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According to provisional figures from the Met office, June 2025 was the warmest June on record in England, and the second warmest in the Uk since records began in 1884. It’s hot, and it’s bothering workers across the UK. Stacie Cheadle, Croner-I Technical Writer, looks at what employers can do to help their employees in the heat.
There isn’t a maximum working temperature over which employers must stop their staff from working in the UK. The temperature in workplaces should be ‘reasonable’ and there is a general duty of care to keep employees safe whilst working. Under section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees cannot be subject to a detriment or dismissal if they refuse to work or attend the workplace where they think conditions pose a serious and imminent danger to health, and if your client’s employees think that’s the case when its hot, they will have to tread carefully when dealing with them. Putting measures in place to ensure employee comfort and safety is therefore important to avoid the situation reaching that point.
Below, we look at what some of those things are.
Keep it cool
Ensuring there is a regular supply of drinking water is an important part of the duty of care towards employees and helping them to manage the heat.
Making sure air conditioning is working and allowing staff to use personal fans that are compliant with workplace safety rules is one of the ways to keep the workplace cool. Supplying fans, especially in areas where air conditioning is less effective, will help make conditions more bearable.
Reviewing the dress code is also recommended in hot weather. Your client should consider if it can be changed, within clear rules on what is acceptable and inappropriate clothing, so that staff are more comfortable.
Check on remote workers
Your client has a duty of care towards their remote workers; just because they are not on site, does not mean that this duty does not apply. Part of this duty is staying in regular contact with remote workers, checking they have what they need to work safely.
It may be that attending the workplace would be more comfortable for remote workers during the hottest weather. If practical to do so, your client should discuss this with them and see if arrangements can be made to accommodate them onsite temporarily.
Take care of vulnerable workers
Those living with long term health conditions, disabilities and pregnant staff may be more affected by the heat. Your client should speak to them to find out any additional needs they have during the hottest weather. This could include taking more breaks throughout the working day, moving to cooler areas of the workplace or work from home / onsite temporarily, if possible and the employee agrees.
Prepare for transport disruption
Issues on public transport can arise during periods of the hottest weather, such as trains going slower to prevent tracks from buckling, or heat-related issues on the roads.
Employees should be encouraged to plan ahead, make allowances for delays and make alternative plans if possible. This could be taking an alternative route, adjusting start / finish times, or making sure to take what they need home (where possible) should they not be able to travel at all.
Dealing with unauthorised absence
When the weather is nice, there may be issues with employees being unexpectedly absent from work, perhaps saying that they are sick, or requesting annual leave and not waiting for it to be approved or denied. If that happens, it’s important not to jump to conclusions. An investigation should be conducted into the absence and disciplinary action taken if it was not for a genuine reason.
