To wonder if this happens anywhere else? Food related.

[girlfriend44]

Our library has its own cafe. When it's very hot they don't have any hot food available to eat. There's a sign saying no hot food today due to the weather, too hot for staff to be dealing with hot food. Words to that affect.
Sandwiches, and cake available.

Are they being unreasonable. Do other places do this?

They aren't being unreasonable. Some of our local pubs, cafes and takeaways are doing the same. It's unbearably hot in a commercial kitchen once they've got the fryers/ovens etc running. Good on them for putting their staff first

There was mention on the local news in the July heatwave that our local fish and chip shop was closing for a couple of days as the area in front of the fryer was measuring 60C and the owner didn’t expect her staff to work in that. Good on them for being humane. In the absence of official H&S guidance on upper limits for working everyone can make their own decisions. If you want hot food, get hot yourself making it in your kitchen.

I don't blame them. I was in town with DD the other day and she wanted a Subway for lunch, it was hotter than hell in there with all the toasting ovens constantly going.

Not worried about losing money then?

No, they’ve taken a decision for the welfare of their staff, which is a good thing. Nobody needs to eat at the cafe if they’d rather have hot food, they can find hot food elsewhere or cook at home.

Thank goodness some people put other peoples welfare above money.

More of these people please!

They have to risk assess all their work activities. If the assessment is that it is too hazardous then they cannot carry on, whether or not it loses them money. Your desire for chips doesn’t supersede the right to safe working conditions.

Short term loss for longer term gain: happy staff who are treated well tend to be productive staff with loyalty to their employer. It might be a bit “unreasonable” if they were a school or a hospital or somewhere else with a captive audience who had no other options for their main meals - but it’s not “unreasonable” for any business to make a decision which works best for their business.

Of course they'll be stressed about losing income. No business would make that decision lightly. Also it's too hot to safely work in these conditions. Can't square that, so kitchens have to close.

Who said I wanted hot food?

One of our local cafes has posted a photo of the kitchen thermostat, which is at 50 degrees. They're also not serving hot food today, and I applaud them for putting their staff welfare above potential revenue. Who wants hot food in a heatwave, anyway?

You're being goady aren't you? Who wants hot food in this weather anyway? Whi wants to eat in a space overheated by the ovens in the kitchens.? Who wants to go to a cafe badly understaffed because noone can bear to work in those conditions.

But you know all this 🙄

The National Trust is doing this at their cafes too. I think it's very sensible and reasonable, especially in smaller spaces where staff can't escape the kitchen heat.

TBH I'm not sure why anyone wants to be served by someone dripping in sweat who is probably ready to keel over due to the heat.

I think we need to see more of this, health before wealth. If is too hot in the kitchen then yes, cold food only. Better some lost money than making workers ill.

No they're not being unreasonable.

I work somewhere with a very similar set-up and they've done the same thing.

Mainly because they're monitoring the heat the staff have to endure, and it's much cooler without the hot cabinet that houses the sausage rolls etc and the panini machine.

They know what they're doing and so far, it's made no difference to profits.

Then why raise this?

They are being sensible and looking after their staff

Their definitely not being unreasonable. Their a library not a restaraunt. Most people who visit go because of the books, computers ect, not hot food

I think it’s sensible. I’m sure they are worried about losing money, but they are putting their employee’s welfare over profits in this instance. Do you think that’s a bad thing?

I work in a kitchen. Being in a kitchen with ovens, deep fat fryers, sterilisers, hot plates, dishwashers, in a heatwave, is utter misery. If it's 35 degrees outside it's much, much hotter in the kitchen.

Perfectly reasonable. There are safe working conditions and unsafe working conditions. Extreme heat is an unsafe condition.

So why are you so offended if it doesn’t impact you?

I would imagine that a cafe inside a public library doesn’t have a high tech infrastructure to deal with all kinds of weather. They could be concerned about their staff having to cook in that level of heat, or food storage. They are not being unreasonable for making operational decisions based on their circumstances. You are, for rage baiting on MN.

Well maybe the health of their staff is more important than cooking at a hot oven/hob/fryer.

We don't have the "heatwave " here but I saw some places are going to be 35 degrees. I am sure people can cope with a cold sandwich for a while.

They have to put staff safety and the duty of care above money...

Plenty of places near us stop doing any food/hot food during the heatwaves because they are unable to keep the kitchen space cool for staff.

Our local National Trust will only be offering cakes today; and they won't be restocking at lunchtime as they won't be using the ovens after 7am. They're also not opening the house.

Several cafés will only offer sandwiches and others are closing entirely.