Heatwave: What are employers' obligations to protect their employees?

France is sweltering and facing extreme heat this Tuesday, July 1st. With temperatures reaching over 40 degrees, beware of the risks associated with excessive heat! The Labor Code requires employers to take the necessary preventive measures to protect their teams.

These provisions were recently strengthened by a decree dated May 27, 2025. As of July ¹ , employees will be better protected against all dangers associated with " intense heat episodes ," such as fever, migraines, cramps, dehydration, accidents, etc. These legal obligations are triggered when Météo France sets a yellow alert (heat peak), orange (heatwave), or red (extreme heatwave). Le Figaro takes stock of the law.

Providing workers with " fresh, potable " water is a long-standing requirement of the Labor Code. The required temperature is not specified, but the law specifies that this water must be kept " cool " and " all day long ." Workers must be able to " quench their thirst " and " refresh themselves ."

This water must be " near " the workstations, including for outdoor work. The quantity provided must be " sufficient ." For the construction industry, the law will be even more specific as of July ¹ : employers are required to provide a minimum of three liters of drinking water per day per worker " when it is impossible to provide running water ."

Some provisions specifically target " enclosed spaces ," and therefore all office jobs. The air must be renewed to avoid " excessive temperature increases ." And as of July ¹ , employers must implement " technical means " to reduce solar radiation on exposed surfaces, for example through damping or insulation, but also " prevent heat accumulation ." The law does not cite any specific means, but the public service website cites fans , misting systems, or sun visors. This also applies to outdoor positions.

Precautions must be taken from the design stage of the premises and annexes: these must allow " the temperature to be adapted to the human body during working hours, taking into account the working methods and the physical constraints endured by the workers ".

Employers were already required to provide their workers with protection against extreme temperatures, including protective equipment for construction machinery. The decree specifies that this equipment must also protect workers from the " effects of direct or diffuse solar radiation ." Furthermore, workers' equipment must be " appropriate " to " maintain a stable body temperature ."

The construction industry has long been organizing to ensure work progresses without excessive heat exposure, particularly by starting very early in the morning. A rest area must also be provided for workers to take breaks. Starting July ¹ , this type of arrangement must also extend to offices. As a preventative measure, employers may modify, adapt, or arrange workspaces and stations to reduce heat exposure. They may also adapt schedules and schedule rest periods.

Employers are required to inform and train their teams on the " conduct to adopt " during periods of intense heat, and on the proper use of work and protective equipment. The idea is to reduce their exposure to heat to a level " as low as technically possible ."

There are a number of administrative obligations to be fulfilled from this point of view. One of these already existed previously: in the single professional risk assessment document (DUERP), the employer must " transcribe [...] the risks linked to thermal environments and adopt preventive measures to ensure the health and safety of employees ." Another comes from the new decree: the employer must ensure that its workers and the occupational health and prevention service know the procedure to follow to report " situations of discomfort or distress " and provide assistance to heat victims.

If you hire minors aged fourteen to sixteen during school holidays, this paragraph applies to you. The law prohibits assigning young people to work that exposes them to " extreme temperatures likely to be harmful to health ." But they aren't the only ones you need to watch out for. Starting July ¹ , employers will have to adapt preventive measures to protect the health of workers who are " particularly vulnerable " to heat, due to their age or health.