Governments on both sides of the Atlantic are moving to shield employees from record-breaking temperatures, introducing new obligations for businesses and proposing federal standards aimed at preventing heat-related illness and death. In France, a decree that took effect on 1 July requires employers to supply at least three litres of drinking water per worker each day, reorganise shifts to avoid the hottest hours and equip workplaces with shade, ventilation or cooling devices when Météo-France issues yellow, orange or red heat alerts. The rules apply to office staff and outdoor labourers alike, and labour inspectors can compel firms to comply. Greece adopted emergency measures for 7 July after forecasts of temperatures above 40 °C. The Labour Ministry ordered a pause on outdoor manual work from noon to 5 p.m. in regions including Central Macedonia and Western Greece, and told companies to allow telework for high-risk staff where feasible. Non-compliant employers face fines of €2,000 per worker. In Washington, a bipartisan group of lawmakers on 16 July reintroduced the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act—named after a farmworker who died of heatstroke in 2004. The bill would mandate that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration create a national heat standard ensuring access to water, shade and rest breaks. Sponsors cited data showing extreme heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States. The parallel initiatives underscore mounting political pressure to adapt labour regulations as climate change drives more frequent and severe heatwaves across Europe and North America.