So in case you hadn’t noticed the UK is in the grip of a heatwave, and offices without air conditioning are slowly melting!!! But can you get a day off work?
The simple answer is no.
By law there is no maximum workplace temperature, Health and Safety Regulations simply require temperatures to be “reasonable” and this applies all year round.
However, it can cause issues when temperatures outside are very hot and result in warmer workplaces. The best way is to undertake a risk assessment to help determine a reasonable workplace temperature; are there windows that can be opened or machines that generate a lot of heat? Don’t discount your employees opinions, see what their view is on comfortable working temperature.
Ok so you will have employees that moan weather the office is too hot or too cold, but please don’t just ignore their pleas, don’t let them have cause to raise any grievances. Have you fans that they can use in the office or portable air conditioning units?
Please be aware that if you employ any disabled employees that have any medical conditions that are directly affected by the heat (or the cold if the air conditioning is turned up to reduce the warmer temperatures) you have a legal obligation to make workplace adjustments.
Relaxing the dress code during a hot summer will help your employees feel more comfortable in the office, obviously we are not talking bikini’s and crop tops, so it is still important to have rules in place of what is and what’s not acceptable.
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