Hot weather hits productivity — even in air-conditioned factories

The study, led by the University of Exeter, tracked outdoor temperatures and worker productivity at a high-tech factory in China.

Despite climate-controlled conditions inside the factory, productivity dropped by 0.83% for every 1°C increase in outdoor temperature.

The research team found that night-time heat (which can affect sleep) caused some of the decline in productivity — but daytime heat affected productivity even after cool nights.

It is not clear why this happens, but the…