The latest insight from the Global Payroll Alliance (GPA) has found that 61% of office workers feel they are less productive in the workplace when the summer heat hits, with 27% stating they lose more than an hour a day in productive work time. As the UK continues to experience increasingly hot summers, this survey highlights the significant impact rising temperatures are having on productivity levels in the workplace.
The survey, commissioned by the GPA*, explored how hot weather impacts our ability to work effectively. The findings reveal that the hot weather is not only making employees uncomfortable but is also having tangible effects on workplace efficiency.
According to the survey, 61% of workers feel less productive during the summer months.
For 19%, this equates to losing less than 15 minutes of productive work each day, while 25% lose between 15 to 30 minutes. However, 30% of workers report losing between 30 to 60 minutes a day, and a further 27% say they lose more than an hour. These findings reveal the scale of the productivity loss as temperatures rise during the summer months.
The survey also uncovered the primary reasons behind this drop in productivity, with 25% of respondents citing feeling tired or sluggish as the main factor, while 18% blamed uncomfortable office temperatures and difficulty concentrating. Other factors include excessive sweating and discomfort (15%), poor air quality or ventilation (14%), and dehydration or headaches (10%).
Despite these challenges, only 49% of workers reported that their employer takes steps to reduce the impact of hot weather on staff productivity. Furthermore, 83% of respondents believe that employers should take the increasingly hot weather more seriously as a productivity and wellbeing issue.
Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Alliance, commented: “Working in the heat is never pleasant, but it’s something we’ve all come to expect during the summer months. However, as our summers continue to get hotter, this is a very real concern that many employers need to take more seriously.
The UK is ill-equipped to deal with the heat, and with temperatures only expected to keep rising over the coming years, now is the time to make changes to ensure a happy and productive workforce.
The failure to do so could have some very real repercussions, particularly for staff handling vital tasks such as payroll. Mistakes made due to dehydration, sluggishness, and the effects of heat in the workplace could prove very costly, not to mention they could undermine productivity in the long term.”
Data tables and sources
- *Survey of 1,132 UK office workers carried out by ProperPR on behalf of The GPA via consumer research platform Find Out Now (24th July 2025).
- Full data tables can be viewed online, here
