Severe weather protection enhanced for nation's workers

加强对国家工人的恶劣天气保护

As China enters its annual flood season, regions across the country are rolling out measures to protect workers from growing threats posed by extreme weather, including torrential rains, typhoons and scorching heat waves.

我国进入主汛期，各地纷纷出台举措，保障劳动者安全，抵御暴雨、台风和酷热热浪等极端天气带来的日趋严峻的威胁。

Under a regulation on meteorological disaster prevention in Guangdong province, when yellow, orange or red typhoon warnings, or red rainstorm warnings, are in effect, employers must arrange for employees to delay work, leave early or suspend operations, except for essential personnel required to remain on duty.

根据《广东省气象灾害防御条例》，当台风黄色、橙色或红色预警或暴雨红色预警生效时，用人单位应当安排员工延迟上班、提前下班或者停工，确需在岗值守的必要岗位人员除外。

Zhejiang province has gone a step further.

浙江省出台了更为严格的规定。

Its regulations require employers to provide necessary shelter and safety measures for employees who remain on-site or become stranded because of extreme weather.

该省规定，用人单位须为留守岗位或因极端天气受困的员工提供必要避险场所与安全保障。

Shanghai's rules on responding to extreme weather explicitly state that workers who are unable to report to work because of red weather warnings cannot be penalized for lateness or absenteeism, have their wages or benefits docked, or be required to use statutory holidays or rest days as compensation.

上海市《极端天气应对细则》明确，劳动者因红色天气预警无法到岗的，不得按迟到、旷工予以处分，不得克扣发工资及福利待遇，亦不得要求劳动者用法定节假日或休息日进行补偿。

To ensure compliance, Guangdong's flood control regulations stipulate that employers who fail to suspend work when required may face administrative penalties under public security laws. Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has also issued special labor protection rules for extreme weather, imposing fines of up to 20,000 yuan ($2,960) on violators.

为保障规定落地执行，《广东防汛条例》明确，用人单位如不按规定停工，可依据治安相关法规予以行政处罚。浙江宁波也出台了极端天气专项劳动保护规定，对违规单位最高可处以2万元（2960美元）罚款。

Trade unions in multiple regions have issued labor law supervision reminders, urging employers to strengthen protections for workers during extreme heat and severe weather.

多个地区工会发布劳动法监督提醒，敦促用人单位加强对劳动者在极端高温和恶劣天气下的保护。

Special attention has been given to outdoor workers, who are among those most exposed to hazardous weather conditions. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, meteorological services have been integrated into an online platform that provides minute-by-minute weather alerts and personalized safety guidance to food delivery riders.

户外工作者已受到重点关注，他们最容易遭遇危险天气。浙江杭州已将气象服务接入线上平台，为外卖骑手提供逐分钟气象预警和个性化安全指引。

Tian Ye, head of the food delivery rider support team at major Chinese online platform Meituan, said the platform has issued severe weather alerts to all riders and activated emergency response plans.

国内大型线上平台美团外卖骑手保障团队负责人田野表示，平台已向全部骑手推送极端天气预警，并启动应急预案。

Local managers adjust station operating hours and suspend order dispatches based on actual conditions to ensure riders are not required to work in hazardous environments, Tian said.

田说，站点管理人员会根据实际情况调整站点运营时间、暂停派单，保障骑手无需在危险环境下工作。

All Meituan stations serve as emergency shelters, offering water, phone charging and meals to outdoor workers in need, he said.

他说，美团全部站点均可作为应急避险点，为有需要的户外工作者提供饮用水、手机充电服务以及餐食。

Meituan also uses technology to establish virtual perimeters around flooded or otherwise dangerous areas, providing real-time route guidance to help riders avoid hazards, Tian said. Delivery problems caused by extreme weather are exempt from penalties and do not affect riders' income or service ratings, while related losses are covered by the platform.

田野称，美团还运用技术手段，在积水、危险区域设置电子围栏，提供实时路线指引，帮助骑手规避风险。因极端天气产生的配送异常免于处罚，不会影响骑手收入与服务评分，相关损失由平台承担。

Despite these measures, experts say labor protections for extreme weather remain fragmented across the country.

尽管已有上述举措，但专家认为，我国极端天气下劳动者权益保护工作仍存在地区碎片化问题。

Tang Daisheng, a professor at the School of Economics and Management at Beijing Jiaotong University, said protections are scattered across local regulations, resulting in significant disparities among regions, while some localities have rules that are merely advisory and lack effective enforcement mechanisms.

北京交通大学经济管理学院唐代生教授表示，相关保障条款分散于各地地方性法规，造成区域间差异显著；部分地区相关规定仅具备指导性质，缺少有效的执行机制。

"Workers of the same category, facing the same extreme weather in different cities, receive vastly different levels of protection — that is a fairness issue," Tang said.

唐教授表示：“同一类劳动者，在不同城市遭遇同等极端天气时，所能获得的保障水平却相差悬殊，这存在公平性问题。”

Tang proposed adopting more scientific thresholds that take into account factors such as perceived temperatures, sudden downpours and typhoons, and making work suspensions mandatory once those thresholds are reached by removing discretionary language from regulations.

唐教授建议设定更为科学的判定阈值，综合考虑体感温度、突发暴雨、台风等因素；删除法规中的自由裁量表述，一旦触发阈值，就必须强制停工。

He also called for full wage payments during work stoppages and a fast-track channel for handling work-related injury claims.

他还呼吁，停工期间应当足额发放工资，并开通工伤理赔快速办理通道。

At the national level, Tang proposed legislation linking red weather alerts to mandatory work suspensions for nonessential positions. He also called for online platforms to integrate weather-monitoring modules into their dispatch systems so they can automatically extend delivery times and waive penalties during severe weather.

唐教授建议在国家层面立法，将红色气象预警与非必要岗位的强制停工挂钩。他同时呼吁线上平台在派单调度系统内接入气象监测模块，在极端天气下可自动延长配送时限，并免予相关处罚。

In addition, he proposed extending work injury insurance coverage to accidents that occur during commutes and are caused by severe weather.

此外，他提议扩大工伤保险保障范围，将劳动者通勤途中因极端天气引发的事故纳入保障。