Dear All,
Employers will face significant changes in the area of occupational health and safety. Under the Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 9 July 2026, maximum permissible workplace temperatures and new obligations aimed at protecting employees from high temperatures will apply from 11 January 2027.
Will the new regulations affect your organisation?
- Can the temperature in indoor workspaces at your workplace exceed 28°C?
- Do your employees perform intensive physical work or work outdoors?
- Do you have procedures in place governing work during periods of high temperatures?
New obligations for employers
The new rules require protective measures to be implemented once specific temperature thresholds are exceeded:
- 28°C in indoor workplaces,
- 25°C for certain types of intensive physical work performed indoors, as specified in the regulations, and for work performed outdoors.
Where the relevant thresholds are exceeded in indoor workspaces, the employer will be required to:
- implement appropriate technical measures to reduce or limit the increase in temperature, unless this is not possible due to technological requirements, or
- implement appropriate organisational measures to minimise the impact of high temperatures on employees’ health.
For outdoor work, once the temperature exceeds 25°C, the employer will be required to implement appropriate organisational measures to minimise the impact of high temperatures on employees’ health.
Although the regulations do not provide an exhaustive list of such measures, in practice they may include, among others, additional breaks, changes to working time arrangements or measures aimed at improving thermal conditions.
Prohibition on work above maximum temperature limits
The new regulations also introduce maximum permissible temperatures:
- 35°C in indoor workplaces,
- 32°C for outdoor work involving physical exertion exceeding the energy expenditure thresholds specified in the regulation.
Work may not be performed where, due to weather conditions, the temperature exceeds the relevant threshold indicated above.
The regulations also provide for exemptions from the obligation to ensure the maximum temperatures for certain types of work and specified categories of employees, officers and soldiers.
Mandatory employee consultations
Employers will determine organisational measures after consulting employees within the occupational health and safety committee. Where no such committee has been established, the measures will be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Labour Code and after obtaining the opinion of the physician responsible for providing preventive healthcare to employees.
Once the consultation process has been completed, the employer will be required to inform employees of the organisational measures adopted in the manner customary at the workplace.
How can we help?
We can support your organisation in preparing for the new requirements by providing:
- an OHS compliance review focused on high-temperature workplace requirements,
- a review of internal policies, procedures and OHS documentation,
- support in updating occupational risk assessments,
- assistance in developing procedures for work organisation during periods of hot temperatures,
- support throughout the employee consultation process,
- training sessions for HR teams and management personnel.
Why is it worth preparing in advance?
Reviewing the measures currently in place before the new regulations enter into force will make it possible to identify areas requiring changes, appropriately plan organisational and technical measures, and prepare the organisation for situations in which work cannot be performed due to maximum temperature thresholds being exceeded.
This legal alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice.