Coronavirus in france: what should you do as employer?

Given the development of the corona virus in France (currently stage 2), employers must take certain measures. Every employer is responsible for the safety of his / her employees and if the employer does not comply, he can be held liable.

A document made available by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, dated 28 February 2020, contains the main recommendations addressed to employers and employees:

https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/coronavirus_entreprises_et_salaries_q-r.pdf

 

What measures should the employer take?

The most important recommendation for companies is to avoid business trips to risk areas.

In the case of an employee returning from a risk area, or an employee who has been in contact with an infected person, the employer will have to take the following measures for a minimum period of 14 days:

• Setting up the possibility of working from home
• If working from home is not possible:
  • Preventing the employee from contact with fragile people
  • Avoid meetings, conferences, etc.
  • Close contact points such as lifts, canteens, etc.

 

The employer may not oblige the employee to take RTT days or vacation days.

 

If the employer cannot adjust the position of the employee to limit contacts and if working from home is not compatible with the company’s activity, the employer may ask the employee to stay at home.

 

The employee can then contact the regional health service via the online account www.ars.sante.fr, so that an authorized doctor can issue, if necessary, a leave certificate corresponding to the recommended isolation period.

 

If this leave certificate is not issued by an authorized ARS doctor and the employer demands the employee to stay at home, the salary of the employee needs to be paid during his absence period.

 

In case an employee has to stay at home to look after his child because of isolation measures, and the employee has no other childcare solution, the employee can contact the regional health service via the online account www.ars.sante.fr  so that an authorized doctor can issue a leave certificate corresponding to the recommended isolation period of the child.

 

If there is a case of coronavirus within the company, the entire company must be cleaned as quickly as possible and the cleaners must be equipped with a disposable apron and gloves.

 

Measures in favor of economic activity

If your company is experiencing economic difficulties due to the corona virus, various measures are possible:

• Apply for partial unemployment; There are four situations that give employees the right to partial unemployment. For this, please contact AXINTERA if this applies to your company.
• A spread payment of social security contributions. For this, the URSSAF must be contacted in advance.

For specific questions about your situation you can send an email to contact@axintera.onmicrosoft.com