The Heatwave is here: How can HR take care of their employees in hot weather?

It's hot.

Although we’re not exactly at Greek Islands or Sahara Desert levels – yet.

But, with temperatures set to soar above 35 degrees next week, it's ideal weather for the beach but miserable for employees, both in terms of their commute into work and how they feel during the working day. Here, we share some tips on how HR can help employees in hot weather.

As HR professionals, it is important to act on your responsibilities to employees at work during this hot weather to reduce the risk of health and safety issues, low morale, increased absenteeism, and decreased productivity.

Is there an optimum working temperature?

Within an office, it is a myth that there is a maximum temperature over which staff can go home. Health and safety regulations simply state that the temperature within the workplace during working hours should be ‘reasonable’ – no maximum temperature is stipulated. Therefore, it is an employer’s duty to determine what reasonable comfort is, considering the type of work undertaken and the nature of the workplace. 

We spoke to Jeff Salmon, CEO of The Air Conditioning Company who specialise in portable air conditioning units: “The optimal office temperature in the UK is generally considered circa 21°C. It has to be said that because temperatures in the northern stretches of our island can be colder, they are often happy at 19°C. Certainly many schools in London have a 19 Celsius policy.”

“There is no guidance regarding upper temperature limits but certainly, and in the past, I have seen some workers ‘down tools’ when the office temperature gets to about 30 Celsius, and that is often when we are called into supply portable air-conditioning, and they don’t go back until the temperatures are down to a reasonable level. We are currently, and unsurprisingly, in one of our busiest periods of the year.”

So, with a lack of concrete guidance, what can HR do?

A lack of guidance does not mean that HR and employers can simply ignore the impact that hot weather has on employees, particularly given the duty of care towards employees’ health and safety and the need to provide safe working conditions.

Be sensible and consider what can be done to keep the workplace more comfortable, consulting with employees for ideas as appropriate. For example:

• Consider the use of fans and air conditioning where available
• Ensuring that windows can be opened
• Shading employees from direct sunlight with blinds or by using reflective film on windows to reduce the heating effects of the sun
• Situating workstations away from direct sunlight or other situations or objects that that radiate heat
• Encourage staff to take regular breaks as needed
• Provide cold refreshments such a bottled water
• Consider a relaxed dress code
• Focus on vulnerable employees – those who are pregnant, disabled or have health conditions
• Turn off excess electrical equipment which generate excess heat
• Allow for flexible working hours due to potential heat-related problems with public transport

Advice from the CIPD

Rachel Suff, wellbeing adviser for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development advises: “Where possible, employers should be flexible with working arrangements and allow people to work from home in very hot weather if they will be more comfortable and productive at home. Commuting can be arduous in hot weather, so allowing people to stagger their start and finish times to avoid travelling at peak rush hour could help.

“While there’s no specific legal minimum or maximum temperature for workplaces in the UK, employers need to make sure the temperature in workplaces is reasonable.

“In a heatwave some workplaces, such as old buildings or those with a lot of glass, can become extremely hot and employers need to be aware of the health risks. People’s health and safety should be first and foremost and employers should be particularly mindful of people with a disability or health condition as the heat can make them particularly vulnerable.

“The heat can affect people’s level of concentration and cause fatigue, which may have health and safety implications for people working in some jobs such as safety-critical roles. Employers need to make sure the workplace is as cool as possible and provide fans if there’s no aircon. Relaxing a strict uniform code could also help people to be more comfortable.”

The key is common sense

As you can see from the above, taking care of employees in a heatwave is essentially about using your common sense.

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