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.

Therefore, Peninsula’s Director of Health & Safety, Gavin Scarr Hall, explains how employers should managing the workplace when temperatures plunge:

Duty of care

Hall says: “Just because there is an absence of legislation, it doesn’t mean that your employees should be expected to work at any temperature. It’s vital to remember that employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all employees, and as such, they should consider the workers’ comfort and check that the temperature they are working in is reasonable.