While the reconfinement requires many companies, such as restaurants, to place their employees on short-time work, the question of paid vacation, which employees continue to accumulate, even without working, arises with more and more force.

Discussions promise to be close between the government and the unions.

Earlier this week, the Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne announced on Europe 1 that she was going to open negotiations with the social partners on the issue of paid leave which remains the responsibility of companies when employees are on partial unemployment.

The re-containment decided to fight against the coronavirus epidemic has put the question back on the table, and the file promises to be particularly delicate for the government to manage.

2.5 days of accumulated leave per month, even without working

The problem that is on the table is that when an employee is on short-time work, he does not work, but ... he continues to accumulate days of leave, at the rate of 2.5 days per month.

However, these paid holidays remain the responsibility of the companies.

And when there are several employees, the bill can quickly climb. 

"I closed for three months. Each employee accumulates his paid vacation. 2.5 days per month x 3 months x 11 employees, which represents at least 10,000 euros of paid vacation to leave", calculates Romain Bergaud, owner of 'a restaurant in Paris.

"Except that during that time, we were closed, so suddenly we were not making any turnover. It is money that must be taken out, while in front there is nothing who comes in, there is no turnover, no activity. "

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First discussions at the end of November

Umih, the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades, asks the State to include paid leave in the support of partial activity.

No question, responds the Ministry of Labor, which instead proposes to review the agreement on paid leave during partial activity.

Unsurprisingly, the idea made the unions jump.

According to information from Europe 1, the first meetings on the subject are scheduled for the end of November.