NEWS that hundreds of tax officers were given three days off on full pay during July’s heatwave no doubt made some tax-payers see red, but underlines how some employers are being forced to confront the effects of excessive heat in the workplace.
When the air conditioning broke down at tax offices in Cardiff, managers gave staff the opportunity to go home on health and safety grounds when the mercury reached 32°C. According to a report in The Times, managers naively expected that only a few people would take advantage of the offer and were said to be shocked when almost 500 walked out.

Now two reports have revealed how work can suffer in extreme temperatures. In a survey by Daikin Air Conditioning UK, 62% of office workers complained of being too hot during the summer, with 63% admitting that high temperatures made them feel lethargic and 59% admitting to being less productive.

A second survey by the recruitment company Office Angels made even starker reading with 78% of respondents complaining that excessive heat stifled both their creativity and their ability to get the job done. 81% found it difficult to concentrate if the office temperature was higher than normal and 62% admitted that under these conditions a task might take up to 25% longer to complete.

While there is no maximum working temperature laid down by law, the Health & Safety At Work Act and The Offices, Shops & Railway Premises Act both demand that workplace temperatures must be ‘reasonable’. Some employers are also aware of previous TUC calls for a maximum working temperature of 30°C for office workers and the provision of air conditioning.

Despite this evidence and mounting union pressure, it seems unlikely that the government will act to bring in a maximum working temperature, particularly at a time when it is struggling to meet its Kyoto commitments – and, the fact is, they probably won’t have to. Most progressive employers are far more savvy now to ways of getting the most from their workforce and will not be prepared to suffer a situation where they are getting less than 100% from their workforce.

Neil Everitt

Editor