Report on Worker Safety and Climate Change: An Analysis of the UK Employment Rights Bill

Introduction: Legislative Gaps in Worker Protection Amidst Climate Change

The United Kingdom’s Employment Rights Bill, currently in its final legislative stages, has been presented as a significant advancement in labour rights. However, its progression coincides with escalating climate-related events, notably severe heatwaves across Europe, which expose a critical deficiency in the bill: the absence of protections for workers during periods of extreme heat. This oversight presents a direct challenge to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of such weather events, the need for adaptive legislation to protect the workforce becomes paramount.

Health, Safety, and Decent Work Implications of Extreme Heat Exposure

Threats to Worker Well-being (SDG 3)

Exposure to high temperatures in the workplace poses significant risks to employee health, undermining SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Research indicates a clear correlation between rising temperatures and negative health outcomes. These risks include:

• A documented increase in workplace accidents resulting from diminished concentration, fatigue, and physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, which can lead to slips or mishandling of equipment.
• Direct and severe health emergencies, including heatstroke, collapse, and confusion.
• In extreme cases, prolonged exposure can lead to severe organ damage or fatality.

Vulnerable Worker Populations and Projections

Analysis by the Autonomy Institute highlights the scale of the issue. By the end of the 2020s, nearly two-thirds of the UK workforce could be exposed to temperatures exceeding 35°C during heatwaves. By 2050, this figure is projected to rise to 27.1 million workers. Outdoor workers, particularly in sectors like construction and cleaning, are identified as the most vulnerable. Projections indicate that by 2040, over one million such workers will likely face temperatures above 27°C as a standard summer condition, not just during exceptional events. This establishes a dangerous “new normal” that directly contravenes the principles of SDG 8, which calls for safe and secure working environments for all workers.

Aligning UK Labour Law with Sustainable Development Goals

Proposed Legislative Measures for Decent Work (SDG 8)

To address this legislative gap and align with Target 8.8 of the SDGs—to protect labour rights and promote safe working environments—specific, legally enforceable measures are required. The following recommendations are proposed:

1. Establish a Statutory Maximum Working Temperature. Based on guidance from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a legal maximum of 30°C for general work and 27°C for strenuous outdoor work should be codified into law. This contrasts with the current non-binding guidance for minimum temperatures.
2. Implement a Legal Duty of Care for Employers. Employers must be legally obligated to mitigate heat-related risks. This includes providing access to drinking water, adequate shelter from the sun, and mandating work pauses or schedule adjustments during the hottest parts of the day.

Adopting these measures, similar to regulations in Spain where maximum temperatures are set at 27°C for sedentary work and 25°C for light physical work, would provide trade unions and workers with the legal tools to ensure safety before serious harm occurs.

Enhancing Climate Resilience in Infrastructure (SDG 11 & SDG 13)

The challenge extends to indoor environments, as much of the UK’s building stock is inadequately designed for rising summer temperatures. Current legislation vaguely requires “reasonable” indoor temperatures without a clear definition. Establishing a legal maximum would incentivize employers to invest in building retrofits and cooling solutions, thereby enhancing climate resilience. This action supports SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by promoting safe and resilient infrastructure and serves as a critical adaptation measure under SDG 13 (Climate Action). Extending domestic retrofit programs to workplaces would further this goal while helping to manage reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning systems.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The Employment Rights Bill offers a timely opportunity to integrate crucial climate adaptation measures into UK labour law. Failure to include provisions for maximum working temperatures represents a failure to protect millions of workers from the foreseeable and dangerous impacts of climate change. Amending the bill to include these protections is an essential step to uphold commitments to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). As the government has already shown a willingness to add amendments, such as parental bereavement leave, there is a clear precedent for action. Integrating worker protection from extreme heat is not only a matter of labour rights but a necessary component of a comprehensive national strategy for climate resilience.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article directly addresses health by highlighting the severe risks workers face from extreme heat, including “heatstroke or collapse, confusion and ultimately a risk of severe organ damage or even fatality.” It discusses how rising temperatures test the resilience of public health systems.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The central theme of the article is workers’ rights and the need for safe working conditions. It critiques the Employment Rights Bill for lacking “provisions to ensure worker safety in very hot weather.” It also connects heat to economic factors by mentioning a “drop in productivity” and an “increased risk of workplace accidents.”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article touches on the resilience of infrastructure, stating that UK “buildings remain poorly suited for these hot summers.” It suggests that defining a legal maximum working temperature would incentivize employers to “properly equip their buildings for hot weather” and mentions extending “domestic retrofit programs to workplaces.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The entire issue is framed as a consequence of climate change. The article refers to “climate breakdown,” a “heat dome,” and warns that extreme heat conditions “are set to become increasingly frequent.” The call for new legislation is presented as a necessary adaptation strategy to strengthen the “UK’s climate resilience.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article’s focus on preventing death and illness from the environmental hazard of extreme heat directly relates to this target.
• Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The call for a “statutory maximum working temperature” is a specific measure for risk reduction and management of a national health risk posed by heatwaves.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers. This target is at the core of the article, which argues for new legal provisions in the Employment Rights Bill to “ensure workers are not forced to work in unsafe conditions.”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters… with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. The article identifies extreme heat waves as a disaster and focuses on protecting vulnerable workers, particularly those in outdoor jobs like construction.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article is a direct call to action to adapt to the climate-related hazard of extreme heat by implementing new laws and retrofitting buildings to “upgrade the UK’s climate resilience.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Policy and Implementation Indicators

• Statutory Maximum Working Temperature: The article explicitly proposes this as a key measure. An indicator would be the legal adoption of a maximum temperature. The article provides specific values suggested by the Trades Union Congress: “a maximum working temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) be adopted for outdoor strenuous work and 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) for all other work.”
• Legal Obligation for Employers: The article suggests employers should have a “legal obligation to protect outdoor workers.” Indicators would include policies mandating the provision of shelter, drinking water, and work pauses during the hottest parts of the day.

Outcome and Impact Indicators

• Number of Workers Exposed to Heat: The article provides baseline data from research, stating that by 2050, “extreme summer heat waves could leave 27.1 million workers exposed to dangerous temperatures.” A progress indicator would be the tracking and reduction of this number through protective measures.
• (Implied) Rate of Workplace Accidents: The article states that heat leads to an “increased risk of workplace accidents.” A reduction in heat-related accidents would be a key indicator of progress.
• (Implied) Occupational Illness and Fatality Rates: The article mentions risks of “heatstroke or collapse… organ damage or even fatality.” Tracking and reducing the incidence of these health outcomes among workers during heat waves would be a direct indicator of improved safety.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: jacobin.com