It’s that time of year again: Winter. Besides long lines at the mall and turkeys hiding in fear, this unfortunately means that it’s getting colder outside. Now in a perfect world, all offices would keep themselves at a nice and comfortable temperature, regardless of the time of year. However, this is sadly not the case. For example, my office is freezing in the winter. I’m not sure what the problem is, but even when the heat is on it’s cold. Another unfortunate fact is that my office mates and I are not the only ones to suffer from this problem. To combat the cold, many people will wear their jacket, bring a light sweatshirt, or some other type of extra clothing. The question is: How acceptable is this at the office?

It’s tough to answer this question, as it’s highly dependent on your situation at work. Obviously, it’s up your employer to decide how lenient the dress code is in these matters. I’ve found that most employers don’t mind you wearing your jacket or such, as long as you take it off when you have a meeting with a client or other formal situations. However, some employers are pretty strict with their dress codes. This is definitely something that you should work out with your employer if you are facing this problem.

Does this mean that you have to freeze if they have a strict dress code? Absolutely not. You definitely have the right to be comfortable at work. What it does mean is that you should work the situation out with your employer before you do something about it, like bring in that ratty sweatshirt you love to wear. Most employers should be willing to compromise, as it does them no good if you are unproductive because your hands are frozen to your keyboard. On the whole, I’ve found most jackets to be acceptable and most sweaters, as long as they are in good condition and work acceptable (no embroidered Hooters sweaters).

You should also keep in mind your co-workers. For example, if you are also asking for the heat to be turned up, you should ask around the office to make sure everybody is comfortable with the change. As long as this change is within reason, this shouldn’t pose a problem. However, if you want the temperature to be raised to 90 degrees, I’m sure somebody will have a problem. Remember: They have just as much a right to comfort as you do: You all have the right to be comfortable within reason.

Overall, I have yet to meet an employer who won’t work out something with an employee in a situation like this, especially if they are hard workers with a good employment record. As long as you clear your solution with your employer first, and make sure that you are respecting your co-workers if the decision affects them, then you should be back to 98.6 degrees in no time.