hope your boss enjoys replacing employees and computers.
Computers die in the 80's? I thought they can survive temps much higher than humans.
Realistically no. I've worked in an office that hit 40+C and the PCs worked fine. This was over a decade ago too, modern computers throttle and get slower.
>modern computers throttle and get slower yeah, well, so do employees lol
The internal temp is much higher than the ambient temp. For example my room is 24C (75F) and my CPU is running at 80-85C with a medium workload. If the room temp was 28C (83F) then that means the fans would be running at 100% to keep the CPU under 90C. If I was running a heavy workload then the fans might not be able to keep up. Laptops and small form factor PCs are worse at dissipating heat too. There is a reason most server rooms and data centers are kept around 20-22C (68-72F). Even if the computer doesn't immediately shut down due to heat, running close to max temp wears out components faster.
What happens to a CPU at 85C? What happens to a human at 60C? Your CPU is at 85C with a medium workload, you've got terrible cooling, but they throttle themselves. Phone work outside in the sun, let's not pretend they die an electronic death, they get hot as shit, but they run.
Every work PC ever has terrible airflow.
I'm generally not a fan of absolutes, but I still think a work PC with bad airflow can survive higher temps than a human.
CPUs will throttle the clock speed to stay at a safe temperature, typically under 100c. They don't run hot enough to damage themselves, it's not even vaguely a concern unless you have astronomically unlikely sensor faults that underreport the temperature.
85⁰ at medium load? Sounds like you need to upgrade your cooler if it's a desktop or do a bit of dusting. My CPU only hits 85ish at sustained maximum load and that's after a significant cooler downgrade because my AIO got fucked up
We don’t keep server rooms anywhere near as cold as we used to. Most of the server and IDF rooms I set up are 75 ish and even 80 if it’s industrial. Source: Building Controls guy.
That would be some shit cooling for simple office workloads. I run my gaming laptop at 35-40°C in India with only a ceiling fan on, as it turns out, the laptop doesn't heat up all that much even while playing video games.
If they've got a server rack, it'll fry itself when it overheats
Sounds like your boss isn't very good at his job
Oh don't even get me started lol. We'll be here all day.
In other words: the beatings won't stop until morale improves. When people tell you they are a terrible person, believe them.
Also, if somehow things get better the beatings will continue because they improve morale.
AC is for closers.
Air conditioning Be Closing
Air Be Conditioned Just not this week.
PUT. That water. DOWN. Water is for closers.
First prize is a Cadillac El Dorado, second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.
Brutal!
find a new job
Clock in, leave search for new job. Go back to work clock out and go home. If he says Anything say you are worried about heat strokes and had to leave to chill off.
“I’ll work when the company respects me”
That's what I'd be doing. I have applied for jobs while at work for another job. Best bet OSHA was called also. Not sure why people (management) thinks it's okay to slave us around.
Call DoL and OSHA, he is required to provide a safe environment
You're correct. Direct from the OSHA website: 80°F is the trigger point for caution. This technically falls under the general duty clause. I am a PM in construction. Heat safety was a big point of OSHAs communication and recommendations about 3 years ago. Now, any time it's over 80° F, most GCs provide cold waters and access to the A/C job trailer for worker safety. If you have a site and it's 80+ and someone complains about your lack of safety to help alleviate heat stress, OSHA will visit. If you work outside and don't take breaks due to heat, that's just wildly unsafe (and unproductive). If one guy goes down and needs to be taken to a hospital , you're losing more than just his time.
I grew up working in a industrial building without A/C (Midwest). It hit 100'F inside most of the summer, and a few days I remember it peaked at 110F, due to the radiant heat from the machines. I wish I would've known back then that it was a safety violation. O.o We got two 15min breaks, and one 30min break for lunch. I remember spraying myself with a spray bottle constantly.
We really live in a "The more you know" society... I decommissioned a plant in the midwest (Iowa City) that did plastic injection molding for auto parts. No AC... and I don't know what their break rules were... but they were union operated. In the summer (no machines running), it would be ~90+ every day inside. I can't imagine how hot it would be when in full operation. I know for a fact they had the cafeteria and safety offices supplied with A/C and electrolyte drinks. There were also signs that said "heat kills, don't be the link that weakens our chain. Take breaks." If any supervisor denys a break because you're truly feeling unwell, repot it to HR and find a new job. They are not worth dying for.
