02/07/2026
When the temperature rises: Surviving a hot workday ☀️
The UK experienced extreme temperatures last week. At Nockolds HR we provided guidance to our clients, to support both their business and their people. Our discussions focused around responding to our clients concerns over the welfare of their people travelling to work and also the conditions in the workplace.
Our HR Consultants work with businesses across a number of industries therefore the guidance was tailored to the specific operational activities. In summary, the advice was to be flexible when working and travelling in the extreme heat, including:
• Allowing additional breaks during the working day
• Looking at specific jobs and reallocating work where working in the extreme outside heat
• Adjust the working day to accommodate travelling (trains were affected, with cancellations)
As always, it is vital to listen to your people. Those with caring responsibilities, parents and carers, were required to collect children from school during the working day.
In addition, where employees have medical conditions, the employer may be required to provide additional support due to the impacts of the extreme heat.
Temperatures are set to rise again over the coming weeks, and extreme heat is becoming an increasing consideration for employers, due to the impacts on people and potential health and safety concerns. From employees working outside to internal ventilation, managing wellbeing and being flexible is going to be something for employers to factor into their working practices e.g. risk assessments, working practices and hybrid working, health and safety, dress code, manager awareness training.
