Sadly, we have bad news for you all.
Summer in Ireland is notoriously unpredictable. Sometimes we’ve heatwaves and others we just have slightly warmer rain.
But when we do have hot temperatures, workplaces are often hopelessly unequipped to deal with the heat.
Which is understandable because who would invest in solid air conditioning on the off chance you might need it once every other year?
But what are your rights in Ireland when it gets hot in the workplace, especially as a high temperature warning was issued for Ireland on Thursday?
Under Irish law, there is no maximum temperature in the workplace which means you’re entitled to be sent home from work.
This is according to Alan Hickey, Associate Director of Advisory at Irish employment law consultancy, Peninsula.
Hickey said that health and safety regulations simply mean that temperatures in the workplace have to be “reasonable” all year round.
Whether the temperature is reasonable will depend on the type of work and the nature of the workplace, such as is the work manual labour outside?
Employers may also be under a legal obligation to make reasonable accommodations or adjustments to work practices if a disabled employee has a medical condition which makes them feel the heat more, or the cold when air conditioning is turned up to reduce the effects of warmer temperatures.
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