What are my rights?

[tommo341]

Hi there

 

my boss has made me come into work today which i did so by train as i couldn't my car out for the snow.

 

There is no heating in the office and my boss is at home and his answer was simply "keep your coat on" and he laughed.

 

I want to know if there is anything disiplinary he could do if i refused to work and go home?

 

Any advise would be greatly appreciated as i am freezing and if i'm within my rights to do so i'm off home.

[patdavies]

What sort of work do you do?

 

There are limits (under H&S) on how cold an office can be for example.

[tommo341]

What sort of work do you do?

 

There are limits (under H&S) on how cold an office can be for example.

 

I work as an IT support consultant (Telephone Support line)

[honeybee13]

Hi there Tommo. According to the HSE [Health and Safety Executive] website, you should be able to work in reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing. I'm not an expert, but would have thought keeping your coat on isn't in the spirit of this.

 

For non manual workers, the site suggests a minimum of 16 degrees C. You might care to have a look at that. I don't know if they have a helpline, didn't look at that.

 

Good luck.

[teaboy2]

Honeybees spot on, and since hes making you work in direct violation to the Health and safety guidlines, then you are entitled to go home until the office's room temperture is in line with health and safety i.e the ****** gets the heaters working. You can not be dicisplined for going home, as any such action would be unfair and you can take tribunal action as a result if it ended in dismissal which i doubt it would when you inform the health and safety people.

 

And of course thats exactly what you WILL do before you go home.

 

Heres the phone number 0845 345 0055

 

And heres the link to the page Honeybee was talking about.

 

HSE - Thermal comfort: FAQs

 

Oh also inform your boss your going home after taking guidence from HSE and explain that until he gets the heating working to the point where the room temperture is 16 degrees or above he can not expect you to come in to work or take any action against you for not coming into work or going home. That will take the smile of the ******s face!

Edited January 6, 2010 by teaboy2

[kfdh1962]

as other have pointed out, the workplace (health safety & welfare ) regulations 1992 ammended 2002, require an employer to maintain a reasonable temperature during working hours, and provide sufficient thermometers to enable employees to establish what the temperature is. The temperature must be comfortable without the need for special clothing. This should be minimum 16 degrees for non strenuous activity and 13 degrees minimum for strenuous activity.

 

he is failing to comply with his legal obligations and would have no grounds for disciplinary action

[honeybee13]

Hi Tommo. I was wondering how you got on the other day. Can you give us an update please? I hope it worked out for the best.

[jackieandwayne]

Would the same principle apply to temporary toilet facilities on a large building site that have completely frozen over?

[honeybee13]

That's a tough one for me, jackieandwayne, is it rare? It doesn't sound great, though.

 

My first port of call for information would be the HSE website. Otherwise, we hope someone more knowledgeable than me turns up

[jackieandwayne]

I don't know about rare, but it was most inconvenient apparently and the neighbours in the 4 large blocks of flats overlooking the site got more than an eyeful! Well, men will be men!

 

The site has been closed, but only because of H & S ie., they could slip, or machinery might malfunction. The boss is not a happy man!

[elpulpo]

Nothing worse than an inconvenient convenience.

[honeybee13]

I'd worry about frostbite. Seriously, as a female, I don't think I would go to work.

[monkeychicken]

Would the same principle apply to temporary toilet facilities on a large building site that have completely frozen over?

Welfare at work regs apply.

 

Heres the link

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.pdf