Goodbye To 9-5 Jobs? UK Employees Could Soon Have To Work 6-2 Due To Climate Change: Oxford Study

Working 9-5 could become a thing of the past, as climate change continues to wreak havoc on the planet and, with it, the workforce as well.

As the world becomes hotter amid global warming, companies may need to switch up their employees¡¯ working patterns to cope with "uncomfortable" heat levels, according to researchers from the University of Oxford.

Employees Could Soon Work From 6 a.m. To 2 p.m.

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It¡¯s bad news for night owls, as the Oxford experts recommended that workers will need to start their shift at 6 a.m. and finish by 2 p.m. in order to beat the afternoon heat in the UK. For those with a long commute, this could mean starting the day as early as 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. to get ready, leave for work, and reach work on time.

The new study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, claims that Britain is one of many European countries that will have to adapt the most to cope with sweltering temperatures.

Also Read: Survey: 75% London Employees Willing To Quit Rather Than Giving Up Work From Home

Many Countries Are Already Defying The 9 To 5 Timing

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This is not something entirely new, as many businesses have already embraced summer hours. L¡¯Or¨¦al, Asos, and Nike are among the growing number of companies that are allowing staff to leave work between midday and 3.30 p.m. on Fridays during the summer months, as per a Fortune report.

However, instead of a means to engage workers by allowing them to clock off early, the University of Oxford study¡¯s work schedule suggestion is more seriously aimed at avoiding a scenario where staff are annually overheating.

The experts warned that as heat builds up and becomes more unbearable as the day goes on, a 2 p.m. finish would be better than a 5 p.m. end time.

That¡¯s why in Spain¡ªwhere temperatures have approached 45¡ãC (113 ¡ãF) during heatwaves across Southern Europe¡ªbusinesses are leading the way and mandating workers finish (and start) their gig earlier.

"In southern Spain, for example across Andalucia, these working patterns in summer are not new," the study author, Jesus Lizana, told MailOnline, as mentioned in the report.

"It is quite common for outdoor workers in July and August (e.g., builders, agricultural workers) to shift to an early starting hour¡ªlike from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.¡ªto avoid working during the hottest hours of the day," he added. "Even shops are closed during the hottest hours in summer, closing from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and opening again from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m."

The scientists think changes to working hours would be especially beneficial for people working outdoors or in buildings not designed to withstand extreme temperatures.

But even in workspaces equipped with the cool breeze of air conditioning units, the researchers warn of a "vicious cycle" where people burn more fossil fuels to provide energy for air conditioning, which then heats the climate still further, requiring more energy. So even office workers would do well to clock out earlier.

Is It Time To Copy Japan¡¯s "Cool Biz" Policy?

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Along with Switzerland and Norway, the U.K. will see about a 30% increase in days with uncomfortably hot temperatures¡ªnot accounting for extreme weather events such as heatwaves, which are becoming increasingly prevalent.

"Even a small increase in the temperatures is actually showing a high relative change, which can be very impactful and make these countries more vulnerable to needing more cooling," said Nicole Miranda, who led the Oxford study. "These increases in relative change are going to mean that we need the deployment of cooling adaptation measures at a fast speed and on a large scale."

But she warned economies against not preparing for the rising heat and later taking the easier option of installing air conditioning, which would exacerbate the problem, as per the report.

So proposed solutions from the researchers include retrofitting buildings to include ventilation measures that could also be closed off to keep in heat during the winter and planting more trees next to buildings to create shade.

Meanwhile, employers could copy Japan and encourage staff to ditch their suits and dress more casually in the summer months to keep cool. The Japanese government launched its policy "Cool Biz" almost two decades ago to reduce energy usage and fight global warming.

As well as asking workers to don short-sleeve shirts, the Japanese government¡¯s recommendations include keeping office thermostats at 28¡ãC or above, getting staff to come into work earlier, allowing workers to take longer holidays in the summer, and banning overtime.

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