Employment Law and Employee Representative Bodies (IRP)

Module 1: mastering employment law fundamentals

• The hierarchy of legal rules and the relationship between the Labour Code, collective agreements and company agreements.
• Key employment law institutions: the labour inspectorate, employment tribunals and trade unions, and their respective roles.
• Employment contract types—open-ended (CDI), fixed-term (CDD) and temporary contracts—and essential contractual clauses.
• Fundamental rights and reciprocal obligations of employers and employees.

Practical exercises

• Analyse clauses in real employment contracts and identify potential legal risks, including unfair terms, omissions and imprecise wording.

Module 2: managing day-to-day employment relationships within the legal framework

• Working time regulation: statutory hours, overtime, mandatory rest and possible arrangements.
• Absence and leave management: paid leave, special leave, sickness, maternity and employer obligations.
• Exercising disciplinary authority: classifying misconduct under French law (faute légère, grave and lourde), required procedures and applicable sanctions.
• Occupational health, safety and risk prevention obligations: the single risk assessment document, safety training and occupational health services.

Practical exercises & case study

• Analyse practical disciplinary cases and develop a legally compliant warning procedure.
• Address problematic behaviour and safeguard management decisions through rigorous application of the rules.

Module 3: anticipating and safeguarding employment contract termination

• Termination methods: resignation, dismissal on personal or economic grounds, mutually agreed termination and retirement.
• Mandatory procedures, statutory deadlines and formalities for each termination type.
• Managing legal risks and preventing employment tribunal disputes: common mistakes and pitfalls.
• Employers' post-termination obligations: final settlement, statutory documents such as the Pôle emploi certificate and employment certificate, and portability of entitlements.

Practical exercises

• Simulate a pre-dismissal meeting while following the key procedural stages.
• Draft legally robust termination correspondence: meeting invitations, dismissal notices and mutually agreed termination documents.

Module 4: understanding employee representative bodies and how they operate

• Overview of representative bodies: the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), trade union delegates and local representatives, and their respective responsibilities.
• Employee representatives' resources and rights: paid representative time, training, freedom of movement and access to information.
• Specific protection for elected and appointed representatives: administrative authorisation procedures, prohibition of discrimination and legal safeguards.
• Communication and information rules between employers and employee representatives: mandatory consultations, response deadlines and documents to provide.

Practical exercises

• Organise and facilitate a CSE meeting in compliance with legal obligations concerning agendas, invitations and minutes.
• Simulate a CSE meeting, including agenda preparation, discussions and writing the meeting record.

Module 5: developing collective relations and social negotiation

• The strategic importance of social dialogue for business performance and workplace wellbeing.
• Mandatory annual bargaining obligations: remuneration, professional equality, working time and value sharing.
• Methods for preparing, conducting and concluding company collective agreements: diagnosis, proposals, arguments and drafting.
• Social negotiation techniques: approaches, active listening, seeking compromise and building balanced agreements.

Practical exercises

• Build a balanced negotiation strategy from a real business case.
• Simulate collective bargaining with assigned management and trade union roles, working towards agreement.

Module 6: establishing legally robust HR practices and managing within the law

• Identifying legal risk areas in common HR practices: recruitment, career management, appraisal, mobility and remuneration.
• Best practices to prevent disputes and ensure legal compliance in HR processes.
• The manager's central role in applying employment law daily and preventing high-risk behaviour.
• Building an organisational culture based on respect for rules, fairness and effective social dialogue.

Practical exercises

• Audit your organisation's HR practices and identify non-compliance or legal vulnerabilities.
• Develop an action plan to safeguard practices, with an implementation schedule and monitoring indicators.