Spain's 1997 workplace temperature law leaves remote workers and autónom@s with no legal heat protection

Spain’s 1997 indoor-temperature regulation sets a 27°C ceiling for seated indoor work and a 25°C ceiling for active physical work. The legislation was written for office and factory environments. It does not extend to remote workers, autónom@s working from home, or any other home-based workers.

The Local Spain highlighted the gap on 23 June 2026, mid-way through Spain’s second heatwave of the month. AEMET red alerts were active across Andalucía, Cantabria, and the Basque Country, with 45.1°C recorded in Andújar. Home-based workers without air-conditioning have no statutory right to stop work or to receive support from an employer in those conditions.

Why this matters: if you work remotely from a Spanish home that overheats in summer, you are responsible for your own working environment. There is no equivalent to the indoor-temperature ceiling for home workplaces, no statutory paid heat leave for the self-employed, and no compulsory employer reimbursement for cooling equipment. The 2026 “climate leave” law covering workplace-travel disruption (storms, floods, evacuation orders) does not cover home heat exposure.

Practical workarounds for the affected: schedule the heaviest work for early-morning or evening hours when home interiors are coolest, find an air-conditioned coworking space or library, and document the conditions if you negotiate equipment provision with a client or employer. For autónom@s, cooling equipment may be deductible as a workplace expense; check with a qualified asesor before claiming.

For the practical workspace-setup angle, see our companion piece on beating the heat while working from home.