Extreme heat is no longer merely an environmental concern. It is increasingly becoming a workplace hazard that affects health, productivity and economic growth.
While discussions around climate change often focus on floods, cyclones or rising sea levels, excessive heat quietly reduces workers’ efficiency, increases health risks and strains healthcare systems. Countries like India, where millions work outdoors or in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, face particularly severe consequences.
More than just heatstroke
The dangers of extreme heat extend far beyond dehydration or heatstroke.
According to Tarun Khanna, Professor at Harvard Business School, prolonged exposure to heat can aggravate cardiovascular diseases, affect cognitive performance and worsen existing medical conditions. In an interview published by Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, he notes that the effects of heat are often “far more insidious and long-lasting than heatstroke.”
For workers in construction, agriculture, manufacturing, transport and delivery services, these risks are becoming a daily reality.
Productivity takes a hit
Extreme heat doesn’t only affect health—it also affects economic output.
Workers slow down naturally as temperatures rise, mistakes become more frequent, and physically demanding jobs become increasingly difficult. Even office workers in inadequately cooled environments experience reduced concentration and decision-making ability.
For a country like India, where labour-intensive sectors contribute significantly to GDP, rising temperatures could translate into substantial economic losses.
Communities need local solutions
Khanna argues that adapting to extreme heat requires solutions tailored to local conditions rather than one-size-fits-all policies.
Simple interventions—better shade, improved ventilation, access to drinking water, cooling centres, redesigned work schedules and early-warning systems—can significantly reduce risks. Local governments, employers and communities all have a role to play.
Heat affects the mind too
Heat does not merely exhaust the body.
Research increasingly suggests that prolonged exposure also impairs cognitive abilities, reducing concentration, memory and decision-making. For students, office workers and professionals, these invisible effects may prove just as costly as physical illness.
India has much to learn—and much to contribute
India experiences some of the world’s highest temperatures while employing millions in informal and outdoor occupations.
Several Indian cities have introduced Heat Action Plans, but implementation remains uneven. As heatwaves become more frequent, workplace safety standards, urban planning and public health policies will need to evolve rapidly.
The challenge is not simply surviving hotter summers—it is ensuring that economic growth and human well-being can continue in a warming world.
Why this matters
Climate change is changing the nature of work itself.
Extreme heat is no longer an occasional inconvenience. It is becoming a structural risk to labour, health and productivity. Recognising it as a workplace issue—not merely an environmental one—may be one of the most important policy shifts of the coming decade.
This article is based on the interview Extreme Heat Is Becoming a Workplace Hazard with Professor Tarun Khanna, published by Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. The interview has been condensed, interpreted and adapted for Raisina Hill with additional Indian policy context.
