Absence of an employee due to bad weather: what are the rules?
Verified 27 May 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Weather conditions (heatwaves, snow, frost, ice, rain, strong winds, etc.) can sometimes prevent employees from working. The rules differ depending on whether the employee works in the building and public works sector (BTP: titleContent) or in another sector. We're taking stock of the regulations.
General case
The employee may be unable to get to work or arrive on time due to bad weather (storm, heavy snowfall...).) We are talking about force majeure.
The employer is not obliged to pay for the time of absence of the employee who is unable to go to work or arrive on time due to bad weather.
However, a convention or a collective agreement may provide for more favorable provisions for the maintenance of remuneration.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its Siret number:
The amount withheld from the employee's pay must be strictly proportional the duration of the absence.
Example :
An employee whose employment contract is 35 hours per week at a rate of 7 hours per day. The employee is absent for a day because of bad weather. The employee's pay deduction must be 7 hours.
For avoid a payroll deduction, the employer may propose, for example, one solution following:
- Have hours of absence at another time of the week
- Allow the employee to take paid leave
- Allow the employee, if he has any, to take days of reduction of working time (RTT)
- Allow the employee to take compensatory rest periods related to overtime
- Use the teleworking.
For avoid a payroll deduction, the employer may propose, for example, one solution following:
- Have hours of absence at another time of the week
- Allow the employee to take paid leave
- Allow the employee, if he has any, to take days of reduction of working time (RTT)
- Allow the employee to take compensatory rest periods related to overtime
- Use the teleworking.
It may also:
- Have lost hours recovered within the following 12 months, after informing the labor inspectorate
- Make a request of partial activity.
BTP
In the sector of BTP: titleContent, the employer may decide to stop a construction site because of bad weather when it makes it dangerous or impossible to carry out the work.
An employee on sick leave due to bad weather can have his loss of salary compensated, under certain conditions, by a compensation called unemployment-bad weather.
The employer may also decide to recover the hours.
Warning
The employee who is ininability to get to work due to bad weather cannot be compensated by the unemployment-bad weather scheme.
Weather conditions (periods of heat waves, snow, frost, ice, rain and strong wind) and floods that make work unsafe or impossible are considered bad weather.
This impossibility may be linked to the health or safety of employees, but also to the nature or technique of the work to be performed.
FYI
Periods, for which Météo-France issues a threshold of orange vigilance or red vigilance « heatwave allow compensation for work stoppages due to bad weather.
Bills of Material | Activities concerned | ||
|---|---|---|---|
330 | 330-0 | COMPANY OF BUILDING AND PUBLIC WORKS, GENERAL COMPANY OF BUILDING | |
330-1 | Company of building carrying out incidental public works activities | ||
330-2 | Company of buildings and public works | ||
330-3 | General company of building | ||
331 | 331-0 | COMPANY OF MASONRY, PLASTERWORK, CEMENT WORKS, CONCRETE, REINFORCED CONCRETE FOR THE BUILDING, EARTHMOVING AND DEMOLITION COMPANY FOR THE BUILDING | |
331-1 | Earthmoving and masonry company for the building, foundation by well and consolidation for the building | ||
331-11 | Company of earthworks and building pipelines, foundations per well and consolidation for the building | ||
331-13 | Company of cut stones, remodeling, gargoyle (preparation, cutting and implementation of building stones in construction sites), remodeling of stone facade. Application of coatings for hardening stones, fluatation, silicatization. | ||
331-14 | Building Demolition company | ||
331-15 | Company of scaffolding for the building | ||
331-16 | Company of laying and shaping of marble, marble-laying | ||
331-17 | Prepared Concrete Supply company | ||
331-2 | Company of cement works, concrete, reinforced concrete for building: piles cast in the excavation, assembly of prefabricated houses in cement | ||
