UK employers resist workplace heat cap as unions press walkout threat

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UK workplace heat cap dispute

Highlights

UK unions including the TUC mobilize over 1,000 participants for a 'heat strike' amid the Met Office's second-ever red alert for extreme heat.
The government rejects calls for a 30C legal workplace temperature cap, with the CBI and business groups warning a fixed limit could force closures and disrupt operations.
The World Health Organization cites a 2–3% drop in worker productivity for each degree above 20C, while the Climate Change Committee warns both schools and hospitals remain at risk from overheating.

Heatwave dispute and policy standoff

As reported by Financial Times, businesses and the government are pushing back against calls to introduce a legal maximum workplace temperature after UK unions launch a “heat strike” ahead of record-breaking weather. The Met Office issues only its second red alert for extreme heat, while the Trades Union Congress, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, the Fire Brigades Union and Extinction Rebellion say more than 1,000 people sign up to join a walkout on the hottest day of the year.

The UK has no legal maximum working temperature, although official guidance sets minimum temperatures of 16C, or 13C for physically demanding jobs. Last month, the Climate Change Committee called on the government to set a maximum workplace temperature, arguing that such a move would encourage companies to adopt cooling technologies, while the TUC calls for a 30C ceiling.

On Tuesday, the government says it has no plans to introduce a maximum workplace temperature. The Health and Safety Executive says heat is already classed as a workplace hazard and should be treated like other risks, adding that it is working with the government on detailed proposals for consultation, including on workplace temperature.

Business impact across sectors

The CBI says a maximum temperature is not practical, arguing that working conditions vary widely across sectors and roles. Business groups representing retailers, hospitality operators and builders also warn that a fixed cap could force closures, limit staffing flexibility and clash with other regulations, including rules affecting construction noise and delivery schedules.

Some employers are already adjusting operations informally. A quantity surveyor at Integritas Property Group says bricklayers are working shorter shifts this week to avoid the hottest part of the day, while retail representatives argue that hydration breaks and ventilation are more workable than legislation.

The debate comes as health and education concerns widen. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 23 million occupational injuries occur globally each year because of heat, and says worker productivity falls by 2% to 3% for every degree above 20C. The Climate Change Committee also warns that many schools in England are vulnerable to overheating, while NHS officials say individual trusts are relying on their own extreme weather plans as hospital buildings remain exposed to rising summer temperatures.

In our earlier article on the Climate Change Committee’s call to accelerate the shift to heat pumps and electric vehicles, we explained how households sticking with gas boilers and petrol cars have been hit harder by recent fossil-fuel price shocks, while electrification could materially reduce annual energy bills. We also highlighted the CCC’s warning that slow heat-pump rollout, high upfront costs and political uncertainty risk undermining progress toward the UK’s 2030 climate targets.

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