Poland to stop work in non‑air‑conditioned offices during extreme heat

A wave of extreme heat is affecting Poland, and officials are preparing new occupational‑health regulations that would allow employers to suspend work in offices that lack air‑conditioning when indoor temperatures rise above 35 °C (or 32 °C outdoors for physically demanding jobs). The draft, expected to take effect in 2027, would give workers additional breaks or even full days off during the hottest periods.

Data from BNM Real Estate Advisory show that just under 5 % of office buildings in the seven largest Polish cities lack permanent air‑conditioning – roughly one building out of every 21. The shortage is most pronounced in Łódź, where 13 % of offices have no AC, followed by Gdańsk (7 %), Warsaw (6 %), and lower rates in other cities. The regulation includes exemptions for essential services such as police, border guards, healthcare, agriculture, transport, hospitality and others.

Employers are advised to use alternative cooling measures—fans, natural ventilation, window shading, external shading devices, and portable units—while the legal framework evolves. The proposal aims to protect employee health and productivity during heatwaves while balancing practical constraints of retrofit in older buildings.