---
title: "Employment and Labor Law"
id: "2030"
type: "expertise"
slug: "employment-and-labor-law"
published_at: "2026-01-26T08:38:27+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-07-28T13:57:12+00:00"
url: "https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/expertise/employment-and-labor-law/"
markdown_url: "https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/expertise/employment-and-labor-law.md"
excerpt: "Designing HR strategies, anticipating risks, managing organizational change Employment relations evolve alongside economic, technological, and regulatory shifts. Every HR decision affects a company’s performance, compliance, and ability to attract and retain talent. In this increasingly complex environment, we combine technical..."
taxonomy_language:
  - "English"
taxonomy_post_translations:
  - "pll_6977280389005"
taxonomy_tax_expertise:
  - "Labor and Social Security Law"
taxonomy_tax_famille_expertise:
  - "Advisory"
  - "Transactional"
---

## Designing HR strategies, *anticipating risks, managing organizational change*

Employment relations evolve alongside economic, technological, and regulatory shifts. Every HR decision affects a company’s performance, compliance, and ability to attract and retain talent. In this increasingly complex environment, we combine technical precision with strategic insight to resolve issues, prevent disputes, and build lasting solutions.

Our work spans the entire spectrum of employment law, from major structural operations to litigation before all courts. We assist listed companies, growing mid-sized businesses, investment funds, and executives in developing and implementing effective HR strategies. Each matter is handled by a responsive team experienced in both operational challenges and sensitive disputes.

## *our*Capabilities

### (01) Labor Relations

Negotiating with works councils and unions, shaping social dialogue, and adapting work organization are central to every business transformation. We lead negotiations for collective agreements (group, company, or site level), streamline representative bodies, and secure frameworks governing working time, compensation, and mobility. Our expertise extends to workforce planning, collective movements, and disputes arising from collective agreements. Every negotiation is grounded in a clear understanding of the balance of interests at stake.

### (02) Individual & Collective Disputes

Strikes, harassment, workplace accidents, individual or collective conflicts, hidden work: we represent companies before all civil, criminal, and administrative courts at every stage of litigation. Our method combines rigorous risk assessment, carefully calibrated litigation strategies, and a systematic search for amicable resolutions where appropriate. Each case is analyzed in depth to anticipate shifts in case law and reduce the company’s financial and reputational exposure.

### (03) Restructuring & Workforce Adjustments

Reorganizing an activity, closing a site, or transferring staff requires absolute rigor in planning and execution. We design consultation procedures, prepare all documentation for works councils, coordinate employee communications, and manage interactions with labor authorities and unions. Our experience ensures reliability at every stage, allowing us to anticipate bottlenecks and develop legally and operationally sound solutions.

### (04) Transactions Labor & Employment Law

Acquiring or selling a company requires identifying employment-related liabilities, harmonizing collective agreements, and conducting employee consultations. We intervene early in the audit phase to map risks, assess integration costs, and negotiate warranties. On the sell side, we prepare the HR data room and secure consultation processes. On the buy side, we oversee post-closing harmonization and the implementation of new social frameworks. Each transaction is managed by a team experienced in complex deal dynamics.

### (05) Workplace Health and Safety Regulations

Preventing accidents, addressing psychosocial risks, and protecting the company from liability are key employer responsibilities with significant financial implications. We design risk-mapping tools, advise on prevention plans, and represent companies in disputes related to workplace accidents or occupational diseases. Our approach blends regulatory compliance with operational pragmatism to embed prevention in the company’s daily management.

### (06) Individual Employment Relations

Fundamental freedoms, religious practice, employee monitoring, social media use: the boundary between professional and personal life raises increasingly sensitive legal issues. We help employers balance managerial authority with individual rights, draft workplace policies and internal regulations, and ensure the legality of monitoring systems (video surveillance, cyber monitoring). Each intervention reflects recent case law and growing expectations regarding privacy and personal dignity.

### (07) Compensation & Benefits

Retaining talent, sharing value creation, and strengthening social responsibility all depend on effective compensation strategies. We design and implement variable pay schemes, employee savings plans (profit sharing, incentive, PEE, PERCO), and equity-based plans (stock options, free shares, BSPCE). Each program is tailored to meet business objectives while ensuring compliance with tax, social security, and accounting requirements.

### (08) Social Security Law

Designing compliant benefit plans, avoiding reassessments, and optimizing costs require constant vigilance over legal and collective bargaining obligations. We assist companies in implementing welfare and supplementary pension schemes, auditing internal practices, and managing Urssaf inspections. Our goal is to secure existing frameworks while identifying opportunities for optimization.

