Overview
- The current heatwave has driven a surge in public concern about working in high temperatures and prompted widespread media coverage and legal guidance requests.
- UK law does not set a maximum indoor workplace temperature so there is no automatic right for staff to stop work or be sent home solely because it feels too hot.
- Employers are legally bound by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to maintain thermal comfort and to carry out risk assessments.
- Legal protections that let workers leave dangerous situations apply only where they reasonably believe they face serious and imminent danger under Sections 44 and 100 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, not for routine discomfort.
- Trade unions are campaigning for a statutory cap (proposals include 30C or 27C for heavy work) while experts urge firms to offer hydration, ventilation or cooling, flexible hours, adjusted dress codes, and extra safeguards and pay arrangements for staff sent home or who are vulnerable.