Do Office Plants Need Lights Off at Night to Respire?

Plants respire 24/7, using sugars made during photosynthesis. They don't need darkness to respire. The real issue is constant warm temperatures: plants burn as much sugar as they make if they never cool down. Lowering the office thermostat at night (which likely happens anyway) allows some daytime energy to be stored for growth. Lights on or off doesn't matter for respiration.