having time off work due to heat?

[IneedAyoniNickname]

I've seen a couple of things on facebook, saying that they (the govt) are considering allowing people in non.essential jobs to not have to go to work if temperatures reach 30 degrees or more.

The people that have posted about it all work in essential jobs, mainly care work. They were all of the opinion that if they have to work, everyone does. Ans part of me agrees.

BUT, surely they chose to have that career, knowing they didn't get time of for Christmas/Easter/bank holidays/extreme weather.

So what do mners think? Should people be able to stay at home, particularly those who work in un air conditioned places, in non essential roles?

What about young school children? Ds2 was actually sick. with the heat, so has had to stay off school for the last day and a half of term. Mum also suffers badly with heat, and occasionally passes. This is despite drinking plenty and avoiding sun.

Btw, my career plan is nursing, if I get into uni next year. I'm going into it knowing I'll have to manage in all extremes of weather.

I don't think it is a workable option but it is not ridiculous to think about the harm extreme heat can do to us, indeed organisations responding appropriately would surely help productivity?

It is not helpful to draw comparisons with hot countries where people are physiologically acclimatised to extreme heat.

It is a nonsense to advocate 'manning up' as it leads to further ill health and not responding sensibly to something that can kill you. People used to have this blasé attitude about sun exposure and that kind of ignorance kills. This kind of thinking has not helped the 'Aussies' who have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Obviously, Australia has high levels of UV radiation but this combined with the cultural attitudes regarding the benefits of over sun exposure and outdoor lifestyles has created major health problems for them.

They're not talking about outdoor temperature FFS. It's about a maximum safe working indoor temperature, to correspond with the legal minimum. It is to encourage employers to make adjustments, not let people go to the beach. People in hot countries have already made adjustments to their buildings and working patterns.

Oh and it's an early day motion, so unlikely to become law. News sites can tell you this stuff.

I think workplaces need to adapt when it's this hot. I work in a supermarket in the kitchens and it is HOT in there. There's no aircon that works over four ovens running at over 200 degrees and it does get to well over thirty degrees in that kitchen. My manager has been great and has adapted policy - I'm allowed water down there and I can take more frequent breaks to get out of the heat, but is still hot and unpleasant.

I called out sick on Wednesday because I got a bit of heatstroke and there's no way I could have managed to do my job. I spent the day lying on my bed with fans blasting me and drinking stupid amounts of water, and I still felt rotten. And I was born in Australia.

BUT Australia has air-con. Everywhere is airconditioned - houses, cars, shopping centres, everywhere. It's MUCH easier to cope when you can go from air-conditioned house, to air-conditioned car, to air-conditioned job. Most houses here are designed to trap heat, don't have air conditioning and people just aren't used to it.

Married

I did miss a 'n't' off second post...

I don't think nurses & midwives would stop work (I wouldn't) but at least I would be protected in law against stupid managerial decisions about having to wear a thick uniform (with no bare legs) and no fans because of infection control (there are safe fans available but expensive) and no drinks on the ward area yet no where to drink on the ward and too busy to leave...

All it would need Married would be option to wear scrubs, a jug of iced water at every station and decent fans to prevent a LOT of discomfort.

I now do a job where I can drink & pee when I like... Still don't drink enough as so out of habit of drinking at work but its quite a luxury

Sunshine in summer is not an excuse not to go to work! Nor is it headline news! This country is obsessed with weather. Just enjoy it and stop moaning.

A guy that I work with has constantly been moaning about the heat.

Our air conditioning isn't working properly and is chucking out warm air!! And when our office manager went out to buy fans there were none anywhere.

Now I'm 31+ 3 weeks pg and just getting on with it. Yes it's hot. Yes it's uncomfortable. Yes it's difficult to concentrate. But get on with it.

He went home at lunch time yesterday because it was too hot!!!!! I wanted to scream

I don't think 30C is that hot, but we're not used to it so it does make it difficult to cope with.

Also, our working day isn't structured around the heat. I have Cypriot and Maltese colleagues. They work longer hours over winter so that in summer they work mornings (7-12) only. ok, that wouldn't work for essential jobs like nursing, but hospitals there have air conditioning.

If our summers were routinely this hot we would find a way around it.

FGS it's not that hot. Seriously, just get on with your work and stop whinging. (Not directed at OP.) It'll be back to rain and 5 degrees before long.

living tell that to my Aussie parents in law! They REFUSE to get air con. They're old school and just shut all the blinds! It's bloody miserable....dark hot house.

