- The exceptional purchasing power premium, created in 2019, has been raised to encourage employees who come to their workplace during the health crisis.
- Paid at the goodwill of companies, it can amount up to 2,000 euros for those who have a profit-sharing agreement.
- An order, presented this Wednesday, April 1, allows companies to adjust premiums according to the positions of employees, depending on whether or not they are directly exposed to Covid-19.
Created in response to the "yellow vests", the exceptional purchasing power premium, known as the "Macron premium", is again topical. The government indeed encourages companies to pay it to reward those who work "on the second line" during the coronavirus epidemic.
What is this bonus?
The exceptional purchasing power premium had been announced by Emmanuel Macron in December 2018, following the movement of "yellow vests". Exempt from all social security contributions and tax exempt, it was renewed for 2020. Initially hardened, it had to be subject to the condition of a profit-sharing agreement for employees.
But faced with the coronavirus crisis, Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy, changed the situation, announcing the lifting of this condition for companies with less than 250 employees.
Coronavirus: Bruno Le Maire encourages companies to pay a bonus to their mobilized employees - 20 Minutes https://t.co/MjMOmrjy09
- Julien TRAN (@julientran) March 20, 2020What are the payment conditions?
Companies with fewer than 250 employees who do not have a profit-sharing agreement can pay an exceptional bonus of 1,000 euros to all their employees whose income is less than 3 times the minimum wage. If this type of agreement has been signed, the premium can be doubled and amount to 2,000 euros.
Please note, this bonus is not compulsory and its payment is at the good will of the companies.
When is the premium paid?
The deadline was initially limited to June 30. Bruno Le Maire announced his postponement to August 31, 2020, to allow companies to benchmark costs. It is possible to pay it in any month until this deadline.
Can telework workers take advantage of this?
Officially, all employees, whether at work or telecommuting, can benefit if their company chooses. The minister clarified that it was not up to him to decide: "Being teleworked is also difficult, and I think that there should be no hierarchy in the difficulty of the work. In any case, it is not up to me to do it [this choice]. "
However, an ordinance presented to the Council of Ministers this Wednesday specifies that the company can, from now on, “distinguish the employees who must go to their place of work and the others. Thus, it is possible to pay a higher premium for agents at the checkouts of a store, for example, than for staff who can telework.
Which companies have already announced that they will pay this bonus to their employees?
Several large retail groups have already announced their intention to pay this bonus. This is the case, for example, of Casino (Monoprix, Franprix), Auchan, Les Mousquetaires (Intermarché, Netto), Carrefour, Système U, Lidl or even E.Leclerc.
On the other hand, the unions have pointed out the difficult case of franchised stores. Indeed, for many managers of this type of store, this bonus looks like a poisoned gift. Questioned by the magazine Linéaires , several franchises thus affirm not being able to be able to pay such premiums to reward their employees, under penalty of putting the key under the door.
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