France’s legal 35-hour working week officially places it alongside those countries with the shortest legal working weeks in Europe.  However, in general French employees do not automatically stop working once they have reached their 35-hour quota! Most employees in France will benefit from overtime, with the exception of cadres dirigeants (senior executives) and employees who ..read more

Conventions collectives are written agreements, which are entered into between at least one employee representative trade union and at least one employer representative.  These agreements govern the individual and collective employment relationships, working conditions, social guarantees, and benefits applicable in a given industry (such as chemical or banking), to the employees who fall within their ..read more

In a previous article, we discussed the background and eligibility for the election of members to the CSE (Comité Social et Économique).  Here, we will summarise the process for these elections. Step One: informing employees and trade unions The employer must inform employees and relevant trade unions of the impending elections and the date on ..read more

France is known to have some of the world’s strongest legal protections against bullying – whether physical, mental, or emotional – in the workplace.  Key components of French anti-bulling legislation include: Droit d’alerte Members of the Employee Representation Committee, known as the Comité Social et Économique (CSE) in France, have a recognised right of warning ..read more

The Comité Social et Économique (CSE) – or social and economic committee – is the employee representation body that must exist in companies with 11 or more employees. It is responsible for presenting individual and collective employee issues to the employer, as well as promoting health, safety, and working conditions company-wide. Every four years, employers ..read more

Sometimes, employment relationships simply don’t work for one or either party.  When this is the case, a quick and amicable employee exit can offer the best solution.  How such exits are handled can be crucial for maintaining the company’s reputation as a fair and respectful employer, especially in an age when disgruntled employees can easily ..read more

In France, the Services de Prévention et de Santé au Travail (SPST) have specific responsibilities, which comply with the health and safety obligation provided for in the Labour Code.  These are: SPST services are organised around multidisciplinary occupational health and prevention teams (OHPS), which comprise occupational doctors, nurses, occupational risk prevention workers, and assistants.  These ..read more

Whether they are based in France or the UK, there is no legal requirement for companies to conduct annual appraisal interviews. In France, there is a legal requirement for employers to hold a professional interview with individual employees every two years (with a summary every six years), which is purely focused on training and career ..read more

In France, bullying isn’t just an unpleasant form of physical or verbal harassment, it is a punishable crime.  Because French law also explicitly provides for the protection of employees, victims of workplace bullying are duly protected and the perpetrators punished, regardless of their positions in the company. What defines “harcèlement moral”? In the workplace, harcèlement ..read more

What day-to-day HR responsibilities are there for SMEs in France?  As HR consultants with clients on both sides of the Channel, we are often asked this question. To answer it, here is an overview of the general HR monitoring, administration, and management duties that would be expected in a typical French business. In France, the ..read more