French labour law : Heatwave at work: How to conduct for employees? Is there a right to withdraw for the employee?

When, with the heat, the working conditions deteriorate until reaching an "excessive" point, the employee can then use its right of withdrawal.

The right of withdrawal can be analyzed as a freedom for the employee to assess almost completely whether he is exposed to a danger and if necessary to be able to withdraw from his place of work.

Article L 4131-1 of the Labor Code specifies the conditions under which this right of withdrawal must be exercised; in this respect, this right may be exercised if the employee "has a reasonable reason to believe that the situation presents a serious and imminent danger to his life or health" but he must not abuse it on pain of a penalty from the employer.

When exercising this right, the employee continues to be paid and "no salary deduction can be taken against a worker or a group of workers who have withdrawn from a job situation. work which they had a reasonable cause to believe was a serious and imminent danger to the life or health of each of them "(Article L 4131-3 of the Labor Code).

Regarding the unique case of employees working outside, it is advisable to encourage dialogue with the employer to, for example, modulate work schedules to avoid being exposed to the hottest hours.

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https://blogavocat.fr/space/frederic.chhum/content/french-labour-law-heatwave-canicule-work-what-are-obligations-companies_

Sources :

Article L.4131-1 of the Labor Code
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI000006903155&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20190708&oldAction=rechCodeArticle&fastReqId=438357419&nbResultRech=1

Article L.4121-1 of the Labor Code
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI000035640828&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20190708&oldAction=rechCodeArticle&fastReqId=511737843&nbResultRech=1
 
Article L.4131-3 of the Labor Code
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI000006903157&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20080501

Article R.4225-2 of the Labor Code
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI000018532169&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20080501

Article L. 1321-3 of the Labor Code
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do?idArticle=LEGIARTI000033975667&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20170129

Cass. Soc., 6 novembre 2001, n°99-43988
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichJuriJudi.do?oldAction=rechJuriJudi&idTexte=JURITEXT000007044936

Frédéric CHHUM Attorney Avocat and Member of the Bar Council of Paris
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