If you’re not familiar with health and safety regulations in France, you may be surprised to learn that French companies are obliged to pay a social contribution governed by the frequency of their work-related accidents.
For some companies, this obligation can be very expensive! Yet it serves to underline the need for companies to provide a safe and healthy environment for their employees to work in.
There are additional obligations that both the employer and employee must adhere to in the event of a work-related accident. These are summarised as follows.
Employees must
- inform their employer of the accident, either on the same day or within 24 hours at the latest (except in the event of force majeure, absolute impossibility, or a legitimate reason such as hospitalisation),
- have their condition assessed by a GP.
Employers must
- report the accident to the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM), the local health insurance fund, within 48 hours (excluding Sundays and public holidays), along with any justified comments about the work-related nature of the accident,
- give the employee a feuille d’accident du travail, a form that entitles them to medical care without any advance payment, as soon as possible,
- if applicable, send the CPAM a certificate to calculate the employee’s daily sick leave benefit.
What happens next?
If the employer fails to declare the accident, or declares it later than the obligated 48 hours, they may be required to pay a fine. Along with medical expenses, the employee will receive compensation from the first day they are unable to work due to their work-related accident.
In the unhappy event that the employee is permanently disabled, the CPAM will arrange for them to receive compensation, which is paid as a lump sum or a life annuity depending on the level of incapacity. The prévoyance insurance may also contain some provisions for payment.
For further information about work-related accidents in France, together with different obligations and potential consequences, please get in touch.
