The protection of workers in France will be guaranteed through, among other things, staff representatives who are to be elected within each company.
It will be mandatory for every employer to organize the election of staff representatives within their respective company as soon as the threshold of 11 employees, (equivalent to full time staff members), is met over a period of 12 consecutive months. The Social and Economic Committee (known in France as the “CSE”) supersedes France’s previous staff representative bodies (such as staff delegates or the workplace health, safety and working conditions committee.)
As of 31st December 2019, companies whose headcount has reached at least 11 full-time employees, over the previous 12 consecutive months, must institute elections under the CSE’s strictly regulated procedure. Failure to carry this out shall be considered an offence, subject to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 37,500 euros for legal entities.
