{
  "id": 7052293,
  "title": "Wenn die Luft draussen ist: Nicht nur die Hitze hindert uns daran, produktiv zu arbeiten",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/wenn-die-luft-draussen-ist-nicht-nur-die-hitze-hindert-uns-daran",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-13T03:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/wenn-die-luft-draussen-ist-nicht-nur-die-hitze-hindert-uns-daran-produktiv-zu-arbeiten-ld.10022929"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "When the outside air is hot, it hinders our ability to work productively, not just the heat alone. Despite many companies overlooking this problem, I sat in my office, feeling drunk, with a to-do list unfinished and two hours of time passing unnoticed. My head felt foggy, and thinking became sluggish. Only after a while did I realize that the heat had been keeping the window closed for hours. The air was stagnant, and the heat was unbearable. Many of us experienced how strongly the temperature affects well-being, mood, and performance during this summer of heatwaves. A friend mentioned her office becoming nearly deserted at temperatures over 30 degrees, and a teacher reported her classroom reaching 35 degrees in the morning. Days like these, focusing on survival until the next dip in temperature was the priority. Research shows that productivity drops as soon as temperatures exceed 25 degrees, with the performance decrease increasing as the temperature rises. Conversely, cooler temperatures boost mental performance. Researchers Pawel Wargocki and David Wyon tested this over two summers in a Danish primary school, unbeknownst to the children. By alternating the room temperature weekly with a climate device between 23.6 and 20 degrees Celsius, they found that a mere 3.4-degree drop in temperature increased the children's speed in mental arithmetic and reading comprehension by 32 and 24 percent, respectively. Such effects could be of interest to businesses striving to optimize employee productivity. However, they rarely address the issue of room temperature. Cool offices are not the complete solution; temperature norms often cater to the male body, with women producing less heat and needing a warmer environment to feel comfortable and perform optimally. Moreover, each individual's perception of temperature varies. My business partner wears a sweater or long-sleeved shirt during heat, while I'm already sweating in a T-shirt and complain about the heat. Thus, the temperature in a room is often a poor compromise and rarely a conscious decision. Psychologists recommend adjusting the room temperature based on the purpose of the space: cooler rooms promote mental clarity in focus areas, warmer environments facilitate social interaction, and well-ventilated spaces with fresh air boost efficiency. Air quality is equally important but often goes unnoticed. Entering the office each morning, we breathe air with sufficient oxygen. However, as more people occupy a small space, CO2 levels rise quickly, leading to fatigue and reduced concentration. Often, we attribute this to dull tasks, lack of sleep, or stress and reach for coffee. Yet, the real culprit is usually poor air quality. A study by Usha Satish and her team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed that even at 1000 ppm CO2, found in fully occupied rooms after one and a half hours, performance declined in six out of nine evaluated dimensions. At 2500 ppm, performance in seven of nine dimensions collapsed. Participants were not tired in the traditional sense, but their decision-making quality deteriorated long before any headache complaints. Recently, I purchased a gadget to monitor CO2 levels in our apartment. When the air quality drops below a certain threshold, the bird tilts its head downwards, alerting us like the canaries in the coal mines. My son shouts, 'The bird is dead!' We open the windows, and as soon as the air quality improves, the bird tilts back on its own. This makes the invisible issue visible, and the feeling of intoxication never sets in, or at least not immediately and on purpose during the day with a glass of wine. Nicole Kopp, an organizational psychologist and co-founder of the consulting firm Go-Beyond, advocates for more coolness in workplaces, citing trees, shade, and open break areas. However, when classrooms overheat, it requires more than green symbolism. Companies have been stubbornly swizzling themselves despite inadequate air conditioning. But can eight hours of focused work be achieved without proper climate control? A Zurich learning therapist explains the best way to do it.",
  "summary": "Steigt die Temperatur über 25 Grad, bricht unsere geistige Leistungsfähigkeit ein. Doch viele Firmen vernachlässigen das Problem.",
  "key_points": [
    "Hot temperatures hinder productivity, not just heat alone",
    "Research shows productivity drops above 25 degrees Celsius",
    "Cooler temperatures boost mental performance"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Rising temperatures and stagnant air hinder productivity, and businesses could boost employee performance by adjusting room temperatures and prioritizing ventilation, but often overlook these issues.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}