331-3 | Plasterboard company: plaster partitions, ceiling, plaster ceilings | ||
332 | 332-0 | WOODEN FRAMING, CARPENTRY OF THE BUILDING, LAYING (ASSOCIATED OR NOT WITH MANUFACTURE) Classify the manufacture of metal carpentry (without laying) as 237-2, except for companies for the manufacture of stage sets | |
332-1 | Company of wooden frame | ||
332-11 | Company for mounting wooden houses (prefabricated) | ||
332-2 | Company for the manufacture and laying of carpentry, flooring and varnishing, laying of flooring and the manufacture of stage sets, lattices and wooden fences, jealousies, shutters and louvers, handrails of stairs | ||
332-3 | Company of associated carpentry and joinery | ||
333 | 333-0 | PLUMBING COVER (with or without heating system) | |
333-1 | Cover in all materials: slates, tiles, shingles, cardboard, bitumen board, copper, zinc (building zinc), thatch, straw, reed | ||
333-2 | Plumbing, sanitary facilities | ||
333-3 | Cover company, plumbing (without heating company) | ||
333-4 | Cover company, plumbing and heating | ||
333-5 | Plumbing, heating and electricity installation | ||
333-6 | Sealing: work to protect against water and other fluids: company of sanitary work, sanitary work | ||
334 | 334-0 | BUILDING LOCKSMITH. Small iron frame, metal carpentry, ironwork for the building, metal fences (associated manufacture and laying or laying only) | |
334-1 | Building locksmith (installation and repair) | ||
334-2 | Small iron frame for building (associated manufacturing and laying) | ||
334-3 | Carpentry and metal closures (associated manufacture and installation) | ||
334-4 | Ironwork for the building (associated manufacture and installation): balconies, staircases, grilles, etc. | ||
334-5 | Small iron frame for building (laying) | ||
334-6 | Metal fences (installation) | ||
334-7 | Company of supplies and metal reinforcements prepared for reinforced concrete. | ||
335 | 335-0 | BUILDING FUMISTERY, SWEEPING, HEATING INSTALLATION AND HOT WATER PRODUCTION | |
335-1 | Building smokehouse. | ||
335-11 | Stove-stove: manufacture and installation of earthenware, earthenware, earthenware and earth stoves, economic fireplaces. | ||
335-12 | Sweeping: cleaning of fireplaces, ovens and stoves | ||
335-3 | Construction and maintenance of masonry bakery ovens | ||
336 | 336-0 | BUILDING PAINTING, DECORATION | |
336-1 | Painting, Building Painting: Coating application, Flame Retardant company | ||
336-11 | Ravement in paint | ||
336-12 | Industrial Painting: High Height Frame Painting, Pylons, Metal Bridges, etc | ||
336-13 | Gluing wallpapers, drapery papers; stamping | ||
336-14 | Spinning and decoration | ||
336-15 | Painting letters and attributes | ||
336-16 | Gilding in building | ||
336-17 | Liquid wall coverings | ||
336-18 | Advertising on painted buildings and posters | ||
336-2 | Miscellaneous installations in buildings | ||
336-21 | Installation of windows, ice, display cases | ||
336-3 | Painting, plastering, glazing (associated) Company of plastering: plaster partitions, ceiling, plaster ceilings. | ||
337 | 337-0 | ARRANGEMENT OF VARIOUS PREMISES | |
337-3 | Placement of signs, blinds | ||
338 | 338-0 | METAL CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDING, PUBLIC WORKS AND CIVIL ENGINEERING (associated manufacture and installation or installation only) | |
338-1 | Metallic construction for the building (associated manufacturing and installation) | ||
338-2 | Metallic construction for public works and civil engineering (associated manufacturing and installation) | ||
338-3 | Metal construction for building (laying only) | ||
338-4 | Metal construction for public works and civil engineering (installation only) | ||
338-5 | Metal houses (manufacture and installation) | ||
339 | 339-0 | INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICITY IN LIVING QUARTERS, SHOPS, OFFICES, INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER BUILDINGS, ETC., INSTALLATION OF LIGHT SIGNS | |
339-01 | Electricity installation associated with locksmith | ||
339-02 | Installation of electricity in living quarters (nda) and installation of illuminated signs | ||
