Portsmouth weather: What are your rights when working during heatwave? What can you wear and can it be too hot to work?

THE country is facing the hottest day of the year with forecasts predicting that it could break the all-time record.
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Temperatures are expected to reach into the 30s in the city on Thursday and Met Office warns it could get hotter than 38.5C, the current highest temperature, in parts of the country.

If you are wondering what your rights are for working during a heatwave, here’s what you need to know:

Can it be too hot to work?

Can it be too hot to work? (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)Can it be too hot to work? (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Can it be too hot to work? (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
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There currently is not a legally defined maximum or minimum temperature that a workplace needs to be.

However the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that employers should make sure it is at least 16 degrees Celsius, or 13C if the work involves rigorous physical effort.

It does not have a maximum temperature that a workplace should be, with HSE saying that a ‘meaningful figure’ cannot be given due to the high temperatures found in ‘glass works or foundries’.

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However the HSE does say that: ‘The employer has a duty to determine what reasonable comfort will be in the particular circumstances.’

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Under the management of health and safety at work regulations 1999, employers are required to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and take action, such as having access to water.

HSE explains that: ‘The temperature of the workplace is one of the potential hazards that employers should address to meet their legal obligations. Employers should consult with employees or their representatives to establish sensible means to cope with high temperatures.’

What can you wear to work?

Different companies having varying policies and some jobs sectors and roles require specific uniform whatever the weather.

Unfortunately for some, if you work in a role which has a strict uniform policy, the options of what to wear in the warmer weather may be limited.

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Some roles may provide an alternative choice of uniform or perhaps clothing which can provide lighter layers. But there are some roles which require a certain dress-code to be adhered to whatever the weather, usually due to safety.

It’s always worth checking your company’s uniform policy to check the dos and don’ts during warmer temperatures.

If you work in a more casual environment shorts may be allowed, but for other places this may be an absolute no-go.

Last summer, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) suggested allowing staff to work flexible hours to avoid travelling in the rush hour and allowing workers to wear lightweight clothes.

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General secretary, Frances O’Grady, said, ‘It’s no fun working in a baking office or factory and employers should do all they can to take the temperature down.

‘The most simple way for staff to keep cool inside when it’s scorching outside is being able to work in more casual clothing. While shorts and vest tops may not be appropriate for all, nobody should be made to wilt in the heat for the sake of keeping up appearances’.

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