Last month, an intense heatwave in the UK resulted in the loss of 24 million work hours and a financial impact of £1.15 billion, according to recent research. The heatwave, which saw record-breaking temperatures reaching 37.7°C at Lingwood, Strumpshaw Hill on June 26, surpassed a previous record set in 1976. Workers nationwide had to take time off or adjust their schedules during the week of June 22. This heatwave was the second of three to hit Western Europe within three months, causing significant effects on various sectors like health, infrastructure, water resources, agriculture, and wildlife.
A study conducted by the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) revealed that, on average, workers in the UK reduced their working hours by 0.47 hours in the last week of June. The research involved surveying 1,950 British adults about how the heatwave impacted their work hours, sleep patterns, and routines. The economic cost of lost productivity due to the heatwave was estimated based on the adjustments workers had to make. It was found that employees in physically demanding sectors like construction and agriculture reduced their hours more than those in less physically demanding jobs such as academia. Approximately 3.6% of respondents, equivalent to 1.25 million workers, did not work at all that week due to the heat, resulting in a potential eight million additional lost work hours, costing the economy an estimated £0.38 billion.
The survey also highlighted that 87% of respondents experienced health-related issues during the week, ranging from disrupted sleep to more severe symptoms like dizziness or fainting. Additionally, 5% sought medical attention, and around 3% reported work-related accidents or injuries, with many attributing them to the weather. Elizabeth Robinson, the director of the Grantham Research Institute, emphasized the need for the government to address the impacts of extreme heat on workers and the economy. Shouro Dasgupta, an environmental economist at CMCC, pointed out that while the overall economic loss was significant, it disproportionately affected outdoor and physically demanding workers, exacerbating existing labor force inequalities due to extreme heat.
