Background information

Re-employment units are a measure widely used, on a voluntary basis, by companies, whatever their size, initiating a collective dismissal procedure and setting up an employment protection plan. Before 2011, the setting up of re-employment units could benefit from public funding, under specific conditions, dedicated to companies employing fewer than 1,000 workers that initiate a collective dismissal procedure.  Any employee who might be dismissed for economic reasons can avail of this instrument regardless of job tenure or age. This support consists of a preliminary assessment of their job situation, skills, expectations and job opportunities that they may consider for job mobility within the company or outside the company as an alternative to redundancies.

Content of measure

Since September 2011, and the entry into force of the professional security contract (Contrat de sécurisation professionnelle - CSP), public funding of re-employment units has become exceptional, is dedicated to companies employing fewer than 1,000 employees and only in exceptional circumstances as appreciated by the labour administration. One should therefore consider that re-employment units are now informal ones (cellules non conventionnées), included in employment protection plans.   

Composed of company employees or/and external consultants, these units assist workers with guidance, skills assessment, matching, training, including support to business creation. They collaborate with the local employment services. Support to affected employees is usually available for a maximum of 12 months, with the possibility of a six-month extension if required.

In case a re-employment unit benefits from a public support, which is now exceptional, the effectiveness of these units is monitored by a committee (commission de suivi), which is made up of company representatives, worker representatives, the public employment service (PES) and other regional stakeholders, if appropriate. In case a re-employment unit does not benefit from any public support, the follow up of the re-employment unit is made through the follow-up committee of the employment protection plan.

Use of measure

In 2008, the use of re-employment units was mentioned in 85% of redundancy plans ('plans de sauvegarde de l'emploi'). According to information from the labour ministry department in charge of research, studies and statistics (Direction de l'animation de la recherche, des études et des statistiques, DARES), out of 10 employees availing of the support of a re-employment unit, only three secured an indefinite contract, and one quarter found temporary, short-term employment.

In 2009, only 18% of people that resorted to re-employment units found a permanent contract. 

In 2014, five formal units were implemented (as opposed to 731 in 2009, 350 in 2011 and 44 in 2012).  According to DARES, this decrease is likely to continue because since the end of 2011, formal re-employment units have only been used on an exceptional basis. Indeed, in 2015, no formal units were implemented and the statistical monitoring is no longer ensured.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Public employment service	Employer National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

• 12 January 2010: Ramonet, M. (2010), Les Cellules de Reclassement, Avis et Rapports du conseil economique, social et environnemental (www.lecese.fr)
• 04 September 2019: DARES (2019) Les dispositifs publics d’accompagnement des restructurations en 2017 (dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr)
• 25 June 2020: Morvan, P. (2020), Restructurations en droit social, 5ème édition,Lexi Nexisis (www.lgdj.fr)
• 18 October 2022: DARES (2022) Les dispositifs publics d’accompagnement des restructurations (dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr)
• 18 April 2023: DARES (2023), Les dispositifs publics accompagnant les ruptures collectives de contrat de travail en 2021 (dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr)
• 12 July 2023: Une cellule de reclassement peut-elle être encore financée par le fonds national de l'emploi (FNE) ? (www.service-public.fr)