No one wants to be at work when the sun is shining, but can you legally tell your boss where to stick it when it is too hot?

Temperatures are set to reach highs of 30 degrees in Bristol this week and several agencies have argued that workers should be permitted to stay at home if the mercury creeps too high.

Trades Union Congress say a boiling hot work place is “more than just an issue about comfort”, according to the Bath Chronicle.

“If the temperature goes too high then it can become a health and safety issue. If people get too hot, they risk dizziness, fainting, or even heat cramps.

“In very hot conditions the body’s blood temperature rises. If the blood temperature rises above 39C, there is a risk of heat stroke or collapse.

"Delirium or confusion can occur above 41C. Blood temperatures at this level can prove fatal and even if a worker does recover, they may suffer irreparable organ damage.”

How hot is too hot for work?

So what are your rights?

The TUC wants to make it illegal to keep people at work indoors if the temperature is above 30C and protection in place for people working outside or driving for a living too.

Sadly, that's not happened yet – but there are rules that can let you leave an office that's too hot, just no official maximum temperature.


So over to the Health and Safety Executive, who provide the regulatory framework for work place health and safety in Britain, to explain what to do if things get uncomfortable.

“A meaningful maximum figure cannot be given due to the high temperatures found in, for example, glass works or foundries,” HSE explains.

“The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment. Regulation 7 deals specifically with the temperature in indoor workplaces and states that:


“However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace, such as a bakery, a cold store, an office, a warehouse.”

Employers also have to provide “clean, fresh air” as well as keep temperatures at a comfortable level.

How hot is too hot for work?

So how hot does it have to be to complain?

The good news is that, because there's no official limit, you can get action taken whatever the temperature as long as people think it's uncomfortable.

“If a significant number of employees are complaining about thermal discomfort, your employer should carry out a risk assessment, and act on the results of that assessment,” the HSE explains.

If you're a more vulnerable employee – for example have a thyroid imbalance or are undergoing the menopause, or need to wear protective equipment at work so can't take of layers - that also has to be taken into account.

So the answer is simple – if you're uncomfortable, tell your boss. If enough people do then they have to act – and maybe then you might be able to go home.