By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: The weather in Kuwait is becoming increasingly hot with temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celcius in the morning and dropping to 33 degrees during nighttime. The excessive heat leaves people struggling as the heat wave affects their productivity. According to research, hot weather can have an adverse effect on employee productivity levels by up to 20 percent and increase distraction by a massive 45 percent, but boosting productivity can be achievable to many by various strategies and approaches.
Bashayer Bader, an HR Specialist, affirmed that due to Kuwait's nature, it is normal for workers to be affected by the heat. In order to raise productivity, she advised workers to identify the most important and urgent tasks and tackle them first to prioritize effectively. She added: "Along with staying hydrated, employees must prioritize tasks and create a schedule to plan and finish urgent tasks and minimize distractions of being tired of heat. Luckily, we live in a country that provides us with luxuries such as air conditioning everywhere.”
Bader revealed that breaks can allow employees to lose the stress of burnout and increase productivity, whereas overload work can lead to exhaustion which means less work to be done. She suggested that workers organize their tasks accordingly with the weather forecast, explaining that difficult tasks can be done on days with fair temperature while the easy and small ones can be done on sweltering days. Bader said: "My company always provides workers with a suitable environment.
A happy employee means successful business and workplace efficiency. These measures can help create a more comfortable work environment and support employee well-being, leading to improved productivity." She explained "At the end, a significant drop in productivity will have a significant impact on the business.” She said weather nowadays is proof that action must be taken right away to halt global warming. Studies show that heat can have a significant impact on productivity in terms of performance and behavior of the worker.
It can cause discomfort and affect the employee’s decision-making skills and problem-solving abilities. It can also lead to decreased energy levels, increased errors and accidents, decreased work capacity, eventually contributing to higher absenteeism rates and negatively impacting employee morale and motivation.