Breaking point: Heat and the garment floor, a HeatWatch & TISS Study

This report documents how extreme heat is shaping the daily lives of garment workers and exposing major gaps in workplace protections.The experiences of garment workers in this study make clear that extreme heat is not merely uncomfortable but a daily reality determining health, mental well-being, productivity, and livelihood. Yet existing workplace regulations and climate responses remain poorly equipped to address the risks faced by indoor factory workers.

Based on an extensive survey of 115 garment workers in Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR and 47 in-depth interviews, this report shows how heat interacts with high work pressure, workplace abuse, and gendered power dynamics. Beyond the factory walls, the report captures  heat stress experiences of sub-contracted home-based garment workers based on a focus group discussion with 9 women workers in Delhi-NCR. This report also holds factory case studies based on survey with supervisors and managers across 15 garment and textile factories in Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR, and Gujarat to understand workplace conditions such as access to drinking water, toilets, ventilation, as well as the nature of working hours, production pressure, and piece-rate payment systems.