Deadline extended on part-time hours in France

The French government has put back to 30 June the date by which unions and employers at industry level must have reached agreement on part-time hours, if they do not wish to be covered by the standard rules.

Under the standard rules, which were part of legislation passed in June last year, part-time workers must be employed for at least 24 hours a week, unless the individual wants a different arrangement or there is an industry level agreement between unions and employers that alters the arrangements. (Students, those with multiple employers and those working for individuals are also exempt.)

These rules were due to come into effect for all new contracts from 1 January this year and for existing contracts from 1 January 2016. However, with around half of the industries still negotiating, the deadline for reaching agreement at industry level has been extended by six months. Around a third (31%) of women work part-time and half of them work fewer than 24 hours a week.