France: administrative directive clarifies procedure for offering redeployment abroad within the framework of economic layoffs

Equal pay.  Until the Act of May 18, 2010, employers had to offer any redeployment opportunity within the group, abroad as well, for a similar position or, where appropriate and subject to the employee’s consent, a position in an inferior category.  Since the Act, the redeployment offer has to comply with one more requirement since the job offer must be combined with “equal pay” (article L1233-4 of the Labor Code).  The bill sent by the Ministry of Labor to its decentralized services specifies that remuneration taken into account to determine this similar pay is “global remuneration as defined in article L. 3221-2 of the Labor Code,” namely “ordinary basic or minimum wage or salary  and all other advantages or accessories paid, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind.”