Workplace temperature

What are my employee's rights when it comes to workplace temperature?

I have a warehouse with several employees, all of them are fine in cooler weather like today where it is 11c. I supply staff with any clothing they want including heated clothing which works perfectly especially as each person can adjust the temperature to their own needs but I have one employee who will only wear a t-shirt, ripped jeans and his own jacket unzipped which is thin so it does little to keep him warm, even if it is zero degrees he will wear the same clothing. When he complains its cool, we ask him to at least zip up his jacket but he won't. I've asked him why he won't wear anything else and he says he feels everything feels restrictive, he won't even wear a loose hoodie, I think part of the reason is also that he dislikes the style of most clothing.

Generally, we avoid using the heaters unless it is actually cold due to the cost and size of the warehouse plus heated clothing does the job better anyway as the heat is direct. The heaters can add up a lot especially as he is the only person who needs them and in some cases, he will use them when it's very mild say 17c yet some staff complain it's warm as they are moving stock all day. As far as I can see there is no actual rule on this, we've spoken to him several times but can't come to an agreement and I don't want to come across as draconian telling him he can't use the heater.

 

Reasonable is the word needed.

Indoors 16C

https://www.gov.uk/workplace-temperatures

Your employee in the t-shirt sounds like my wife. She'll wear shorts pretty much most of the year when not at work. Some people are more able to handle cold or heat than others.

For people spending time in one place within the building, look at IR heaters.
We had a thousand square foot warehouse with high ceiling, we used a small gas fire for the wife and an IR heater on a pole for me as I worked 2 places for extended times.
Worked fine for warehouse, neither would work well in office.

 

How long has he worked for you? He doesn't seem like a team player. Heating clothing is more than most employers would provide. If he's worked for you less than two years I'd bin the prima donna and find another team player. Essentially he wants the rest of the warehouse team who actually do physical work to suffer so he can wear a T shirt.

My guys get the absolute best workwear and are grateful for it.

 

In Germany it's 13C to 30C is regarded as reasonable for indoor physical work and 16C-30C for office work. I'm sure it will be the same or thereabouts here.

 

Here we don't actually have a maximum.
Though the amount of work you can get out of people in a high temperature workplace is going to be somewhat reduced if they have to keep stopping for drinks.

 

In the past in Germany, above 30C meant that the workforce had to have the day off. Nowadays employers have wised-up and install AC units. Summers in mainland Europe can be unbearably hot!

 

This is where you really rely on people to be reasonable, employer and employee. Fortunately this is one area where for the most part we have had always had everyone on board.

I am positive on the very coldest days in areas of our 1950's unit (with some whole rooms/areas not heated) we'd go well below the permissible indoor temperature figure but if staff want to take an extra break to sit in the warm in the canteen and drink warm coffee at my expense then that it is okay with me. Also provide staff with whatever workwear they want, no quibble, pick it from the brochure we'll buy it. Equally on the very hot days we are laid back enough for people to take more drinks breaks and also stock the freezer full of free ice pops/ice creams.

Unfortunately there always can be that one staff member that thinks it is helpful to down tools in protest or be difficult. Not much you can do about it, if it is a pattern of difficultness then obviously best to ship them out at the first opportunity. Running a business is hard enough work without having to babysit kids.

 

Wow, thats more than double what a really hot day in the summer is.

People complain when temperature is above 20 in my workplace.