Ireland is currently enjoying a stunning heatwave with temperatures set to hit highs of 30C this week.
Thousands of people across the country enjoyed the glorious weather over the weekend as beaches and public spaces were packed with sunseekers.
However as the Monday return to work brings many back to reality, the question that is worth asking is how do the unusually warm conditions affect your work life?
Here is everything we know:
For it to be legally safe to work employers must meet certain conditions in order to provide safe working conditions for employees.
The HSA’s Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007 state in such hot weather an employers must ensure adequate ventilation is in place for workers, acceptable for the physical demands involved in their work.
While there is currently no maximum temperature stated for workplaces, a minimum temperature of 17.5C must be maintained while this drops to 16C if significant physical effort is involved.
The HSA also encourage employers to loosen strict dress code practices this week by allowing employees to remove ties and jackets to keep cool and to wear loose clothing while regular water breaks are also needed.
It says: "In extremely hot weather conditions, measures such as for example, the provisions of fans, provision of cold water dispensers and regular water breaks for staff, the relaxation of formal dress codes, the introduction of flexible working patterns etc, can assist in maintaining comfortable working conditions."
The Irish Business and Employers Confederation state that employers must make comfortable conditions for their employees in the event of such high weather, and once this is managed employees are obliged to work as normal.
It continued: "Where an employer is obviously sympathetic and tries to alleviate the worst effects of hot weather most employees should bear with temporary discomfort and continue working normally."
Of course, for the thousands working at home, these rules may not mean much, but there are still many on sites and in offices for essential work around the country.
