39 degrees in Berlin: How the Greens are campaigning for siesta and heat-free days

Germany is groaning under the heat: In Berlin, temperatures climbed to 32 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, and up to 39 degrees Celsius are expected on Wednesday. For employees, this means heat protection – both in the office and outdoors. Politicians have been debating measures for years, including this summer. Among the topics being discussed are heat-free days, more protection from the heat, or even a siesta based on the southern European model. The Greens and the Left Party are now demanding clear legal requirements.

If the Greens have their way, employers should be required to provide measures such as paid breaks, adjusted working hours, shaded areas, fans, and free drinks when temperatures reach 26 degrees Celsius. In extreme conditions, there should even be a legally enshrined right to heat-related leave.

Left Party leader van Aken: It's not about heat-free days, but about protection

The Left Party also wants clear rules – especially in hospitals and nursing homes. Party leader Jan van Aken warns: "This isn't about heat-related holidays, but about real protection – for staff and patients." Shorter working hours and guaranteed breaks are essential. He tells the Berliner Zeitung: "The question is therefore less how heat-related holidays can be implemented there, but rather how heat protection can be implemented there."

He also demands: "The reduction of working hours and the right to breaks must apply where it is not possible to reduce temperatures." On construction sites, in the fields and on the streets, it will "not always be possible to protect hard-working people from the heat."

This has also revived the siesta debate – taking a break when the sun is blazing. Elsewhere, it's been a tried-and-tested concept for decades. In countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece, the long lunch break from 12 noon to 4 p.m. has long been part of everyday life – a response to the summer heat. But with climate change, temperatures are rising in other parts of Europe as well, and the siesta is increasingly coming into focus.

As early as 2023, IG BAU and public health officials in Germany had called for more protection for construction workers and those working outdoors. Robert Feiger, Federal Chairman of IG BAU, told the "Tagesschau" news program at the time : "Of course, we must, above all, protect those employees who have to work outdoors in this scorching heat." Then-Health Minister Lauterbach was also open to siesta models – but pointed to the responsibility of employers and employees. "Siesta in the heat is certainly not a bad idea," Lauterbach said.

Union demands right to stop work in case of health risk

Verdi also supports longer, paid breaks and advocates for Europe-wide regulations. Union spokesperson Markus Nöthen told the Berliner Zeitung: "A siesta-like break can be useful protection from the heat, for example during physically demanding work outdoors." Nöthen therefore calls for an EU directive with clear upper limits for working temperatures. He also argues that the right to stop work if there is a health risk – without disadvantages – is important. Wage compensation in hot weather must also be considered.

The current problem: There is no entitlement to time off work due to the heat. But political pressure is mounting. Particularly vulnerable groups are in focus. The Greens want to expand a funding program for nursing homes – 200 euros per person for air conditioning and heat protection.

Greens: Government must better protect people

Green Party member of the Bundestag Julia Verlinden told the Berliner Zeitung: "Hot days and tropical nights will also increase here due to the climate crisis. And such heat events are a health threat." The politician continued: "The federal government must better protect the people in our country." Drinking water dispensers and mobile sprinkler systems in public places could be "everyday measures for everyone here."

With regard to the workplace, the Green Party said that tailored solutions for heat protection and time off from work were needed, “such as a working time model adapted to the heat or appropriate to it, in which longer lunch breaks could also play a role.”

A resolution drafted by the Green Party parliamentary group states, among other things: "If employers fail to adequately fulfill their obligation to provide heat protection, employees must have the right to time off due to heat. This is a requirement for health protection – we want to enshrine this individual right in law." Fans should be installed at a minimum at room temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius or higher. Anything beyond that must be regulated in the same way.

If Left Party leader van Aken had his way, temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius would also include the right to work from home , a 25 percent reduction in full-time hours (those who work six hours get eight hours credited), a right to sufficient water and sun protection, and an additional ten-minute break per hour. At temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius: 50 percent less work, the right to fans, and a ten-minute break every half hour. Jan van Aken demands that these measures "become reality by July 2025."

However, employers already have certain obligations to protect the health of their employees in high temperatures. In extreme heat, employers are obligated to take action under the Occupational Safety and Health Act , the Workplace Ordinance, and the duty of care, say labor lawyers. Employers should take initial steps as early as 26 degrees Celsius. They must determine which measures are appropriate in a so-called risk assessment. These include ventilating, closing blinds, or providing drinks.

Verdi is committed to raising awareness among companies and employers

So, there are certainly rules for dealing with heat waves in the workplace. According to Verdi, the implementation of the demands put forward by the Greens and the Left Party is currently only possible to a limited extent: "The question of whether this idea can be realistically implemented depends largely on good and clear guidelines." In this context, Verdi is not only focusing on raising awareness among companies and employers. Legislators, in particular, should fundamentally consider the issue of heat and climate change .

While the opposition discusses the hellish summer, the federal government remains silent. The CDU/CSU and SPD are currently staying out of the siesta issue. Meanwhile, the German Weather Service is warning of the heat peak on Wednesday.