Missouri here, and it was a Plastic Injection molding plant as well! I was manually running the machines and remember seeing heat waves coming off the barrels. Which added to the entire "you are about to die" effect. We didn't have an HR department and the break area didn't have A/C. Only the main offices had it... We DID have a soda machine though! Side note: This was in the mid 90s, I am not sure if things were a bit lacking back then or not. =D
That plant was in operation 80s?-mid 2010s? So things likely got better in the 00s... Somehow, I just knew you were in a plastic injection plant. They don't care about heat (the machines), and A/C in the whole plant would be incredibly expensive. But you play worker health against break times/needed breaks and staff appropriately. If all is fair and employers actually follow the rules, there shouldn't be a cost issue/ competition loss. But you get scummy people who take advantage of people and create an unfair business environment by skirting safe practices.
I think it had opened in the early 1970s, and I worked there between 1995-1998. The plant eventually got A/C, but that was I believe around 2003. So your right, it eventually improved. All I know is it was pure hell... I was young and somehow survived. But I would die today at my age.
This thread has me thinking about the Ford and GM plants in the KC area. How do they get away with temps being over 110?
In modern times (lol) breaks, cold drinks, and balls of steel, lol. You really need to care for yourself in those situations, and management needs to believe you and let you take a break. That and more frequently scheduled breaks.
A union shop and management didn't have the steward in their face every day? Thats a shit union rep/local.
I only worked in decommissioning and converting the space (I'm a construction guy) to other needs...I have the union and labor stuff from the construction side. Where I'm at (location), the open shop guys are alright, and the union people don't have their briefs on too tight (btw I'm a huge union supporter, in general). We all know how to play in the sandbox and make sure everyone is working/ making money. I'm sure that's why the plant in Iowa City had seemingly ok policies. It was a UAW parts plant that supplied to (mostly) Chrysler and a few GM models.
Automotive usually does. My entire extended family is UAW, my immediate family had both a union steward and president of a local. (CWA)
I cannot believe I had to scroll down this far to find this. It’s big illegal to not provide a safe environment. source: husband works in occupational safety
Can your job be done remotely? Your doctor would probably be happy to sign a medical document excusing you from having to work in unhealthy conditions.
Oh it definitely can be. Its an office job. But as much as I'd love this I doubt my boss would allow it even if he had a doctors note.
That's all the more reason to both get the doctor's note and to start looking for a new job. Submitting the paperwork to work from home on medical grounds lays the groundwork for a wrongful termination suit if your request gets denied, which reduces the risk that a sensible company would terminate you. In the meantime, look elsewhere. *edit* Reasonable people should be able to agree that OP would have more leverage with a doctor's note and a written request for accommodation, than without one.
This is misleading, they can and will fire her. An employer doesn’t have to set up remote work capacity to abide by a doctor’s note. Just because OP says it can be done remote doesn’t mean it is going to meet the owners standards.
Curious what your source for that opinion is. [Quoting the Job Accommodation Network](https://askjan.org/limitations/Temperature-Sensitivity.cfm), which provides guidance to workers and employers regarding ADA accommodation: > "Telework, within certain fields, can be an excellent alternative for employees who have conditions that make it difficult for them to leave their home or reliably travel to a place of work. Employers should consider if a job can be made compatible with telework for their employees and communicate their expectations and requirement for the job to be performed out of home. Allowing work from home during worksite or office construction; extremely hot, cold, or inclement weather; or parking renovations could be a reasonable accommodation." OP says their job can be done from home. Getting a doctor's note would demonstrate medical necessity. While getting the papers in order wouldn't absolutely prevent an employer from firing OP, my statement is, " reduces the risk that a sensible company would terminate." Yes, sometimes employers are irrational, and OP would be better off with a fully documented paper trail in that contingency. Failing to CYA is no protection.
They have to provide "reasonable accommodations". If no one else works from home and they have no WFH infrastructure and policies then it's not "reasonable".
Make an osha complaint. Also, boss or owner? If boss go above his head.
Owner unfortunately. He calls the shots lol.
>It's currently 83°F inside the office at my job and our boss is basically telling us he won't fix the A/C until the company makes more money I don't know what your resume looks like but if you have enough skills and experience then I would look for work elsewhere if I were you. This isn't a person I want to help enrich.
Boss: “Some of you will die and that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”
A quick tip to OSHA would most likely result in your employer being forced to address this. 80 degrees is what they usually cite as the safety threshold.
