Status: 13.01.2024, 17:23 PM
By: Marco Blanco Ucles
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Freezing cold has Germany firmly in its grip. People are freezing – sometimes even in the office. Here's what your employer needs to do about it.
Winter is hitting hard these days, the temperatures are rushing into the basement. But not only outside, but also at work, some people have to freeze. Part of the reason for this is the persistently high energy costs, and employers want to save money in many places. That's their right – up to a point. Depending on the workload and activity, it is precisely regulated how many degrees Celsius it must be at the workplace.
Stress in the workplace divided into three categories
As IG Metall reports, the requirements for temperature in workplaces are generally regulated in the Workplace Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Justice. These were supplemented by technical rules for workplaces. These rules stipulate that physical exertion during work should be divided into three categories – light, medium and severe.
If you are sitting in an office and do not have to do any physical work, the air temperature of the workspaces must be at least 20 degrees Celsius. It may be one degree colder if you do this light activity while standing or walking. The minimum temperature requirements for medium-heavy activities are only marginally lower: 19 degrees when sitting, 17 degrees when standing.
Cold in the workplace can quickly become a real burden for employees. © Panthermedia/IMAGO
On the other hand, it can be much colder during heavy physical work – twelve degrees Celsius. Regardless of the severity of the load, the temperature in sanitary and break rooms must always be at least 21 degrees Celsius. It is always the responsibility of the works council to check the minimum temperature requirements.
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Of course, the legal situation is different when working outdoors or in technically cooled environments such as a cold room. In this case, the employer is obliged to provide cold-protective clothing and rooms for warming up. If temperatures drop further than minus five degrees Celsius, employers must also allow their employees to heat and dry their cold-protective clothing. Employees who work at temperatures below minus 25 degrees Celsius must be regularly sent by the employer for a medical check-up.
As soon as the temperature in an area drops below the minimum requirement, the employer is obliged to act. In addition to providing additional radiators, it can also remedy the situation by providing additional warm-up times for employees or providing suitable clothing. The works council can help decide whether the measures are sufficient.
In the absence of countermeasures by the employer, employees can stop work
If no action is taken even after the works council has asked them to do so, employees can take action and stop working. However, it must first be proven that the existing temperature poses a health risk. If this does not work, stopping work is strongly discouraged – otherwise a warning or even dismissal, in which employees do not always have the right to severance pay, could be the result.
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