Introduction
As temperatures rise and performance declines, many workers wonder what rights they have in hot weather. At school, ‘heat-free’ is pronounced much more often than at work. Nevertheless, there are circumstances in which employees can also be granted heat-free in the office.
What are the requirements for heat-free in the office?
The labor law regulates the conditions of work under heat. A distinction is made between room and air temperature. The room temperature describes the perceived temperature at the workplace, while the air temperature measures the actual heat.
If the room temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celcius, the employer is obliged to take measures to cool the room. This corresponds to occupational health and safety. Measures for room cooling are: If the employer does not take cooling measures at temperatures above 30 degrees Celcius, the employees may then leave the office.
If the employer takes measures for cooling, but these do not work and the air temperature reaches more than 35 degrees Celcius, the prerequisite is created to get heat-free in the office. That means that one gets heat-free if the temperatures are above 30 degrees and the employer does not do anything about it or temperatures above 35 degrees exist in the failed attempt of a room cooling.
- Fans
- Loosened dress code
- Flexitime
- Cold drinks
From how many degrees does heat-free exist?
Legally the employer must send its coworkers with heat-free home starting from 35 degrees at the latest. If the employer does not do anything to cool the office, employees have the right to leave the office if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius.
How is this regulated by law?
The Occupational Health and Safety Act contains occupational health and safety regulations and guidelines designed to protect employees from damage to their health. The Occupational Safety and Health Act stipulates that employers must ensure room temperatures of up to 25 degrees Celsius. If temperatures rise in summer, the employer must act from 26 degrees Celsius. If temperatures rise and the employer does nothing, employees may leave the office at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius to protect their health. If the boss tries to lower the temperature in the office without success, the employees must be discharged from the office at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius with no heat at all.
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