New policy insights involving Shouro Dasgupta (Researcher at CMCC and Visiting Senior Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute) reveals that rising temperatures are already harming the health, wellbeing, and productivity of UK workers, and that current regulations are not sufficient to protect workers from climate change-induced heat stress.

The UK has experienced its ten warmest years on record since 2002, yet it does not have a statutory maximum working temperature. As heatwaves become more frequent, workers across the country are increasingly operating in conditions they and their workplaces are not prepared for.

A nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK workers following the elevated temperatures in July 2024 shows the scale of the challenge:

• Just under one-third reported heat-related health impacts, including headaches, dizziness, sleep disruption and reduced concentration
• A 1°C increase in temperature above the long-term average increases the probability that workers reduced their working hours by 9.9%, and reduce effort by 9.5%

These impacts are uneven across the workforce. Workers in outdoor or physically demanding roles experienced some of the strongest effects, while those in precarious or hourly-paid roles were more likely to lose income when conditions became unsafe. Gig-economy workers, in particular, reported limited ability to adapt with some having to choose between their health and their earnings.

Real-life testimonies highlight the gaps: a waste-management worker described wearing heavy PPE with no access to water or sun protection, while a teacher reported working in a poorly ventilated classroom where windows could not be opened.

Adaptation helps when workers are empowered and receive advance warning 

The study finds that workers who could adjust their shifts, locations, or breaks were more likely to be able to cope. Employer-led measures such as better ventilation, shaded areas, and shorter outdoor work periods also reduced losses.

Heat alerts were particularly effective. Workers who received warnings in advance were less likely to reduce hours or report negative health impacts. With wider rollout, up to two-thirds of heat-related losses around 66.7 million hours could be avoided each year.

The expert roundtable behind the study calls for:

• Clearer workplace heat standards, including consideration of maximum working temperatures
• Stronger, more targeted early warning systems linked to workplace actions
• Flexible working options, rest breaks and cooling access
• Better protection for gig workers and hourly-paid staff
• Improved evidence on mental health impacts, gender differences, and combined risks such as heat and pollution

CMCC contributes to this broader research through empirical analysis of climate change on the labour force and effectiveness of adaptation strategies, macroeconomic analysis, and policy guidance that enables governments and businesses to anticipate and manage heat risks. As increasing temperatures reshape working life across Europe, CMCC’s science helps identify where protections are needed most and how adaptation can safeguard both employees and economic resilience.

As the UK warms, the message is clear: without stronger protections, workers’ health, incomes and long-term productivity will continue to be at risk.

Read more:

Protecting UK workers’ health and incomes in a warming world – policy publication