France: Recruiters Banned from Emptying Candidates’ Handbags

In a response published on 19 February 2026, the Labour Ministry confirmed that the “handbag” test, which is used by certain recruiters, is illegal.

The “handbag” test consists of asking a candidate to empty the content of their handbag in front of the recruiter, the idea being that this can help the recruiter ascertain the candidate’s organizational skills.

The Labour Ministry ruled that there was no proven link between the content of a person’s handbag and their organizational skills, that such type of “test” was unduly intrusive and could result in disclosing information about a candidate’s private life (state of health, family situation, etc.…) which was disproportionate with the objective pursued and contrary to the rules relating to data privacy and finally that it can be considered as discriminatory given that it appeared to focus on female candidates.

This was, therefore, not compliant with French law which provides that a recruiter may only ask a candidate for information which is directly related to their ability to fulfil the specific job for which they are applying or to test their professional skills.

Key Action Points for Human Resources and In-House Counsel

Ensure your recruitment process compliant with French law.