Do you know the minimum temperature for your workplace? Can you work from home?

It's cold this morning.

That much we know - and everyone is preparing for it to get much colder over the next few days. But will you have to go in to work? Well, that's largely down to your employer. They have a duty of care to staff, which includes providing a safe, comfortable workplace. According to the Health and Safety Authority, the guideline 'minimum comfortable working temperature for indoor sedentary workers' is 17.5C. If it gets chillier than that, it's worth asking can you work from home. This is just a guideline, though, not a legal requirement. Even if the building is warm, it mightn't be safe to get to and from work so make sure your boss knows where you stand. Employers are being called on to be reasonable and think of their staff's safety as Storm Emma approaches. "A key consideration needs to be whether, in the circumstances, it is safe to ask employees to travel to work, or to undertake their work," Neil McDonnell, Chief Executive of ISME, told the National Emergency Coordination Group. He also urged employers to keep up to date on changes in weather conditions and to transport services throughout the day and to be flexible with staff when it comes to their travel arrangements. The Irish Sun reports that if your office has been closed and you cannot work from home, your employer can't make you take a holiday day (as they're required to give two days' notice) or cut your pay, but as ever talk to your boss now before things get bad later in the week.