To think there should be a maximum working temperature?

[RaggedBlousedPhilanthropist]

I work in a non-air conditioninged office.

it’s a public facing role so we can’t work from home unless we’re soley doing admin stuff.

it’s just too hot today!

I know if it goes under a certain temperature (16-degrees?) they are meant to send us home, but this is just too much!

🥵

i get the parent might not care about the employee, but surely they’d care about their child being uncomfortable and potentially in danger.

Id love for my child to have stayed at school all day, but even at 1pm at collection (primary) it was obvious how damaging to health it would be to stay. The building was an oven.

With regards to my comment on shorter shifts. What I mean is, say A & B are chefs at the same place, who do 8 hour shifts. Give them the option to split some days, 4 hours each, if they want to of course! So no loss of pay as still doing the same hours.

In theory ok, but like other job-share or part-time jobs it depends how easy it is to get where you work. I commute over an hour. I wouldn't go for less than 8 hours because the travel/paid-work ratio would be too low. If i could walk in 10 minutes i may consider that (or not in a kitchen, splitting my work-day)

"This is looking at it backwards. As extreme heatwaves become more frequent prospective couples will demand adequately chilled venues. No-one's going to want their wedding guests to feel disgustingly hot for a whole day."

Of course they don't, but no one can predict the weather. Not least for the timescale that things like weddings and events are often planned. I've had weddings in August where guests have sat under blankets shivering for much of the day, others with flooding and torrential rain. In contrast, there have been others in October where we've all been outside all day and got sunburnt for example.

With things like weddings, people plan for the day they want at the time they're planning it. They don't book venues or make plans they don't necessarily want on the chance there might be a heatwave. If there is, you roll with it as many other industries do and make the best of whatever is thrown at you.

"If I was invited to a wedding and knew the venue would be unbearably hot and uncomfortable I wouldn’t go"

The people working that wedding usually don't have the option to just not go. Often their business, income and professional reputation will rely on their attendance and completion of the job.

Anyway, the point I was making wasn't about weddings or events specifically. That was just an example of the fact that there are far more industries and sub-industries than people realise that that cannot simply not go to work if it's too hot (or whatever) and where attendance is expected no matter what.

Anyway, the point I was making wasn't about weddings or events specifically. That was just an example of the fact that there are far more industries and sub-industries than people realise that that cannot simply not go to work if it's too hot (or whatever) and where attendance is expected no matter what.

Yes, there have been lots of professions thrown out in this thread. The point is as bouts of unthinkable heat become normal occurences so too will industries being forced to adapt to them.

One thing made me mad today. Had to go to the Coop to pick up food. Beautiful cool BUT their door onto the street was locked open (it's an automatic door). Wasting all that energy for want of common sense.

My DD worked from from 6am yesterday morning to 4pm in a Chicken shed, at 10pm last night she had a desperate call for her to go back as the chickens were not coping with the heat, she returned at 4.30am then was back at 8am this morning.

Some people do not get the option of just clocking off when its hot, yes she was sweltering but what was the other option, leave the chickens to die?

@ZeroFuchsGiven
Yes I know.... mumsnet don't agree on that though. They all want to down tools and go home

Well done your DD though. Hopefully her dedication will be recognised by her employers

So you think nursery,Doctors ,paramedics etc should just leave their patients to it?
Should the police be sent home ,fire brigade etc?

Fire brigade are currently tackling rural crop fires and something in East london is on fire

Are they moaning about the heat I wonder?

Obviously some jobs are going to be more exposed to heat than others, it’s flippant to make the comparison with jobs, key workers especially, that have room to make improvements. Especially when ultimately they could save resources being used on people forced to work in unhealthy environments.

it’s like the wfh arguments, some jobs will never be suitable to wfh, that doesn’t mean all jobs are and shouldn’t.

jobs come with different requirements and perks, we all pick our balance.

The fire brigade is a terrible example. Their job is to go to extreme sources of heat.

My dad worked at a meat factory in fridge temperatures despite there being a minimum temperature for working. It was perfectly legal because it was a requirement of the job and an exception. Should nobody else be allowed heat just because he wasn't?

Just because some professions suffer, it doesn't mean everyone should. Doctors and nurses shouldn't down tools due to heat but their employer should be obliged to provide a temperate working environment for their safety (and really the safety of people so ill they're in a bloody hospital). Schools should be climate controlled. Offices should be climate controlled.

I'm not sure the 'doctors and nurses have to work so everyone should' argument logically works. Surely they would rather everyone who possibly can stays out the heat and safe or their work will get harder due to a more heat related illnesses and incidents?
There is definitely an argument for saying hospitals should have air con/ventilation improvements as they really can't close, and as a pp said just installing air con everywhere makes the climate crisis worse so maybe we should prioritise those services.
Other employers should be sensible - wfh, different hours to avoid the heat etc. I grew up on the continent where it was very hot and farmers worked nights in the summer. Schools need either better buildings or to start early and finish at midday, or both. We could adapt, we just don't want to.

I never said get on with it, but yeah attitudes and working patterns need to change but they won't because it doesn't benefit the right people. Same as school hours and holidays need to change but they won't either.

There is no solution and never will be as long as the elites pockets are being lined- because we all knew about climate change decades ago but it wasn't profitable to try to rectify it- and while they have us fighting each other with the whataboutery there will never be a solution.

Sorry, my point was a maximum legal working temperature or alternative arrangements (eg breaks length etc) might force employers' hands to adapt.

I certainly think it is reasonable to have one in an office. Many offices would then have air con or fans installed, or perhaps people work from home (or have the genuine option to do so).

Cannot see it happening though.

Force hands to adapt how?

It reached 40 degrees in my classroom today. Thirty teenagers in there for 90minutes was not fun for any of us.

Totally agree. It already IS the law that the work environment must be at a safe temperature, but the problem is thet employers are allowed to decide what that is, and most just shrug and ignore the problem.

I feel particularly sorry for the council’s manual workers like bin men and the guys digging up gas pipes, they’re not allowed to remove their plastic-covered ‘safety’ clothes and often they are bright-red in the face and dripping with sweat. When I offer them water they’re always so grateful.

I know army guys on guard dury whose hats get crusted with white from all the sweat salt and they have splitting headaches by the time they finish shift. It’s sad that we don’t take better care of workers. Even just a wet cloth makes such a difference.

Please offer your bin men a drink!!

Bus drivers must have it really hard in this heat.

My view may not be popular but for gods sake, can't people just get a grip. So it's hot. The majority of people will be absolutely fine, providing they wear a hat, and sleeves or F50 if outside and hydrate properly. The small number of people who cannot cope due to health reasons, should be able to reschedule their day to keep themselves safe.

@Lineala you are assuming that people work for a boss with whom they have a reasonable relationship. Or are not in a job where the hours are what they are for a good reason, such as in caring professions.

So if you work in industry where there's furnaces you can't work? How about essential services like farms, ambulance staff? The reality is that office staff have it easier anyway

@Lineala this is mumsnet,not realise....in reallife a few adjustments have been made and people have just got on with things

here on mumsnet its a constant whinge crying for air conditioning! they want to destroy the planet further so our grandchildren and those beyond have even hotter climates!

The reasons these comparisons are silly have already been pointed out.

It also doesn’t mean that there aren’t improvements to be made in jobs where heat is largely unavoidable that don’t have to include expensive air con.

it’s amazing how a conversation about keeping people able to work without overheating inspires dismissal. It’s hardly asking for wage parity with company directors

Good luck with that. Employers are also allowed to let people go or not give them hours.