MPs from The Left (Lewica), Poland’s second-largest opposition group, and trade unionists have called for the introduction of a maximum temperature above which working hours are restricted.
Like many parts of the world, Poland has recently been experiencing high temperatures, with a maximum of over 34°C (93°F) reached yesterday. Extreme weather has generally become more common, with Poland in 2019 recording its hottest year in history.
The temperature reached 18.9°C (66°F) in Warsaw yesterday, the highest ever recorded in Poland in January.
In some places, the average temperature across the day reached the level set by the state meteorological agency to qualify as summer temperatures https://t.co/vyFxxJ9lHz
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 2, 2023
In an appeal to the ministry of family and social policy, Magdalena Biejat and Adrian Zandberg, leaders of the Together (Razem) party that is part of The Left, and Piotr Ostrowski, head of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ), called for changes to labour laws.
They note that, while regulations currently specify minimum working temperature in cold weather, there is no equivalent maximum temperature during hot weather. That in turn means there are no clear rules on employees’ statutory working conditions during heatwaves apart from a basic requirement to provide drinks.
“Everything is at the discretion of the employer,” said Ostrowski, quoted by Radio Zet. “We believe that a universal standard of employee care should apply in Poland.”
Remote working rights – but also the right of employers to carry out sobriety checks on their employees – have been introduced into Poland's labour code https://t.co/RAaEm02Twf
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 31, 2023
Biejat notes that such provisions would not only benefit workers but also society as a whole, by, for example, reducing the cost of healthcare for those harmed by working in hot conditions. Her party plans to submit draft legislation on the issue once parliament returns after the summer holidays.
Last summer, the family and social policy ministry issued a reminder to employers that they have an obligation to ensure safe and hygienic working conditions for staff that take account of weather conditions such as extreme heat.
The ministry suggested that this could include shortening working hours, introducing additional breaks, and providing air conditioning. However, it noted that specific measures introduced “depend solely on the goodwill of the employer”.
☀️🌡 Wysokie temperatury mogą naprawdę dać się we znaki – również w pracy. Zmęczeni upałem pracownicy mogą mieć trudności ze skupieniem się na swoich zadaniach. Jak poprawić ich komfort❓ Jakie obowiązki spoczywają na pracodawcy❓ Odpowiadamy⤵️ https://t.co/DyNTckEl63
— Ministerstwo Rodziny i Polityki Społecznej (@MRiPS_GOV_PL) June 28, 2022
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
