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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

having time off work due to heat?

190 replies

IneedAyoniNickname · 18/07/2013 23:36

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.

OP posts:
flowery · 19/07/2013 09:47

"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..."

Dayshift having a maximum temperature that hospitals weren't exempt from wouldn't protect you against any of that. Although it is all stupid I agree. A maximum temperature would mean that if the workplace went above that temperature, people wouldn't have to work and employers would have to let them go home. You may say you wouldn't go home, and don't think your colleagues would, but some might and if none would, there would be no point hospitals not being exempt anyway.

Unfortunately government can't generally legislate against stupid management decisions.

gordyslovesheep · 19/07/2013 09:49

it was on FB so it must be true Grin

it is an early day motion put forward by a group of 18 MP's - it wont go anywhere ...

simple info to find via Google

orangeandemons · 19/07/2013 10:00

I work in a school with 3 floors. The top floor was hitting 40 degrees this week. The windows only open a tiny bit for H and S reasons.

Students were exhausted with the heat, staff were exhausted with the heat, no one was really learning anything. Lots of sweaty teenagers in a small room raises the temperature even higher just due to the body heat. Several staff and students were faint/ fainting because of the heat.We have no fans and no air conditioning.

Obviously we cannot adjust the school timings so we battled on. But. It. Was. Unbearable. So I can see where they are coming from suggesting works close to some extent. I think it depends on where you work

DiseasesOfTheSheep · 19/07/2013 10:06

cluffy obviously you can't control the sun, but you can make adjustments to working procedure - e.g. Dress (well not an issue for builders), allowed to carry a drink / have access to water during the day, setting up shade, potentially adapting working times etc. I'm sure, as a sensible employer, you are doing everything you can.

It is different when you work in an indoor environment where you can't take basic things (like drinks, less/ cooler clothing, fans etc) and the employer doesn't fix the air con to make it possible to work in a closed room where temperatures are much higher than those outside due to electrical equipment etc.

I don't think the principle of 'over 30 degrees C, suitable adjustments should be made to working conditions' is unreasonable, appropriate to the feasibility for the nature of the job.

Obviously that's not the same as a free day of though!

whatever5 · 19/07/2013 10:15

I'm certainly thinking of not going into the office next week if it is too hot although I will probably work at home or take annual leave.

I think that it would be ridiculous to expect people to work if the temperature in their office is well over 30 degrees. It may only be 27 degrees outside but if you work on the top floor of a tall building it is much hotter!

The fact that some countries are hotter than the UK at the moment is irrelevant as their buildings are usually designed to stay reasonably cool and/or they have air conditioning.

ChubbyKitty · 19/07/2013 10:15

Our ac is broken. In a building shared with a cinema and a coffee shop. "Should be fixed by the end of the week"

Should?
And is that Friday or Sunday?

missesjellybean · 19/07/2013 10:52

if you're prepared to use your annual leave to take time off then that's your choice but I think to just expect extra days off with due to heat when the rest of the country are working through is unreasonable...I work in a&e but live in the country side it was a bit annoying last year when I could safely make it to work driving in a crappy p reg Ibiza without any risk getting to work when people who lived within 10mins of work were Phoning to say they couldn't get in due to the snow....it bugged my manager to especially as one of the people who phoned in had a 4x4 and was always doing off road driving. she sent a taxi out to pick him up for work as he said he couldn't drive which did secretly make me chuckle!
I do think people will use the heat as an excuse not to work which is annoying as I'm not allowed to but if I'm being completely honest if my manager told me to go home due to the heat I wouldn't say no..... but at the same time it woyid never occur to me not to work due to the heat

Goldenhandshake · 19/07/2013 12:31

I don't know about time off, but I do feel that either a shift in working pattern or extra provision are needed for some professions.
For example my DH works in the construction industry, often (and recently in this heat) he has to work in boiler rooms or test and fit heating systems in newly built buildings, temperatures get ridiculously hot and it is manual, energy draining work for him and his colleagues. Lots of heavy lifting etc. Frankly it can be very dangerous.

I noticed in Egypt where high temperatures are common, the construction workers do not start until late evening when it is considerably cooler.

Darkesteyes · 19/07/2013 14:11

Just been said on BBCNews24 that it could reach the mid 30s next week.My HA flat has windows that only open about an inch. When they put the windows in in 2004 they insisted on this for H and S reasons.

Karmakoala · 19/07/2013 14:18

This is crazy! We work all year round here in temps that often hit higher than 40 in the shade!

