France: law published granting 15 days of child bereavement leave

The law to improve workers’ rights and support for families after the death of a child was published in the Official Journal (09 June here). The legislation increases child bereavement leave from 5 to 7 days and also creates a ‘bereavement leave’ period of an additional eight days, which can be taken wholly or fractioned within one year from the date of the child’s passing, and which unlike the earlier leave, is partially compensated by the social security services. The age limit for the deceased has been set at 25 years (with no limit the person had children) and this leave is granted not only to the parents but also to persons who ‘assume effective and permanent responsibility’, as a means of including blended families within the law. A 15-day leave period (paid by social security) has also been granted to job seekers and the self-employed. The law also institutes protection against the termination of the employment contract (with some exceptions) for employees during a 13-week period following the death of the child. The mechanism of leave-day gifting within companies (whereby some employees waive some of their leave in order to pass them to a co-worker) is extended to employees bereaved by the loss of a child or a dependant under 25 years of age. These leave extensions apply to deaths occurring on or after 01 July 2020.