340 | 340-0 | COMPANY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND CIVIL ENGINEERING (including those which carry out ancillary building activities): company of concrete and reinforced concrete for public works and civil engineering | |
340-1 | general company of public works and civil engineering (sai) | ||
340-2 | Company of public works and civil engineering, carrying out ancillary building activities | ||
341 | 341-0 | EARTHWORKS, RURAL AND UNDERGROUND WORKS | |
1/341 | Earthworks company associated with leveling. Soil rehabilitation: cleaning of ditches, wells, drainage, draining of marshes and peatlands. Irrigation works. Company of earthworks associated with foundations by compression of the ground. | ||
341-02 | Company of foundation by piles | ||
341-03 | Company of boreholes, boreholes, wells. Summers | ||
341-04 | Company of drilling or deep drilling | ||
341-05 | Sealing and soil consolidation company | ||
341-06 | Company of underground works | ||
342 | 342-0 | MARITIME AND RIVER WORKS (except service of bridges and causeways) | |
1/342 | Specialized pile and sheet pile threshing company | ||
2.342 | Dredging and de-rocking company | ||
342-03 | Wreck Demolition company | ||
342-04 | Company of scuba divers and frogmen | ||
342-05 | Company of work in compressed air | ||
343 | 343-0 | ROAD AND AERODROME WORKS (except service of bridges and causeways) | |
343-01 | paving company | ||
2.343 | cement or clay concrete cladding company | ||
343-03 | Stabilized earth runway company | ||
343-4 | coating company of materials coated with hydrocarbon binders | ||
343-05 | cylinder company | ||
344 | 344-0 | RAILWAY WORKS (except works carried out by the transport companies themselves). | |
345 | 345-0 | URBAN WORKS AND PUBLIC HYGIENE WORKS: distribution networks. | |
345-01 | Construction of structures for water abstraction, supply and distribution | ||
345-02 | Construction of sewers | ||
345-03 | Plants for the purification of drinking water or waste water; company for cleaning pipes by mechanical processes | ||
346 | 346-0 | COMPANY OF ELECTRICITY NETWORKS AND POWER PLANTS (except works carried out by the electricity companies themselves) | |
347 | 347-0 | LONG-DISTANCE PIPELINE company (water, gas, hydrocarbons, etc.) | |
348 | 348-0 | INDUSTRIAL FUMISTERY, INDUSTRIAL THERMAL INSTALLATIONS, COLD ROOMS | |
348-1 | Construction of industrial furnaces of refractory materials: brick furnaces and furnaces, masonry; construction work of coke, gas, etc. furnaces, of refractory materials | ||
348-2 | Industrial fumisterie made of refractory materials | ||
348-21 | Construction of chimneys of brick factories, masonry of boiler hearths, structures (nda) in refractory masonry | ||
349 | 349-0 | OUTDOOR SERVICES OF BRIDGES AND ROADS (departmental) AND RELATED SERVICES | |
The weather unemployment scheme is also applicable to open-cast quarries extracting construction materials and which are directly operated by construction companies.
The employer decides on the work stoppage, verifies the rights of the employees and declares the work stoppage.
He also declares the wages to the paid leave fund and decides the date of resumption of work.
When the employee leaves the company, he gives him a certificate that mentions the days of unemployment-bad weather.
Decision of the work stoppage
Stopping work in case of bad weather is decided by the employer or his representative on the site after consultation with the Social and Economic Committee (CSE) when it exists in the company.
When the work is done for an administration, a public authority, a licensed service or subsidized, the representative of the contracting authority may oppose the cessation of work.
Verification of the employee's entitlement to the weather-related unemployment benefit
The employer must verify that the employee meets the conditions required to be entitled to the weather compensation.
In particular, he must check that the employee has worked 200 hours during the last 2 months in a company of BTP: titleContent.
In addition, he makes the employee sign a declaration of the number of days already compensated since the 1ster January for unemployment-bad weather. This statement must be sent to the leave fund with the refund request.
Interim declaration of work stoppage
The employer shall address a provisional declaration of work stoppage to the Paid Leave Fund at the latest 120 hours after the start of the shutdown due to bad weather.
