Should Brits be expected to work during heatwaves? Take our poll and have your say

Should Brits be expected to work during heatwaves? Take our poll and have your say The Climate Change Committee has urged the government to introduce maximum working temperature laws in the UK, as heatwave conditions grip Britain with temperatures set to soar With Britain bracing itself for potentially record-breaking temperatures of up to 40C, the question on everyone's lips is - should workers be expected to graft in scorching conditions? It's no secret that sweltering weather can leave you feeling exhausted, dehydrated and lethargic, meaning productivity could take a serious hit, yet there is currently no maximum temperature threshold for workers. The Met Office warns that the soaring temperatures are a stark indicator of just how swiftly our climate is shifting, while The Climate Change Committee has cautioned that the UK was "built for a climate that no longer exists". It is now urging the government to introduce maximum temperature legislation to protect workers' wellbeing. Do you think there should be tighter regulations around working in a heatwave? Take our poll and let us know! The CCC has called on the government to roll out air conditioning and other cooling technologies in schools and hospitals, arguing it should be among the top priorities as the UK has been battered by a heatwave over recent days, with temperatures across the country expected to soar above 38C. WXCharts weather maps, which draw on MetDesk data, have turned a deep red, highlighting the surge of scorching air sweeping into the UK. "It's a very sensible thing to do because we know that productivity drops very significantly when the weather gets very hot and we know that people become more prone to making mistakes and to having accidents," said Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC's Adaptation Committee. "It's not rocket science - we know what to do but we haven't yet seen a government that's prepared to prioritise adapting to the change of climate, protecting the people and the places that we love." She lambasted the "woeful" track record of successive governments in tackling the present and future risks the UK faces from climate change. She added: "We need to recognise that there are aspects of our British way of life which are now really under threat from climate." The government stated it would thoroughly examine and respond to the committee's guidance. The CCC stops short of recommending a maximum temperature but draws attention to Spain's example, where the highest permitted indoor working temperature stands at 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work. Labour Party Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "We are acting to protect people and places from the impacts of climate change that are already being felt across the UK - from flooding to extreme heat and drought. "Robust, independent science is essential and we will carefully consider the Climate Change Committee's latest recommendations to drive further action." This comes on the heels of a report by the Autonomy Institute, which found that two-thirds of the UK workforce could be toiling in heatwaves surpassing 35C before the end of the decade. The organisation points out that despite a string of record-breaking summers, there is still no legislation or official guidance on a maximum working temperature. It estimates that roughly six million workers — particularly those in construction, agriculture and logistics — are already being exposed to dangerously high levels of heat. It recommends that ministers set a threshold of 27C as the maximum acceptable working temperature for employees. This is in line with guidance from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for those undertaking "strenuous work". The TUC has previously called for a maximum temperature of 30C in indoor working environments, while urging employers to make every effort to reduce temperatures should they climb above 24C. Autonomy also contends that workers should have a legal right to down tools during periods of extreme heat, alongside provisions for shelter and rest breaks for all staff. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: "Everyone deserves to be safe and comfortable at work. Setting a legal limit is a simple, common-sense step to protect people from dangerous conditions – especially as extreme temperatures become more frequent. It's time the law caught up." The Health and Safety Executive's website notes: "There's no law for maximum working temperature, or when it's too hot to work, because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces high temperatures are not seasonal but created by work activity, for example in bakeries or foundries."