Employers should take care to protect their staff in the current hot weather, particularly as the law is hazy on what is a reasonable workplace temperature, employment lawyers have warned.
As temperatures soar to 32C in the UK, law firm Thorntons said that, with no legal limit on maximum workplace temperatures, employees are at an increased risk of heat-related illnesses such as headaches and dehydration.
Pam Kelly, employment law HR adviser at Thorntons, said: “If workplaces are too hot it can lead to health problems such as dizziness and nausea. Excessive heat can also mean that a workforce is less effective due to lack of concentration and an increasing amount of mistakes being made.
“The cynical among us think that sick days in the summer months are purely due to workers wanting to be outside and enjoy the sunshine – but with no maximum temperature by law it’s an issue that may soon become a real problem for employers and employees as the summer hots up.”
Noele McClelland, partner and head of Thorntons’ employment law team, said: “Problems arise as employees have no grounds on which to claim that their workplace is too hot, as no clear guidelines exist, but a reasonable temperature will feel different to each person.”
Temperature regulation information from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that indoor workplace temperatures should be “reasonable”. But it also says this depends on the nature of the workplace as it will be different in a bakery, cold store, office or warehouse. The HSE sets these temperatures as normally 16C or 13C where work involves physical effort.
Earlier this year, the TUC called for an upper temperature limit of 24C to be set for indoor workplaces but no limit was set.
McClelland added: “Until such guidelines are put in place, employers need to ensure that workers are comfortable and listen to their concerns regarding the temperature of their working environment.”
McClelland said that, to reduce the effect of heat on workers, employers could ensure a supply of cool drinking water, provide extra ventilation or fans and relax dress codes.
“These measures could help to avoid the risk of dehydration, keep concentration levels up and sickness down,” she said.