Too cold to work? | What HR can do when the temperature drops

With temperatures hitting minuses this week, employers may find themselves dealing with complaints from employees that the cold weather is hindering their efforts to get to work (be it snowy or icy roads) or even to complete their work, due to the wintery conditions causing a major distraction to productivity.

As it stands, there is no minimum temperature specified by legislation and no specified point at which the workplace becomes “too cold" by law to work. Therefore, employees have no legal right to be sent home during cold weather.