Two-thirds of workers globally have experienced at least one extreme weather event in the past six months, and many say those events are affecting their ability to show up and perform at work, according to new research from Deloitte.
The Deloitte Sustainability Signals survey, which spans nearly 20 countries, found that 66 per cent of respondents experienced one or more extreme weather events in the last six months. More than half said they had lived through extreme heat.
For workers who experienced extreme weather recently, the disruptions went beyond inconvenience. Among that group, 22 per cent said the events caused them to miss work or school — a figure that climbed to 35 per cent among respondents aged 18 to 34.
Disruption extends beyond missed shifts
Among all survey respondents, the impacts were wide-ranging:
- Transportation disruption: 31 per cent
- Health issues: 30 per cent
- Financial hardship: 29 per cent
- Property or vehicle damage: 18 per cent
- Evacuation or shelter-in-place: 14 per cent
Deloitte notes that health issues and financial stress can affect productivity and work quality, meaning the costs to employers extend well beyond absent employees.
Workers taking personal steps to prepare
Fifty-four per cent of respondents across 17 countries said they had taken steps to increase their personal and household resilience against weather and environmental disruptions.
Lower-cost preparedness measures were most common. Twenty-nine per cent said they had stocked non-perishable food and other supplies in the past six months, and 25 per cent had purchased emergency supplies such as flashlights or first aid kits.
More than one in five respondents said they had recently invested in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades, following what Deloitte describes as the third-hottest summer on record in the Northern Hemisphere. Working-age respondents were significantly more likely than other age groups to report taking steps to strengthen their personal resilience.
Deloitte says the fact that workers are making these investments on their own points to a shift in how adaptation costs are being absorbed — away from institutions and toward individuals.
Questions for employers
Deloitte frames the findings as a prompt for organizations to examine where their continuity planning may fall short. The firm suggests employers consider which roles, sites, and teams are most exposed to weather-related absenteeism caused by transportation, caregiving, or infrastructure disruptions, and how effective contingency plans are when multiple employees are affected at the same time.
The report also raises questions about targeted support measures — such as flexible scheduling, cooling support, backup power stipends, emergency leave, or transit assistance — and how workforce impacts intersect with income, age, and role when it comes to retention and engagement.
The Deloitte Sustainability Signals survey is conducted twice a year and includes approximately 20,000 respondents across roughly 20 countries. The survey covers sustainability attitudes and beliefs, personal choices, and workplace engagement. Deloitte did not specify the fieldwork dates for this wave of the research. The report was published April 6, 2026, by the Deloitte Center for Integrated Research.
