Heatwave Rules Tighten: German Firms Face Legal Duties as Productivity Losses Mount
19.06.2026 - 07:44:53 | boerse-global.de
Allianz Trade projects that heat-related economic damage could reach 112 billion euros by 2030. For every degree above 30°C, labour productivity slides 3%, while corporate energy bills climb an average 1.2%.
The cost of doing nothing goes beyond the balance sheet. Sick leave spikes 3.5% on days above 30°C and 6% during prolonged heat spells. In 2023 alone, German workplaces recorded 92,722 disability days directly attributed to heat or sunlight exposure.
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Employer Obligations Under the ASR A3.5 Framework
Germany lacks a dedicated heat law, but the Workplace Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung) and the Technical Rules for Workplaces (ASR A3.5) create a clear ladder of obligations:
- 26°C – employers must assess whether measures can improve thermal comfort.
- 30°C – protective measures become mandatory.
- 35°C – rooms without adequate protection are effectively unfit for work.
Recommended steps include ventilating during cooler morning hours, installing fans or mobile air conditioning, relaxing dress codes, and providing free drinking water. Pharmacies face an even stricter standard: the Pharmacy Operating Ordinance mandates storage below 25°C, often forcing cooling systems in sales and storage areas.
Hesse’s Labour Minister Heike Hofmann urged companies in mid-June to take their duty of care seriously. Flexible models such as flextime can help employees avoid the hottest hours, though no legal “heat-free” entitlement exists.
The Siesta Split and Political Proposals
Allianz economist Katharina Utermöhl sees Germany trapped in a “dangerous middle zone” and suggests a midday siesta could become part of risk management. That idea divides opinion.
The German Trade Union Federation (DGB) rejects blanket solutions. Board member Anja Piel insists any response must be sector-specific: what works in an air-conditioned office cannot apply to a construction site. The DGB is also critical of efforts by the centre-right Union and the centre-left SPD to shift from daily to weekly maximum working hours – a move unions say could erode protections.
The Left parliamentary group goes further, demanding a “climate short-time work benefit” for outdoor workers, modelled on the winter scheme for seasonal employees. For indoor workplaces, it proposes:
- From 26°C – reduce working time by one quarter.
- From 30°C – employees should work only half days, with full wage compensation.
Hospitals and Social Infrastructure Feel the Heat
The German Hospital Association warns of massive investment needs to protect patients and staff. President Gerald GaĂź calls for a dedicated climate investment programme worth 31 billion euros to retrofit buildings.
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The Social Association SoVD presses for nationwide municipal heat action plans, while the German Red Cross highlights acute risks for vulnerable groups, particularly homeless individuals during extreme temperature events.