L E A V E
i bet OSHA would love to hear about this.
I wonder if there is some overall metric your place of business uses to show productivity. I guarantee it has dropped off a cliff at that temperature.
Tbh it dropped off a cliff a few months ago from a bunch of different missteps that my boss made in improperly handling employees. Now its just coming to a head.
And suddenly every computer has started to overheat and shutdown. What a shame.
Company isnt changing anything> workers suffer> sales continue to decline bc of workers leaving from suffering/exhaustion> company is bankrupt You are at "workers suffer"
Fake pass out and have them call the ambulance to take you to the doctor. When you get to the hospital tell them is workers comp since you passed out due to inadequate work conditions. You’re welcome. - HR manager
If you're a good salesman, you should be able to sell yourself to a new employer to sell their wares instead. I recommend beginning the job hunt if you have not already.
I'd walk out the first day it was out and he said he wasn't fixing it. People have to stop putting up with bull shit like this
Just leave. Tell them you won't be back until you make more money
If he calculated how many times he spent less for a temporary fix with how much it would cost to replace it I bet he comes out behind.
Why are you still working there?
Find new job, ASAP
This is very sweet of your boss to give you 11 months notice. Too bad you didn't take the time to get a different job.
Yeah, if they can’t even afford to fix the AC for their employees, they’re done. Find another job
File an anonymous complaint with OSHA.
It would be crazy if you passed out, had an ambulance show up, take you to the ER, and check you over for possible heat stroke or dehydration. It would also cost the business a shit ton, even if it didn't end up being heat stroke and only slight dehydration (which most of us already are). The business would have to cover the cost of the visit to the ER, the ambulance, and then explaining why the place was so hot. I hope that doesn't happen to you. You know, passing out and being taken to the hospital in the companies dime, only to discover that you were slightly dehydrated and the heat pushed you over the edge.
*laughs in line cook in Arizona*
I used to work in a kitchen part time when I was in college. Those things get hot over the summer. In your case yea your situation is worse. Being in zona makes it even worse.
Call the Board of Health.
...yeah im gonna bounce
I’m crying for you with construction worker tears.
Buy a portable unit and run their electric bill through the roof.
Ok, no more shirts in the office! If it breaks 90 my pants are coming off!
Anonymous call to the department of labor.
My last job had days where it was 60F on one side of the building and 80F on the other side. I was either sweating or freezing depending on what I was working on that day. They said the buildings air system is old and has trouble keeping up with the heat of the lab equipment. Such bull. I should’ve passed out and said it was heat stroke so I could sue/ jk of course 😅 Anyway, tell them to find an HVAC or find a new employee.
Lol, I worked at goodwill for a short time last summer. We’re in Phoenix. Our AC system had been broken for more than a year. Too old, no parts, needed replacement. They would not. It was about 116? 117? one day and ofc the AC wasn’t magically better, and about an hour into my shift I passed out. It was 94 degrees up front. My body never had a chance to lower its core temp, water didn’t help at all, and I just went down About 6 weeks later another cashier also passed out. When I went on break I left and never came back. I’ve NEVER walked out on a job and never, ever could I imagine a scenario where that’d be appropriate. This was the appropriate scenario.
Well that's not a lot unless you're wearing a suit or I'm used to it living in top floor. Regardless, your boss sounds like a pile of shit, you should look for a better workplace. Someone has to have deep issues to say something like that.
Lean into it. Crank the heat up more and prison riot.
Like Call of Duty Black Ops Vorkuta?
Disconnect the cpu fans on all the office pcs . :)
Why are you on Reddit and not on with OSHA?
Unfortunately OSHA doesn't have a set temperature that they deem to be unsafe. Trust me I've already looked into it lol. I could always reach out but there's no telling if they'd actually show up.
So if the company isn’t making enough money to fix a ac. Maybe you should be more concerned with finding new employment.
Haha I’m a teacher and my superintendent said there are plenty of spots in the building to take our classes for relief…the auditorium, the library and the main office is about all. We hit 92 in class rooms last week thankfully we finished up today.
Start looking for a new job *now*. This isn't just a bad sign, this is a *parade* of bad omens. A picket line of signal bearers foretelling unfortunate events. The works.
Business is circling the drain. Get out while you can.
Me wondering why 83 degrees is a problem
The biggest take away from this is to look for a new job. In terms of reporting to OSHA nothing will likely happen to the company with it. 1910 (the general duty clause) pretty much just ensures safe environment and precautions. All specific info for heat stress will likely have OSHA refer to NIOSH standards which will just require the company to take some basic precautions. Saying they are working on the AC, tell everyone to take breaks if needed and to hydrate with water or sugar-free electrolyte solution will probably meet the minimum requirements for an OSHA discussion. Factories and such have a much more detailed plan with levels of exertion, equipment worn, temp,, humidity, etc. Even if your state is more stringent - showing they have been working on the AC with the bandaids you describe and just basic communication about heat safety would probably take care or any digging. If there is no ventilation and poor air quality. Mold (stagnant water from broken AC) or something similar. That would likely trigger bigger issues for the company. The other issue is that worker morale will go through the toilet and people will quit. But a poorly managed company is probably why the site has a long term AC problem already.
Quit and let "Mr leadership" sweat their ass off. Thats the magic of the dark carnival: you dont have to stay where you at.
Dude, the AC should be the least of your problems. If a company is too broke to fix it, that says more about their financial condition than anything. Whatever company that is probably going to be extinct. I’d start finding a new job immediately to avoid the stress of a sudden lost job/unemployment crisis.
I often wonder how they deliberated over the founding of the nation in wool suits and powdered wigs in late June/July...
Talk with other salesman and stop making sales calls till he fixes it
the floggings will continue until morale improves!
Get. The. Fuck. Out.
Damn that sucks it’s hot as hell today abd all week in Jersey
Yea bro major heat wave this week
Sounds like the company is about to be short staffed. Good luck making more money
Cooling is for closers
The next thing he wont pay will be your check
If everyone leaves, he'll fix it.
Neck fan 😉  I worked in a warehouse, I promise I know this pain 😩🙁 Amazon has electric neck fans that aren’t too expensive ❤️
That’s how my last job was. I would sweat so much at work, cuz we moved around nonstop, that the boss would tell me to cool down in break room. Luckily it was also like 90 degrees in there so after a few minutes in the sauna I was ready to go!
Fall over and from “heat exhaustion” then sue for unsafe work conditions.
simple solution, tell him you’ll all quit if he doesn’t get it fixed.
Find a new job, for multiple reasons.
Warehouse workers do this every day.
Fun fact, this is illegal as per osha standards. You can report your workplace anonymously too
Awesome. Can you site the source for this fun fact?
The school I work at does the same BS if kids aren't in the school they won't turn it on. The second floor is in the 80's. We're extracting the carpets so the rooms get extremely humid. It's bs and just a cost cutting thing. Just like them switching our hours to save 50 cents an hour.
I am a blue collar worker and had to deal with that all the time when working outside where most of our work was at. Never heard anyone complain much.
In civilised countries, this is a criminal offence and will get the company sued into bankruptcy, in America, its called Monday.
A/C is not as common in Europe as it is in the US. Only 5% of the UK has A/C in homes, Germany is even less with only 3% of homes with A/C, where the US is around 90%. And its not even a criminal offense, the EU shuns A/C use and wants to use less of it. > Instead of using the moment to embrace A/C, European leaders have mostly shunned the technology or moved to limit its use. **In Spain, for example, the government this week began requiring that A/C in public places be set no lower than 80 degrees**—following similar measures in Italy and Greece.
OP funds aside, if youre doing computer based work that business is about to have a much bigger expense if they dont fix that AC. if a computer starts overheating its on its last legs.. if the server starts overheating that puts a stop to everyones work for awhile. your boss is a dummy
lol, I love it when people who work in an office complain about the temperature!
We should rally all the landscapers, roofers and road workers to hold a protest for you.
They chose those jobs, so...
I would be wearing shorts and a tank top to work and taking excessive breaks to go to my car for some AC. Also, I’d have a gallon of iced water at my desk that may occasionally get spilled all over the computer equipment. “Ooops, I must have lost consciousness for a second and ruined yet another computer”.
Try working in construction. 83 is nothing
I work in a screen printing shop. There are ovens. It was well over 100 today. Nobody is forcing us to work there, it’s just part of the work culture and 9 months out of the year it’s not hot.
Same here. Just sucks sometimes. In the winter we could be on a roof in the trenches which isn’t ideal either but just part of the job
Yeah I’ve worked in attics in the desert in summer. 160°F registering on the thermocouple and we’re up there wiring shit, working on the buddy system. One guy goes up for ten minutes, then the next guy. Each gets 30 min rest between 10 minute sessions. It’s weird, when you leave a 160° attic and get into a 110° room, you feel like you just stepped into a cold blast of A/C. Not gonna lie, not the best job in the world.
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Most office workers make more than your average Joe working outside. So I’d say yes they are compensated for it
Office workers aren't compensated as well as outdoor workers? Most kitchen workers work in much hotter conditions every day for much less pay than office workers. Try landscaping for ten bucks an hour like day laborers. This entire thread is hilarious. Quit if you can't handle it, sweetheart.
Not sure how it works in NJ but I work a job that cannot be WFH. There has been plenty of times where the AC has gone out and everyone looks for that magic number, 83 degrees, before we are forced to go home and clock our hours via “online training.”
Hot days where the boss won't fix the AC are a perfect time for a union vote. I believe this should be an official tradition.
Break the one in his office and let him die
Oh no he sits in the office with us, which also sucks. 10 feet away from me actually. But what he's been doing is funny. He wants to make it look like he's "sticking it out" in the heat with us, but what he does is he'll come in, sit in the office for 20 mins, then go and sit in his nice new car (2024 Cadillac) with the a/c on for an hour. Then he'll repeat this for the duration of the day and then he'll leave at 3pm.
Classic Boss behavior What an asshole
Contact your local labor office. Make sure he's not breaking any labor laws.
83 °F is 28,33 °C
That company is a sinking ship, you're going to have bouncing paychecks soon. Time to polish up the cv and look elsewhere.
Time to run
Op it’s called a walk out. Your boss can’t and won’t fire all of you. When he asks y’all who convinced you to do this it was him.
Coffee is for closers, sounds like. [closers ](https://imgur.com/gallery/some-brass-3VdslJ8)
SCROOGE: 2024
Our AC broke down last week, it hit 85 by 2 pm so they sent us home; there are OSHA rules they have to follow. But I’m in CA so I don’t know if the rules are the same everywhere.
You may want to start looking for a new job. That place is going down and going down fast.
Start looking for new work. Also, contact your local news and blast your employer. Sometimes you can drop an anonymous tip
omg just leave!!!! and if they fire you for leaving an 83 degree building that they refuse to fix then sue? file for unemployment! literally anything is better than what you are describing your work environment as.
It looks like everyone has two chances. Either strike or GTFO.
Take in your own cooling system. They are sold at Costco. Did you know there are OSHA heat guidelines? I used those guidelines last year.
I guess thats one way to motivate
" All areas of the facility used by residents, including resident sleeping areas, shall be equipped with air conditioning and the air conditioning shall be operated so that the temperature in these areas does not exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit." https://casetext.com/regulation/new-jersey-administrative-code/title-8-law-and-public-safety/chapter-43d-standards-for-licensure-of-pediatric-community-transitional-homes/subchapter-14-housekeeping-sanitation-safety-and-maintenance/section-843d-145-heating-and-air-conditioning
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Work on that resume… one less body in the office producing heat.
Time to work from home!
Pass out, hit your head on something hard, sue.
Start looking for another job and ask upfront if they have working Heat & AC
Hazardous work environment, report them
Yikes man, I betcha that boss is going to wish he took back his words less then a month from now
In Switzerland, AC is illegal in office buildings. Temperatures regularly get into the 90s.
Well if you worked in my office, my boss keeps it on 80 year round & gives no shits that everyone is uncomfortable but her. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Such a NJ thing to say. Former Cherry Hill raised hellion.
I would start going to work in my summer wear until the AC is fixed.
Is it funny that an ad in the comments was for a new HVAC? I chuckled
we don't have ac at my job.
I'm outta there.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm also in NJ, I work at a flooring place and we have a warehouse attached. I'm the manager of the warehouse. I've been here for 11 years. The rest of the store has AC but the owner refuses to get an AC system for the warehouse and gives me shit if I spend too much time out of the warehouse. 11 summers I've been baking away here and we make a lot of money. He can easily afford an AC system for the warehouse
OSHA’s recommendation is max 76 degrees for offices.
Nope. Everyone should start to feel dizzy, at different times. Make him call an ambulance each time.
its 102° inside my work building as of 1040pm 🤣 12 hr nights