Ljubljana’s Official Line on Heat and Worker Safety

Slovenia’s Ministry of Economy, Labour and Sport has publicly stated that the country’s existing legal framework gives employers all the tools they need to protect workers during heatwaves. In a statement published on the government’s website, the ministry argued that the situation is “significantly better regulated” than a few years ago, and that key obligations are already set out in law.

The ministry pointed to a professional guide it released in April – ‘Safety and Health at Work Outdoors During Heatwaves’ – as the practical reference point for companies. The guide, built on European Agency for Safety and Health at Work guidelines and Slovenia’s Environment Agency weather warnings, includes concrete recommendations about when to start protective measures and how to organise work in high temperatures. At the end of July, the Labour Inspectorate also reissued its own recommendations to employers, reminding them of their statutory duties.

While the ministry acknowledged that climate change is creating new challenges for occupational safety and health, it said there is no immediate need for new legislation. Instead, the focus should be on rigorous on-the-ground implementation by businesses. If more frequent and intense heatwaves eventually expose gaps in the current rules, the ministry has signalled it is ready to act, pledging to base any future changes on expert findings, practical experience and social dialogue.

Why the Ministry Is Holding the Line – for Now

A deliberate choice: enforce, don’t legislate

The ministry’s message is unambiguous: the problem isn’t the law, it’s whether companies follow it. By foregrounding enforcement and the existing professional guide, the government avoids opening a potentially contentious legislative process while still appearing responsive to climate-driven workplace hazards. The guide itself is a soft-law instrument – it doesn’t create new duties but offers a detailed compliance roadmap that inspectors can use when assessing whether an employer has done enough.

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The heatwave gap that still exists

Slovenia, like much of Southern Europe, has no statutory maximum workplace temperature. The current regime relies on general health and safety obligations – risk assessment, provision of drinking water, adjusted working hours, breaks in cooled spaces – but leaves much to employer discretion. The ministry’s statement quietly acknowledges this when it says it will revisit regulations “if it turns out” the existing rules are inadequate. For now, that reassessment is not triggered, but the terms are set: if heatwaves get worse or inspection data shows persistent failures, the ministry has already signalled a legislative pathway.

What Employers and Workers Should Do This Summer

  • Use the April professional guide now. The ministry’s document, published this spring and based on EU standards, is the best defence against regulatory risk. Employers should integrate its step-by-step recommendations into their hot-weather planning, because the labour inspectorate is already citing it in compliance reminders.