Cold temperatures in UK workplaces raise concerns for employees during winter months, particularly where heating is inconsistent or ineffective. While there is no legally defined minimum workplace temperature, employers are responsible for providing a reasonable working environment under existing health and safety legislation.
Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive states that indoor workplaces should normally be at least 16°C or 13°C where work involves rigorous physical activity. Employers also have a duty to assess health risks associated with working conditions, including prolonged exposure to cold that may lead to discomfort, reduced performance or illness.
Employees are entitled to raise concerns where temperature affects their ability to work safely and effectively. In office environments this often relates to poor heating, draughts or uneven temperatures across different parts of a building. These issues can become more pronounced during colder periods when systems are under greater strain.
Impact of Cold on Performance and Health
Research shows that productivity can fall in offices that are too cold, with employees taking longer to complete tasks and making more errors as the body prioritises maintaining core temperature over cognitive performance. Reduced concentration and slower task completion are common outcomes in colder working environments.
Cold temperatures can also worsen existing health conditions, increase muscle stiffness and contribute to higher sickness absence during winter months. These effects can accumulate over time particularly where cold exposure is ongoing and unresolved.
“Cold workplaces have other effects on us than simply being cold. One of the biggest problems we see in winter is that temperature issues are often treated as subjective complaints rather than a health and safety risk,” said Mark Hall, spokesperson for Health and Safety software Protecting.co.uk.
“If multiple employees are raising concerns about cold temperatures, then that is usually a sign of a wider issue, such as uneven heating, poor insulation, or outdated building systems. In offices, cold spots near windows or poorly heated meeting rooms are particularly common, and these are often overlooked in standard risk assessments.
“There is also a misconception that providing heating alone is enough. Employers should be thinking more broadly about how cold conditions affect behaviour and productivity, from staff taking more breaks to move around, to increased mistakes in routine tasks.”
Steps Employers Can Take During Colder Periods
Employers are advised to take proactive steps during colder periods of the year to support staff and reduce risk. This includes ensuring heating systems function effectively and evenly across the workplace, allowing flexibility in dress codes so employees can wear warmer clothing and providing additional breaks where cold conditions cannot be resolved immediately.
Monitoring temperature-related complaints and responding promptly is also important, as is reviewing risk assessments to account for seasonal changes. These actions can help prevent small issues escalating into formal complaints or enforcement action.
Hall said, “Simple measures such as reviewing the heating schedule, risk assessments and allowing flexibility in dress codes during Winter can make a meaningful difference.
“Addressing these issues early not only helps protect employee wellbeing but helps prevent complaints escalating into more formal measures.”