First up today, you may have noticed we are re-running our recruitment survey from last week. We had several messages at the start of this shortened working week, after the survey had closed, from dealers who told us they intended to answer but didn't get round to it over the bank holiday weekend.

So if you did want to share your thoughts on how finding new recruits for your dealership has been over these past 12 months - and it does appear to be an issue that impacts across all machinery disciplines - please do take part today and over this weekend.

I'm not sure if the bank holiday meant our readers were too busy with work to (kindly) complete our survey or if there was a mass exodus to the beach? However, wherever you found yourself this past week I'm sure at some point either you or someone you were with sighed and said "It's hot." Because it truly has been!

I am personally dreadful with it. I bore myself with my internal complaining monologue. I get that it can be A Good Thing if you're on holiday by some cooling water, but when working. . .  nah, not so much! The heat is obviously a phenomenon that everyone experiences, but I understand it will hold some specific consequences for our dealer readers. Potentially, both good and bad.

For those working outdoors, of course, the heat can quickly become more than just an inconvenience. Demonstrating machinery, loading equipment, handling deliveries or carrying out service work in baking temperatures is enough to test even the hardiest of staff. Workshops, in particular, can become challenging environments during hot spells. I suspect many of our dealer readers now enjoy pleasant, modern showrooms with air conditioning, but workshops are another matter entirely. Even with doors open, once machinery starts running, temperatures can clearly soar.

Which ties in with a growing discussion that you probably have seen debated in the media this week around whether the UK should introduce a legal maximum working temperature?

At the moment, there is a minimum workplace temperature recommendation, but no upper limit. Trade unions and campaigners have increasingly argued that this needs to change as summers become hotter and heatwaves more frequent. My guess is that workers would probably welcome clearer rules and protections but business owners may have concerns?

As we're discussing in our survey, dealerships are already juggling staffing pressures, recruitment challenges and rising costs, so therefore the idea of legally enforced maximum temperatures might create headaches. What happens if a workshop becomes too hot to operate? Do working hours need to shift earlier? Are more breaks required? Would businesses need to invest heavily in cooling systems? And for many older dealership buildings, especially rural workshops, retrofitting air conditioning isn’t exactly a simple or cheap exercise.

So there's that on the downside.

On the other more positive hand, perhaps this week’s weather has brought some upticks too?

Sunny days do tend to lift moods and get people out and about. Dealers of domestic machinery especially might hope to see increased footfall when the sun shines. Traditionally, there is nothing more enticing for homeowners to think about buying a new mower quite like a spell of good weather and an overgrown lawn.

And perhaps that’s the bigger question here. Is this simply another short-lived British heatwave we’ll forget about once the rain returns next week? Or are hotter summers becoming something dealerships genuinely need to start planning around?

We’d be interested to hear what our dealer readers think. Is working becoming uncomfortable during these hotter spells? Are your premises equipped to cope? Have you invested in cooling systems? Would you support a maximum workplace temperature rule, or would it create more problems than it solves? And does sunshine help business at your dealership . . or keep customers away?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below, or if you'd prefer, drop me line.