From November1, 2021, snow tires (or "winter" tires) will be mandatory for driving in certain territories during the winter period from November1 N to March 31 N+1.
The territories concerned are mountain areas and contiguous areas that together form a massif.
Some 48 départements are concerned, but it is the préfet de département who determines the list of communes for which equipment obligations apply.
A map of the zones concerned can be consulted on the road safety website, and new signage will soon be installed to indicate the entrances and exits of zones where the obligation applies:
Light or commercial vehicles must :
- Have removable anti-skid devices (metal or textile snow chains) in their trunks to equip at least 2 drive wheels.
- Or be equipped with 4 winter tires
Special regulations apply to trucks, buses and coaches.
- Employers must ensure that they comply with their safety obligations, particularly if they provide their employees with company or company cars, or if employees are required to use their personal vehicles.
- They must not allow employees to travel in vehicles that are not suitable for winter conditions, failing which they may be held liable.
- Employee training in the use of equipment is strongly recommended.
- Lastly, while there are no penalties for failing to equip a vehicle in the first year of the system's application, a €135 fine will be imposed on vehicles not equipped from November1, 2022.
During the Covid-19 period?
You can :
- Impose
- Or modify accrued paid leave
Subject to company agreement.
The agreement must set out the conditions under which you can modify or impose this leave, up to a limit of 6 working days' leave and subject to a notice period that cannot be reduced to less than one clear day.
The days of leave imposed must be paid leave days acquired by the employee, including before the start of the period during which they are normally intended to be taken (Ord. art 1er, al. 1).
In companies that apply the legal vacation period, this possibility of imposing 6 days' paid vacation therefore concerns the :
- remaining earned leave to be taken before May 31, 2020
- but also new leave earned fromJune1, 2019 to May 31, 2020.
As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees take their paid vacations, which are set at 30 working days per year unless otherwise stipulated.
In addition, we remind you that during the period of partial activity, even though the employment contract is suspended, the employee continues to acquire paid leave.
As part of your return to business, we advise you to set up an active and relevant management system for your employees' paid leave:
- ensure that the employee is able to take the 5th week of paid vacation.
- Take advantage of the possibility of moving earned paid leave up to a limit of 6 working days, subject to a company agreement or the agreement of your employees.
