Heatwave: the one word that is meant to get us excited for summer but actually engulfs us in a swirl of sweaty dread. And this month we've had two of them already.
We have been desperately attempting to cool ourselves down as temperatures have risen in the past week. For the first half of this week, the heat is set to climb past 30 °C — yikes.
Working in these conditions is certainly not easy. Especially if your office or working from home space doesn't have AC. While there are some tricks you can try to make things more bearable, at a certain point, is it simply too hot to work?
With the UK clearly not equipped for this extreme heat, it begs the question – do we continue to slap on the SPF, turn on our fans, and enjoy an ice lolly while getting on with our everyday lives, or should we be able to swap the office for WFH or even take time off from work until the unbearably sweltering climes pass by?
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Well, with parts of the UK set to be hotter than the Bahamas this week, it's understandable that workers are considering whether it's too hot to work, especially those working in stuffy offices and outdoor workspaces.
What temperature is too hot to work?
Because the heat in the UK this week is nothing like we've ever felt before and subsequently something that hasn't been planned for, there is not a specific temperature in place by the law that specifies when exactly it's too hot to work. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guidance only sets a minimum temperature to work at 16C (60.8F) or, if physical labour is involved, 13C (55.4F). However, their recent guidance surrounding the weather states that the temperature in a workplace must be "reasonable" with "clean and fresh air".
The HSE said: "Employers must make sure indoor workplaces remain at a reasonable temperature and manage the risk of working outdoors in hot environments, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The workplace regulator is sharing guidance ahead of the extreme warm weather predicted for Great Britain at the start of next week.
"A heatwave warning is in place until Tuesday (19 July), so HSE is reminding employers of their legal duty to ensure employees can work in reasonable temperatures in indoor workplaces. What is reasonable varies and will depend upon the nature of the individual workplace.
"There is no maximum temperature for workplaces, but all workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard.
"Workers should also take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work."
So, basically, UK employers are being actively encouraged to assess and evaluate their staff's legal health and safety responsibilities on an individual basis as the mercury soars. It is your right to work for an employer who makes good judgement when assessing their working environments to determine the duty of care for each staff member because if high temperatures cause potential harm to employees, especially those with underlying health issues, it would be included on their company's risk assessment.
Measures that have already been taken by workplaces or are advised to take, include relaxing formal work uniforms, providing fans, and changing office layouts to make sure work stations are not by direct sunlight.
Ideally, it has been encouraged to allow staff to work from home. If that's not possible, then employers are advised to allow their team to travel to work and go home at off-peak hours to avoid uncomfortable temperatures during their commute.
Gary Rycroft, a solicitor at Joseph A Jones & Co, tells The Telegraph reiterates that it is essential for employers to consider "duty of care" when asking their workers in the office when temperatures are so high.
Mr. Rycroft said: "To be clear, such guidance and regulations are not what we call 'black letter law', by which I mean legal rules well known and beyond doubt, but rather a sensible means of navigation to avoid future legal problems."
So, in a nutshell, there's no law in place to tell you when it's "too hot to work"- instead, it's up to the good judgement of each employer and employee on how they want to see through this heatwave. Most importantly, just stay cool, everyone!
Don't sweat it. No, seriously.
