When Is It Too Cold To Go To Work Or School And What Temperature Will ...

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HOUSEHOLDS across the UK have been hit with amber weather warnings due to snow storms and sub-zero temperatures.

However many might be wondering at what temperature it is acceptable to take the warning and skip the journey to work or school.

To learn what your rights are when frosty weather hits, keep reading.

When is it too cold to go to work or school?

During bad weather, you should still travel to work if it is safe and reasonable to do so.

That means if you try to leave and you’re snowed in and can’t use your car, or public transport isn’t running, you should contact your employer as soon as you can to let them know.

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You should also read over your company’s guidelines to see exactly what the rules are for absences due to weather.

Whatever decision you make, it’s important to remember that your boss isn’t legally required to pay you on this day – even if it’s not your fault.

They may ask you to take unpaid or annual leave – however, most commonly nowadays employers can let you work from home.

Temperatures in the workplace should not drop below 16C and employers are responsible for making sure you have safe working conditions.

According to the Government website, a minimum of 13C is recommended if employees are doing physical work.

It reads: “Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature isn’t comfortable.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also states that workers should be provided with “reasonable comfort”.

Its Workplace Regulations 1999 advises employers “assess risks to health and safety and act where necessary (i.e. if the workplace temperature drops below the minimum guideline or if it is felt the temperature is too high)”.

How cold does it have to get in order to be sent home?

Employers are not required to send their employees home based on a set temperature.

There is also no minimum for English schools, since it was scrapped back in October 2012.

While the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 doesn’t provide an expected temperature for classrooms, the National Education Union recommends a minimum of 18C.

In the workplace, it is your employers responsibility to ensure that there is additional heating in emergency cases of cold weather.

To help reduce the effects of a cold snap, employers are recommended to make rotas flexible for workers – but they are not required to do this.

Head of advisory at employment law consultancy Peninsula, Kate Palmer, previously told The Sun an employer does not have to pay an employee for the following reasons:

1. The weather is bad
2. Public transport is not running
3. They miss hours because they turned up late

In addition to this, employees also have no legal right to be paid if they have to have an emergency day with their children.

This means it’s better to play it safe and battle your way to work – even when the cold weather might seem daunting.