Ice cream and slushies! How British and European fintech are fighting the heatwave

UK and European fintech counteract the extreme heat by letting WFH employees; refrigeration storage with cold equipment; serving of salads; while first aiders stand ready.

Image source: OakNorth barista / OakNorth

Plenty of slushies and ice cream with adult first aiders ready in case of an accident is the order of the week.

No, we are not talking about a summer holiday camp for children, but some of the regulations and measures for fintech in the UK and Europe are rushing this week to combat the high temperatures.

AltFi spoke to a number of fintechs from the UK and beyond to see how they kept employees cool, both physically and temperamentally, in their workplaces, in the midst of the heatwave.

Would they be relaxing dress codes? Allow employees to WFH? Moving workstations away from hot places? Open windows as wisely as possible? Distribute fans left to right and center?

Yes, it was all of the above with a big blob of ice cream as well.

First up Scandinavia, where UK fintech can cast an envious glance, since it was only 22 degrees yesterday and rain in Denmark.

Lunar

But the Danish neo-bank Lunar has tailor-made provisions for today (Tuesday), when temperatures are expected to reach 30 degrees.

Only one in three employees will be in the office, and the brave souls will be rewarded with a refrigerator full of ice cream and a liberal spread of fans.

N26

In Germany, meanwhile, the N26 is today hosting an “ice cream day”, complete with ice cream stands at offices in Berlin, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Vienna, Paris and Milan “where employees can get balls of their favorite ice creams to cool off”.

When N26 extends according to the company handbook, N26 also points out to AltFi that under extreme temperatures, its “telework allowance can cover cooling systems for employees’ homes to ensure that the home office environment remains suitable for work”.

Revolut

Revolut, which has offices in cities including London, Singapore, Berlin and New York, says their 100 per cent flexible work policy means employees can “choose to work early or late at night to avoid the hottest part of the day”.

Revolut’s offices are all air conditioned, and in the London office they offer free ice lollies to help staff stay cool.

A spokesman for Revolut adds that fintech also offers employees “two paid wellness days”, in addition to annual leave, which can be taken at short notice.

OakNorth

In London, corporate lender OakNorth serves iced coffee from its barista bar to counteract the heat, a move that OakNorth reports back has proved so popular with employees that it will likely be a permanent addition.

Heat-suppressed OakNorth employees can also be tempted by the ice machine in the office, so they can make slushies and keep their drinks cool.

For the first time, the commercial bank is also serving a free salad bar lunch (replacing the regular price of pizza and wraps), which can also prove to be a hit among health-conscious people.

Wise

Another fintech Wise headquartered in London, like many fintechs, allows employees to work from home this week in line with government guidance.

For those going into the office, payment fintech has a “very powerful” air conditioning system and ice cream in the freezer in the office kitchen.

Zopa

Also in the capital is Zopa, who says that they have first aiders ready and, like others, has given guidance on hydration, avoiding sun between 11.00 and 15.00, and to WFH where possible.

A spokesman for Zopa said that fintec, which allows employees to work from abroad for up to 120 days a year, “is wired for external and flexible work, making the business and our employees resilient in times of extreme weather”.

Financing circle

Similarly, the “Circlers” have no obligation to enter the office during the fundraising event.[ansatteiFinansieringssirkelen}ingenforpliktelsetilåkommeinnpåkontoretmidtidenskrikendeheten[FundingCircleemployees} havenoobligationtocomeintotheofficeamidtheclamouringheat

A spokesman for the Funding Circle said that fintech has asked employees to “take sensible precautions this week and make sure they put safety and well-being first”.

For the office-bound, the Funding Circles office is fully air-conditioned, and it serves ice-lattes and, wait, ice cream.

Fintech co-working space in Ireland-Galway City Innovation District

And finally, for those in co-working spaces, things have followed a similar pattern.

Mary Rogers, CEO of the Galway City Innovation District, which houses a fintech co-working space, said the workers came in earlier yesterday and left earlier.

She said: “Last year, when the heat wave hit, we bought a number of fans, and we had them on their desks before they came in yesterday.

“And we delivered popcorn around noon and again in the afternoon. No complaints. They work shorter days.”