Skip to main content

Too hot to work - where is HR?

Thermometer

Unsurprisingly, heat stress is a phenomenon that is recurrent in many countries during the summer period and beyond, where the ambient temperature can reach highs of 40°C and are putting employees at risk.

With the implications of climate change at our doorsteps, we expect worsening heatwaves around the world, with Europe particularly impacted. Working in hot and humid conditions are likely to cause heat-related illnesses, particularly when they involve heavy outdoor activities, requiring equipment and protective clothing. It is critical to understand the serious consequences of working under extreme conditions. But economic considerations are in play too.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the duty of HR managers to keep employees healthy, maintain their morale, and manage flexible working arrangements. The mandate to look after the health and wellbeing of employees requires HR managers to design policies and implement practices to enable safe working during heatwaves. They should use the current extreme scenario to scrutinize the boundaries of flexible working arrangements, and find means to support employees’ health without compromising on organizational effectiveness. Even if unexpected barriers to working under extreme heat surface, HR managers may be more inclined than before to search for new avenues to capitalize on flexible working arrangements to foster sustainable management practices.

For example, organizations may embrace greater flexibility in working arrangements, such as allowing people to work from home, provide first aid kits, drinking water, and a means of preventing direct exposure to sunlight. A careful look at countries that are used to extreme heat may also provide useful lessons moving forward.

Dr Washika Haak-Saheem

Associate Professor in Human Resource Management
Published 19 July 2022
Topics:
Leading insights

You might also like

AI without ethics is a business disaster waiting to happen. Here's how to prevent it

23 July 2025
AI is already shaping business decisions, from hiring to risk modelling, yet many leaders overlook one critical question: Are we doing this responsibly?
Leading insights

Why meritocracy will never work

26 February 2025
Dr Melissa Carr, Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the World of Work Institute, discusses the myth of meritocracy in response to recent DEI policy rollbacks.
Leading insights

Where did Boris go wrong, and how can we learn from it?

6 July 2022
Following the news that Boris Johnson is to resign as Prime Minister, academics from Henley Business School have been commenting on how leaders can learn from his mistakes.
Leading insights