Extreme heat at work

Extreme heat is becoming a regular workplace risk across many jurisdictions. Below, we bring together global employment law insights from our recent four-part series to help organisations manage heat-related risks appropriately and protect their workforce in increasingly challenging conditions.

As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, this four-part series examines employer obligations during extreme heat. In part one, we explore how different jurisdictions regulate heat-related risks at work, including whether they set maximum working temperatures.

This second article in our four-part series on extreme heat at work examines the practical measures employers are required to take during heatwaves.

When heatwaves intensify, employers often face a familiar question: can you relax the workplace dress code? Although most jurisdictions do not impose a specific legal requirement, health and safety obligations remain central. Below, we examine global perspectives from 24 countries on whether employers are specifically expected or required to relax dress codes during extreme heat.

In most jurisdictions, the answer depends on health and safety risk, rather than on temperature alone. In this fourth and final part of our extreme heat at work series, we examine when work stoppage may be lawful and why it matters for multinational employers managing heat risks across their workplaces.