Weather & Science
German Workers Should Take Spanish-Style Siestas to Escape Heat
- Top health official advocates approach as summers get hotter
- Hundreds of thousands die globally from heat-related causes
Pedestrians relax on the bank of Alster lake in Hamburg, Germany.
Photographer: Maria Feck/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Germany should introduce midday breaks for workers similar to the Spanish siesta to withstand intensifying summer heat brought about by climate change, according to a top health official.
Parts of the country have faced soaring temperatures in recent weeks, putting this summer on track to be one of the hottest on record. That poses risks for the productivity and wellbeing of workers, said Johannes Nießen, chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service.