With summer upon us, did you know California law requires employers to protect workers from the heat? If you’re working outdoors, your employer must provide you with:

 

  1. Access to fresh, cool drinking water (free of charge and close by);
  2. Access to shade where the temperature in the work area exceeds 80 degrees. An employer must also provide its workers access to shade when an employee requests it even if the temperature does not exceed 80 degrees;
  3. Rest breaks of at least five minutes in the shade or an equally cool spot, as needed by the employee to cool down. Employees cannot be required to do any form of work during these breaks.
  4. If your employer is not providing you with rest breaks to cool down, you could be entitled to an additional hour of pay for each day that you missed a break; and

 

Heat illness prevention training and other precautions to protect workers are also mandated.

 

Contact our offices at (949) 346-4799 for a free consultation if you believe your employer is not following these laws, or if you’d like  more information about your rights in the workplace.

 

This Legal Alert provides an overview of California law for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular factual situation.