Is air conditioning a sexist plot?

Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail

Deep in the recesses of The Globe and Mail, my female boss and the letters editor are huddling together for warmth. One wears a sweater. One wears a big wool shawl. They clutch their coffee mugs for warmth. For backup, they have space heaters. It’s a sizzling day in August, but they are freezing.

“It’s so cold in here,” my editor whimpered. Her fingertips were white. The nearby men looked fine.

In offices across the land, the air-conditioning battle of the sexes heats up every summer. Women are convinced that the office thermostat is set by men, for men. Men say it’s our fault, for dressing in sleeveless tops and breezy skirts and sandals. Women say male dress standards should change to fit the season. Across the hall, in the executive suite, the dress code is always the same: buttoned-up shirt, jacket, tie, socks and close-toed shoes. No wonder they’re so sweaty.

“Air conditioning is another big, sexist plot,” concluded the Washington Post’s Petula Dvorak, after interviewing some of the city’s frigid females.

There may be something to that.