Working in Bermuda Shorts? What You Can (and Can't) Wear in Extreme Heat
Some employees are required to wear a uniform, as is the case at RATP or SNCF, for example. Others are required to dress in a certain way due to customer contact, in order to match the company's image. Still others are required to wear specific safety equipment, such as a hard hat or construction shoes.
So, how can you avoid dying of heat in the office? As for clothing, it depends on your employer, whom you should contact to find out the limits of what will be accepted. However, in the event of a heatwave, your employer is required to ensure the thermal comfort of its employees. To do this, it will have to take measures to cool the premises. This means insulating buildings, renewing the air, and even in the event of a heatwave, installing fans or office air conditioners.
If you work outdoors—especially on construction sites—some clarifications are required. Wearing a helmet and safety shoes remains mandatory. Similarly, wearing shorts is not acceptable for safety reasons. Working shirtless exposes you to sunburn and heatstroke.
In the event of a heatwave, "the employer must consider protective measures such as adjusting working hours, taking additional breaks, or assigning employees to work on indoor fallback sites or to workshop work," specifies the legal portal Droit-travail-france.fr.
*Break. soc., November 12, 2008, nº 07-42.220
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