Neo I can imagine - my grandma is still living in Melbourne and she has the heating on when it's over forty degrees outside!

unless you're physically ill from the heat or a carer for someone physically ill from the heat ie your son then everyone should work.
it was bad enough half the country not showing up to work when it was snowing now because it's sunny.
surely people can manage to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water and if necessary in a non essential job taking regular breaks...
if everyone in non essential jobs took a break everything we had an extreme of weather the country would grind to a halt.

living not everywhere in Australia has air-conditioning! Not many factories have air-con. I can tell you working in a cannery (with lots of retort ovens) when it's 40oC+ outside is not fun but we still had turn up to work!

Some offices are inhumane in this heat and some public transport is too - people still need to work, but a good employer will be flexible about options for working from home or travelling outside of the main rush hours. A good employer will also be trying to buy fans and air conditioning units to try to make their staff more comfortable. There's no doubt that staff in office jobs are far less productive when the temperature is over 30deg.
I'm more worried about people who work in kitchens though - kitchens are often as hot as offices are now, so I hate to think how hot kitchens are in this weather, I hope chefs etc are getting plenty of breaks - they should get extra breaks for fresh air and water imo.

When I was a child we went to Germany on an exchange. When the temp got above a certain temp the school shut and we spent a nice couple of days hanging out in an outside pool. Bliss.

Not exactly a workable solution for the workplace.

As mentioned higher up tho - a bit of flexibility would be nice from employers eg about uniform, drinks, breaks etc. I'm lucky, my office Is nicely air con, I wear a smart but lightweight dress without rights, and I can drink at my desk and take breaks if needed (don't need to as cooler inside!) but things would be a lot harder in a heavy uniform in a hit office!

IMHO employers should be taking all necessary measures (where applicable) to ensure their employees are as comfortable as possible in their working environment, regardless of the weather.

This country is really shite at dealing with extreme weather and need to get it sorted. The country shouldn't grind to a halt because of the weather.

I don't think this will become law but it would be good if just the fact it's being discussed made some employers invest in/ rent air conditioners though.

It is utterly ridiculous to compare with people in hotter countries, those people are habituated to the climate they live in.

Just because one person can cope in one condition does not mean everyone else can and shouldn't rubbish those for not being able to do so.

Telling myself to 'man up' will not give me skin that does not burn after 10/15 in strong sun or blister if out longer.

However i do have coping strategies and just get on with my day by doing things in a different way. But not everyone is able to be as flexible due to constraints of their job location/requirements.

The early day motion being proposed by a handful of MPs refers to the working temperature - ie in most cases INSIDE.
Those of you scoffing saying it's just summer/that's nothing compared to oz etc etc - I would imagine that most workplaces in UAE, Australia, other hot parts of the world are streets ahead in terms of confortable working conditions such as providing air con/cooling.

My office was over 30 degrees inside on Wednesday and it was horrific - 8 of us sweating in a room where there was no airflow barring the fans moving the sweat around. I am fortunate as was allowed to work from home yesterday, but really when healthy people are starting to swell up and struggle due to the heat it does need to be looked at.

Workers born and raised in hot countries will of course be more accustomed to the heat - possibly even better equipped to cope.

We probably should be encouraging more employers to make adaptations so that workers' health nor the economy need suffer

FWIW we have air con at my work - but a decision to be more green has meant it will never be switched on

It's up to every employer to decide which would be the most efficient solution

A - letting people have time off work if it's over a certain temperature inside

B - installing air conditioning that may only be needed for a few days every year

Regarding hot weather in other countries:

You are acclimated in this country to find 26c "hot." I am from a place where it's regularly 40 in the summer, but after living here eight years, this does feel really hot!

I am not in my usual work uniform of Dickies with knee pads and polo shirt. I am wearing light cotton clam diggers and a vest.

But, I have to clean a house with an Aga today!

I can't believe this weather is even making the news, let alone being a feature of every single bulletin. It is a bit warmer than normal. End.

The working an earlier day or shorter then temps are high seems prudent. Collecting DC's form school in 30 degrees is madness!

We have been camped out in our darkened room unit lit cools. I took the DC to park 7pm to 9pm when it was cooler - they couldn't sleep anyway.

I think it's stupid and unenforceable

however I would welcome a relaxing of uniforms (unless Saftey garb) as my uniform is jeans and air con is useless as all the hot air from the shopping centre flows into my shop :(