December 25 will not be a day of celebration for everyone. Without taking into account the hotel, catering or emergency or medical services professions, 9% of working women and 2% of working men in France will be forced to work on the day of Holidays, according to a survey * carried out by the Qapa site. Among those polled, 55% of French women and 36% of French people would also be ready to be in work on 25 December, mainly for a pecuniary reason.

But can the employer force his employees to work on Christmas and New Years days?

Le Labor Code recognize 11 statutory holidays, including December 25 and January 1 (item L3133-1). But with the exception of May 1, they are not necessarily non-working. Only Alsace and Moselle have an exceptional regime, according to which public holidays are, unless otherwise specified, non-working (item L3134-13 of the Labor Code).

Check the collective agreement

Elsewhere, an employer can therefore legally ask his employees to come to work on December 25 and January 1 if he complies with the contractual provisions. In case…