France: COVID-19 Updates & New Regulations

Paid holidays and working time reduction days (JRTT)

If a collective agreement provides for it, the employer can either impose or modify the leave dates of paid holidays for up to 6 days and complying with a 1-day notice period.

If it is justified by the interest of the company with regards to economic difficulties faced due to the Covid-19 crisis, the employer can impose or unilaterally modify the dates of working time reduction days (JRTT), within the limit of 10 days. The employer must comply with a 1-day notice period.

Working time

For companies facing increased activity (i.e. those belonging to sectors of activity that are particularly necessary for the Nation’s safety and the continuity of economic and social life, which are to be determined by decree):

Working time can be raised to 12 hours daily or 60 hours weekly (or 48 hours weekly if working time is calculated over a period of 12 successive weeks or a period of 12 months); Daily rest time can be diminished to 9 hours.

The employer will have to inform both the CSE and the Labor administration (DIRECCTE). Weekly rest can also be granted in rotation (instead of being attributed on Sundays).

Legal additional allowance for sick leaves

Therefore, all employees (including home workers, seasonal employees, intermittent employees and temporary employee) who benefit from a specific work stoppage for childcare and those having a valid sick leave will be granted the legal additional allowance without any condition of seniority.The regulation eliminates the existing conditions for benefiting from the legal additional allowance provided for in article L. 1226-1 of the Labor Code.

Participation and profit-sharing

Payments related to participation and profit-sharing must be maintained but the payment deadline is extended to December 31, 2020.

Unemployment rights

Unemployed people whose rights are coming to an end will see the period during which their unemployment allowance is paid to them extended (with a limit that will be determined by decree).

Flichy Grangé Avocats is there to assist you in the implementation of these new measures. For more information, please visit www.flichygrange.com or contact comfga@flichy.com.

For more information please contact Joseph Granato, Communications Manager at L&E Global at joseph.granato@leglobal.org.