A survey conducted by the French trade union CGT among 11,315 employees reveals serious shortcomings in the protection of personnel during heat waves. Only 41 percent of respondents indicated they felt protected by their employer during periods of extreme heat.
The online questionnaire, which ran from 4 July to 31 August, yielded striking figures. Nearly all participants (96 percent) reported more fatigue than normal during heat waves. Additionally, 85.6 percent experienced the heat as burdensome to unbearable, with concentration problems in 67 percent and headaches in 40 percent of respondents.
Particularly concerning is that 80.3 percent indicated they were expected to ‘simply carry on working’ during extreme heat, while 78 percent had to reduce their work pace in practice. Two-thirds of employees worked in a space without air conditioning, and only 37 percent had access to cold water in the workplace.
The preventive measures that were taken were limited. Of the respondents, 41 percent indicated that employers had adjusted working hours, 32 percent were able to work from home and 14 percent were given additional breaks. A significant group of 20.4 percent, however, received no protective measures whatsoever. Some employees even brought their own fans to the office.
The risks were perceived as real by employees: 46 percent considered an accident possible, and 10 percent actually witnessed an incident. Approximately half of the respondents believed that the work pace should have been slowed down, while 36.6 percent felt that work should have been stopped entirely.
The survey, in which primarily public sector employees participated (55 percent), underscores the urgency of better regulation according to the CGT. The trade union advocates for concrete temperature thresholds, climate leave comparable to the existing inclement weather leave in construction, and stricter sanctions for employers who neglect prevention.
For HSE professionals, these findings emphasize the importance of proactive heat plans, including concrete measures such as adjustment of working hours, provision of cold water, climate control and clear procedures for stopping work at extreme temperatures.
Source: Grandes chaleurs : 4 salariés sur 10 estiment avoir été protégés par leur employeur selon l’enquête de la CGT, 2026-09-04T14:58:48.000Z, https://actuel-hse.fr/content/grandes-chaleurs-une-minorite-de-salaries-estiment-avoir-ete-protege-par-leur-employeur-1
