Regardless of their contract type and working hours, all French employees are entitled to both a mandatory professional interview every two years, and a summary review of their career path every six years.
1. Entretien professionnel (every two years)
The professional interview is a legal requirement in France. The two-year period starts from the first day of employment, and subsequently from the date of the previous interview.
It is important to note that the entretien professionnel is not a performance appraisal interview. Its primary purpose is to facilitate a discussion about the employee’s wider career development, also taking stock of their training needs and future plans.
The interview will also include information about activation and contributions to the employee’s personal training account (Compte Personnel de Formation, or CPF), as well as validation of their professional experience. This is a formal process known as Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience, or VAE, which can lead to the awarding of certain qualifications.
Additionnally, the employee must be made aware of the existence of personalised career developmentt counselling (conseil en évolution professionnelle) to assess their professional situation. This is a free and confidential service that is available to every employee.
Regardless of their last interview date, an entretien professionnel must be offered to any employee who resumes work after a period of interruption following:
- maternity leave,
- full or part-time parental leave,
- adoption leave,
- leave spent caring for a family member,
- a sabbatical,
- sick leave that lasts more than six months, or
- a trade union mandate.
The interview should be organised within a reasonable timeframe of the employee’s return to work, and may take place prior to their return date if appropriate.
Following the entretien professionnel, a document summarising its content should be drafted, and a copy given to the employee.
2. État des lieux récapitulatif (every six years)
The purpose of the summary review is to ensure that the employee has both received and benefited from the preceding three professional interviews. It also aims to ensure that the employee has met at least two of the following requirements:
- completed at least one non-compulsory training course,
- acquired one of the elements of professional certification (such as a diploma) through training or VAE, and
- benefited from salary or professional progression.
The état des lieux récapitulatif should discuss the employee’s general professional development, as well as reflecting on their current role and future career plans. Again, a report should be drawn up and given to the employee following the review meeting.
If the employer does not comply with their career development obligations, financial penalties may follow.
In companies with more than 50 staff, if an employee has not received mandatory professional interviews, nor completed at least one non-compulsory training course in six years, the employer may be ordered to credit their CPF account with 3,000€.
While the penalties are less clear for companies with fewer than 50 employees, it should be underlined that the employer has mandatory obligations to fulfil regarding training and career development. If these obligations are not respected, an employee dispute may arise, which could result in penalties for the employer.
If you would like more information about employee career development in your French company, please contact us to arrange a free initial consultation.