It sends its journalists to some of the most dangerous and inhospitable places in the world.

But the hot weather sweeping across the UK appears to be a step too far for staff at the BBC.

An email – seen by the Daily Mail – was sent to Corporation employees urging them to join the work-from-home bunk-off in a bid to avoid travelling in the 36C heat.

Sent by chief operating officer Phil Harrold to UK news staff, the email read: ‘The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat. 

This is the highest level of alert. This guidance is specifically for news staff who work in areas covered by the warning.

‘If your role is not broadcast-critical and it is possible to do so, we’re recommending that you consider working from home if you are in an area covered by the warning.

‘If you are in a broadcast-critical role and need to attend a BBC building or work on location: Follow the guidance.’

Before the pandemic, the Beeb allowed staff to work from home only for certain days.

Its policy has slackened since Covid, resulting in BBC Scotland being slammed by local businesses for allowing its workforce to switch to being in the office part-time.

Four years after the pandemic, BBC employees in Glasgow were told they did not need to be in the office more than two days a week. 

In March this year, outgoing director general Tim Davie conceded that the broadcaster doesn’t have the inherent right to exist unless it proves its value to the public.

Last week, the Corporation said it was set to axe Radio 4’s The World Tonight after more than half a century as part of huge cuts designed to save £500million.

The cost-cutting drive will also see up to 2,000 redundancies over the next two years.

Matt Brittin, the new director general, confirmed more than a quarter of these will come from editorial and broadcasting teams.

A spokesman said the BBC was ‘continuing to broadcast the news as normal’ during the heatwave and it had ‘told staff in the red weather warning area that they can consider working from home if their role allows it’.