Warning
The employer may be ordered to 2 years of imprisonment and €30,000 a fine for making a false statement.
Final declaration of work stoppage
The employer shall send a declaration of cessation of work and a request for reimbursement of the allowances paid to employees to the paid leave fund. A slip of this declaration shall be drawn up by the BTP's Paid Leave Fund:
Declare a work stoppage and request a bad weather refund
The company shall forward to the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), at its request, the information in the slip concerning the number of hours lost due to inclement weather and their dates.
The the receipt must be received by the paid leave fund within 1 month of the return to work.
Declaration of wages to the paid leave fund
Companies must periodically and at least every 3 months send a declaration to the paid leave fund.
This statement shall include, in particular, the statement of wages and salaries used of plate to the contribution.
Resumption of work
The date of resumption of work for the unemployed employee-bad weather is decided by the employer or the representative of the prime contractor on the construction sites.
It is brought to the attention of the employee by a notice posted at the headquarters or office of the company or at the entrance of the site.
Delivery of a certificate to the employee leaving the company
The employer issues a certificate to the employee who leaves the company.
It specifies the number of hours and the periods during which the employee received unemployment and bad weather benefits for the calendar year during which he was employed in the company.
When placed on temporary unemployment, the employee remains at the disposal of the employer and must return to work as soon as the site reopens.
Employee availability
During periods of unemployment and bad weather, the employee remains at the disposal of the company that employed him at the time of the work stoppage throughout the period of inactivity of the site.
The employee loses his right to compensation if he refuses to do the work requested by his company, when this work can be done during bad weather. This is particularly the case if the work can be done in a workshop or office.
The employer who occupies the employee during the bad weather shall maintain for the duration of the work the salary he received before the work stoppage due to the bad weather.
The hours thus paid shall be deducted from the hours of non-work for which compensation is payable.
FYI
Employees who have been laid off due to bad weather may be made available by their company to public authorities to carry out work in the public interest.
Resumption of work
The date of resumption of work is brought to the attention of the employee by a notice posted at the headquarters or office of the company or at the entrance of the site.
An employee who does not return to work as soon as the site reopens ceases to be entitled to the allowance from the date of that reopening.
All employees of companies contributing to the unemployment and inclement weather scheme may be compensated regardless of the amount and nature of their remuneration.
To be compensated, employees must work on the site stopped due to bad weather.
Temporary employees made available to a company of the BTP: titleContent shall be compensated by the company of temporary work.
This allowance is payable when employees of the user company who work on the same site are paid unemployment-bad weather.
Minimum working hours and waiting period must be respected.
There is also a limit on the number of hours that can be compensated and a limit on the amount of compensation.
Minimum working time
Employees may receive a bad weather unemployment benefit if they have worked at least 200 hours in the 2 months preceding the work stoppage.
Waiting period
The daily allowance for bad weather is due for each hour lost from the 2nde during the same week or during a continuous period of inactivity.
Compensation Limits
The maximum number of hours of work that can be compensated is set at 9 hours per day up to a maximum of 45 hours per week.
The employee must not, since the 1ster January of the year, having been compensated for more than 55 days for unemployment-weather.
The limit of compensation shall be 75% of salary.
The daily allowance for inclement weather is paid to the employee by his company on the regular pay date.
It is not due to the temporarily incapacitated employee.
It does not combine with daily subsistence, sickness, social security and paid leave allowances.
It does not add up to unemployment benefits.
It is no longer payable in the event that the employee carries out another paid activity during the period of work stoppage.
Workers who have not resumed work as soon as the site is resumed will cease to be entitled to any compensation.
FYI
Workers who engage in other paid employment during the period of work stoppage compensated by unemployment-bad weather must repay the sums received to the employer. The latter then remits them to the relevant paid leave fund.
The company is reimbursed by the paid leave funds for the allowances paid to its employees.
The employer may not dismiss an employee during the period of inactivity of the site on which he is employed.
This prohibition shall not apply in the event of serious misconduct on the part of the person concerned or in the event of stoppage of work by the contracting authority in public works sites.
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Companies in the building and public works sector deprived of jobs as a result of bad weather
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