If you've been watching the news today, or have stepped outside your front door, you'll know that it's absolutely freezing out there. Or at least... that's what it feels like.
Though 'the Beast from the East' might sound like one of Rocky's opponents, it is in fact cold air and snow showers which have swept in from Siberia and Scandinavia, making weather conditions icy as heck.
A press release from the Met office states that Amber and Yellow weather warnings have been issued around parts of the UK due to 'cold conditions'.
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These are 'expected to last through the week' as cold air from Scandinavia and the far northwest of Russia brings a high level of wind chill, making it feel several degrees colder than it actually is.
While that may lead to chilly ears, packed train carriages and glacial traffic jams, for most of us it doesn't mean we get the day off from work. Cheers, capitalism.
So just how cold does it have to be before your boss has no choice but to send you home? Well, unfortunately for anyone who works in an office with decent heating, the answer is there is no answer.
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According to a government website, temperatures in all indoor workplaces must be 'reasonable', which anyone who has ever been in a relationship will agree is a term both relative and highly debatable.
"There's no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures," the site says, but does reference guidance suggesting a minimum of '16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work'.
It advises: "Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature isn't comfortable."
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So essentially, if your office has working heating and your method of transport hasn't let you down (or up, depending on how you look at it), you need to be in the office.
If you work outdoors, you might be able clock off early as it's well below the recommended minimum, but good luck trying to tell your site manager.
With regards to the coming week, Met Office Chief Forecaster, Frank Saunders, said: "Parts of England and Wales are likely to see their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991."
Unfortunately for anyone hoping to be sent home from work this week, unless the heating's on the fritz or you get fired, you're out of luck, as it's not actually as cold as it you think it is - like an optical illusion, but with nothing pleasurable about it at all.
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As with most working days, therefore, it's a case of 'do I finally punch my boss in the nose today' or just settle for seething resentment behind my monitor with a warm cup of cocoa.
What's that? We've run out of cocoa.
Today is the day.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.Topics: Weather, UK News, Beast From The East, Interesting