Drink plenty, don't sit in direct sunlight and wear sun screen, you'll be fine it's just a bit of pleasant weather!

whatever5 · 19/07/2013 14:43

Out of interest, where do you live/work Karmakoala?

crashdoll · 19/07/2013 15:06

For people with certain health conditions, this weather can be unbearable. There are 3 of us in my office with health conditions that is exacerbated by the sun. The office windows don't open and the aircon broke. Fortunately, our boss isn't an arse unlike some people here and lets us go home.

Goldenhandshake · 19/07/2013 15:17

Karma that would be the norm for you though, yes? In the UK it is far from the norm, so when this weather does occur, we are ill equipped to deal with it, many offices have windows that do not open, or open a fraction, or no air conditioning because they are listed building/employers have never bothered installing it.

No amount of water will help with those examples, unless they install an employee swimming pool so you can sit in it.

ShellyBoobs · 19/07/2013 15:40

whatever5 - are you sure it would be cooler working at home?

I'm working at home but upstairs today as my OH is hogging the downstairs office with a colleague.

It's 32c in the room I'm in!

ShellyBoobs · 19/07/2013 15:43

Goldenhandshake - good point regarding changing working hours for your DH.

Wouldn't that mean that he would have to try to sleep during the day though?

I bet nightshift workers are having a bad time at the moment.

dayshiftdoris · 19/07/2013 16:31

Flowery

If the laws existed they would make provision to ensure that temps didn't go above the legal temperature!!! It wouldn't get to a point of downing tools! There would also be a policy in place to allow things like change of uniform / drinks etc...
There is one in place for patients but not staff!

flowery · 19/07/2013 16:48

That's not realistic though. Unless the government supply air conditioning units to everyone, they can't force employers to keep temperatures below a certain level. All they can do is introduce sanctions/incentives.

Also f there is a legal maximum temperature for staff to work in and that is exceeded at the workplace, then unless staff could down tools there would be no point having a legal maximum. Guidelines yes, but a firm maximum would be meaningless if employers could still require staff to work if it was exceeded.

And policies in place to allow changes of uniform etc also couldn't be a law, and would need to be guidelines. You can't pass laws that prescriptive about policies specific to employers.

valiumredhead · 19/07/2013 17:02

I was born and lived in a med country for years and was never this hot. We aren't set up for it in this country so it affects us when we do get boiling hot weather.

LtEveDallas · 19/07/2013 17:06

Yesterday it was 32 degrees inside my office. I was in full uniform, combats, long sleeves, woolly socks and boots. It was bloody horrible. I ended up with the 'one' office fan aimed directly at me, as my civilian colleagues were able to wear cool dresses and flip flops.

My boss took pity on me in the end and told me to wear my own clothes today. Oh the difference was amazing. I get that we can't just down tools when it gets hot, but clothing should be adjusted.

(Oh and I worked in Cyprus for over a year. Working hours were 0600 to 1330, and that was in air-conditioned offices. Hot countries 'get it'. The UK doesn't.

Wuldric · 19/07/2013 17:07

AFAIK there is a legal minimum temperature but not a legal maximum.

I think it is absolutely barking to allow people to have time off for hot weather. It's ridiculous. Buy a fan. Drink water. Cope.

valiumredhead · 19/07/2013 17:11

Dallas,I agree. Hot countries on the whole cope because air con is standard, or at least sensible clothing and working hours are in place.

livinginwonderland · 19/07/2013 17:43

wuldric and what about people who can't do that? People who work in kitchens or out on building sites or in factories where they're surrounded by electronics? Not everyone CAN just put a fan on to escape the heat.

whatever5 · 19/07/2013 18:50

ShellyBoobs - yes it is cooler for me at home, mainly because I can work on the ground floor and I have a fan blowing in my face (I am four floors up at work and there aren't enough fans for everyone to have one near them).

whatever5 · 19/07/2013 18:55

Wuldric - We aren't allowed to bring fans from home into work. Work can't buy fans as the shops have apparently sold out.

Try working on the fourth floor of a building that is designed to keep heat in rather than out, with no fans or air con and see if you still think it is barking for people to not go to work because of the weather.

MadeOfStarDust · 19/07/2013 19:12

I'm originally from a remote northern Scottish island, I now live inland in the South West of England....it is somewhat different from where I was brought up.

I'm finding it bloody hot, unbearably bloody hot - if I had to work in it I honestly believe I would melt into a pool of who-the-f*-cares and die....

I hate this heat, I like the cold...