If you are sitting in an un-airconditioned office right now, wondering if you can complain about the unbearable heat so that you can stop working in this heatwave… then I’m afraid we aren’t quite there yet.

Just so that you don’t have to read the whole article, 35°c is the number you are looking for!

That’s right, Frankfurt hit highs of 34°c yesterday and 33°c today, so officially we don’t have inhumane conditions for work (unless the temperature inside your place of work can be shown as higher). But unfortunately, workers have no legal right to a a day off work (Hitzefrei) so that they can go and enjoy an ice cold glass of Pils at the pool. The legal position is that the employer must take appropriate measures to ensure a safe workplace.

Splitting hairs? Well, we are in Germany…

Technically:

• 26-30°c – employers are recommended to take protective measures
• 30-34°c – employers must take protective measures
• 35°c and above – work place not considered suitable

So if you aren’t entitled to being sent for a glass of beer, what are the other options that your employer must consider:

• shortened or alternative work hours to fit a cooler time of day
• relocation to a cooler work place
• ventilation, shades, fans…
• cool drinks
• relaxing rules on clothing
• flexible breaks

I know, this isn’t what you wanted to hear, and realistically, most companies are not going to keep hold of their employees for long if they deal with the heat like this. 2024 is actually a relatively mild summer for Frankfurt, it has taken until mid-August for us to see any serious heatwave and that is something to be thankful for! In 2022, there as a drought for nearly 2 months and temperatures frequently in the 30s from June to August. 2023 saw more rain but was a even hotter year. Temperatures broke 30°c 6 times in June already and saw a high of 37°c in July.

So this year we were lucky. But I heard a rumour that temperatures might be increasing over the coming years, so if your boss hasn’t sorted out the office temperature, best start twisting their arm now!