Taiwan government debates plans for heat ‘holidays’

台灣政府討論設立「高溫假」計劃

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lawmakers are debating whether to classify high temperatures as hazardous weather, a move that could allow for the suspension of work and school during extremely hot days, as part of proposed amendments to the Meteorological Act.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said on Tuesday that existing guidelines already address worker safety in high-temperature environments. He emphasized that “worker safety should remain the core focus” in any discussions about heat-related holidays, per CNA.

Cho added that further discussions are ongoing, including considerations of the medical effects of heat on the human body and climate adaptation measures, noting that “the safety and human rights of workers are the core focus of these discussions.”

A day earlier, the legislature’s Transportation Committee reviewed a proposal to categorize extreme heat as hazardous weather. Deputy Transportation Minister Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said that amending the Meteorological Act would be “a first step,” and that the Central Weather Administration would release a draft amendment in November, per CNA.

Lin said the draft will be reviewed by government agencies and professional organizations. When questioned by KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) about whether the government supports leave for extremely hot days, Lin responded, “We support this direction.”

DPP Legislators Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) and Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) cited worsening extreme weather linked to climate change, record-breaking global temperatures, and their effects on public health, working conditions, agriculture, fisheries, and energy supply.

Lin explained that any potential leave for high temperatures would depend on a tiered warning system. Unlike typhoon leave, which is tied to prolonged rainfall and wind, he said, “the impact of heat varies by time of day and industry.” Once a legal framework is established, the CWA will collaborate with relevant government agencies to develop implementation measures.

DPP Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) also raised questions about the plan, noting that heatstroke and heat exhaustion are growing risks and that a job bank survey showed about 50% of workers support heat leave. However, he added that employers may object, given the already high number of public holidays.

CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-cheng (呂國臣) said high temperatures pose serious health risks and confirmed that including them under “hazardous weather” is a key point in the forthcoming amendment. The CWA plans to issue yellow alerts at 36 C, orange alerts at 37 C, and red alerts at 38 C.