Overview

• Employees have no automatic right to ‘Hitzefrei’ and risk warnings or dismissal if they leave without permission
• Employers must assess heat risks under the Workplace Ordinance and deploy shading, ventilation or other cooling steps once offices reach 26 °C
• At 30 °C, firms are obliged to introduce active protections such as ventilators, air-conditioning appliances or relaxed dress codes
• When indoor temperatures exceed 35 °C, rooms are deemed unsuitable for work without further technical or organisational safeguards
• Works councils hold co-determination rights over heat-protection measures and can enforce hazard assessments through formal dispute mechanisms