Paris (AFP)

Notice or not? Telework or not? Whether they are on strike or working, several million French people will be living a day on Thursday, not quite like the others, and will have to respect a few rules.

Who can go on strike? All public and private employees can. There is no notice in the private. When there is a national call, an employee may go on strike alone at his place of work.

In the public sector, labor organizations must give notice five days before the date. First and second level teachers, or public transport agents, must declare 48h before.

For professions that are not subject to restrictions or a minimum service, there is theoretically no time limit to notify your employer. It is customary for the employee to declare himself striker at the latest at the beginning of his service, and there is nothing to prevent him from warning his employer upstream, before D-Day.

The strike results in the suspension of the employment contract and consequently the corresponding salary deduction, it is "an unpaid absence". An employee can not be penalized for having gone on strike following an appeal since it is a constitutional right.

On the workers' side, the difficulty will be for the inhabitants of Paris and the inhabitants of large cities, especially to go to their place of work given the strikes in transport.

The executive - through Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud - has encouraged businesses to encourage teleworking for trades for which it is possible.

"I tell business leaders to be understanding with their employees, and today there are forms of distance work, so do not ask people this day to do the impossible," he said. she said.

Telework is a more common practice among executives. 11% of executives practiced at least one day per week against 3% of all employees in 2017, according to a study by the Dares, the statistical service of the Ministry of Labor.

But by definition, some professions (craftsmen, tradesmen, doctors, lawyers, storekeepers, home helpers ...) do not have access to it.

Companies like Orange have equipped their employees to work from home on Black Thursday.

When telework is not possible and the employee "does not have the material means for a remote connection" for example, he will have to ask a day of rest. The employer may refuse an employee the right to telework.

Finally, in the workplace, there is no question of hindering the activity of non-strikers and blocking access to prevent employees from accessing the company.

© 2019 AFP