### (09) Compliance

Duty of vigilance places companies before complex requirements that are often difficult to translate into effective practice. We advise across the full spectrum: operational implementation of ethics codes, structuring and assessment of dedicated compliance committees, and management of individual or collective whistleblowing alerts under Sapin II and equivalent frameworks. At every stage, whistleblower protection is treated as a core requirement, not a procedural formality. When an investigation is triggered, we coordinate the company’s response by aligning internal disciplinary proceedings with external regulatory and enforcement processes.

### (10) Management Packages

Negotiating an appointment, structuring compensation, managing termination: executive status brings intertwined legal, tax, and governance challenges. We advise both companies and executives on all related matters, including dual employment arrangements, delegations of authority, liability, pay structures (fixed, variable, equity, supplemental pensions), and shareholder meeting policies (say on pay). We also represent clients in disputes arising from the termination of corporate mandates.

### (11) Organizational Change

Adjusting working hours, fostering mobility, supporting evolving job functions: every organizational change engages employment law. We guide companies through the design and implementation of such projects by identifying mandatory consultations, negotiating necessary agreements, and anticipating individual and collective impacts. Our method combines legal precision with operational guidance to help organizations transform without generating disputes.

Collective excellence

at the service of the

*highest standards.*

Team

[Emmanuelle Barbara ( Senior Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/emmanuelle-barbara/)

[Marie-Hélène Bensadoun ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/marie-helene-bensadoun/)

[Virginie Devos ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/virginie-devos/)

[Philippe Durand ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/philippe-durand/)

[Fabienne Haas ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/fabienne-haas/)

[Laure Hosni ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/laure-hosni/)

[Catherine Le Manchec ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/catherine-le-manchec/)

[Éric Manca ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/eric-manca/)

[Anaïs Qureshi ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/anais-qureshi/)

[Diane Reboursier ( Partner )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/diane-reboursier/)

[Nathalie Lengaigne ( Counsel )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/nathalie-lengaigne/)

[Boris Léone-Robin ( Counsel )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/boris-leone-robin/)

[Zoé Rival ( Counsel )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/zoe-rival/)

[Alexandre Dumortier ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/alexandre-dumortier/)

[Joël Fernandez ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/joel-fernandez/)

[Marie Huard ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/marie-huard/)

[Laetitia-Marie Jamet ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/laetitia-marie-jamet/)

[Claire-Lisa Leclerc ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/claire-lisa-leclerc/)

[Ghislaine Zaïdi ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/ghislaine-zaidi/)

[Manon Couval ( Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/manon-couval/)

[Claire Ducrocq ( Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/claire-ducrocq/)

[Elise Fusz ( Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/elise-fusz/)

[Célia Lesueur ( Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/celia-lesueu/)

[Elodie Robert ( Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/elodie-robert/)

[Lina Torresilla Spinella ( Senior Associate )](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/collaborateur/lina-torresilla-spinella/)

Précédent     Suivant

## Contact Us

## Our References

Employment and Social Security Litigation

#### Ride-Sharing Platform – €100M URSSAF Reclassification Case

Advised a top ride-sharing company in a landmark URSSAF audit, cutting claims from €100M to €55M and securing a Court of Appeal win rejecting driver reclassification.

Labor and Social Security Law

#### Tech Company – Labor relations and works council

Legal and strategic support for a major player in the technology sector regarding the management of its relations with the works council and trade unions, the negotiation of a collective agreement on labor relations, and its communications with the labor inspectorate.

Labor and Social Security Law

#### Aerospace manufacturer – Internal alerts and Compliance

Advising an aerospace manufacturer on the handling and analysis of internal reports submitted by employees concerning issues of harassment, discrimination, and, more broadly, compliance and ethics.

*Rankings* & Recognitions

m

- (01)Best Lawyers 2027 – France Employment
- (02)Best Lawyers 2027 – France Employment
- (03)Legal 500 2026 – France Employment

[More distinctions](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/distinctions/?search_tax-expertise%5B%5D=labor-and-social-security-law)

## *Latest* News

[13/07/26 Legal Article 3 min EOR in France: Fatal Attraction Les solutions d’Employer of Record (EOR) permettent aux entreprises étrangères de recruter en France sans créer d’entité locale, mais elles ne sont pas reconnues par le droit français. En pratique, l’entreprise cliente peut être considérée comme le véritable employeur, avec des risques importants (contentieux, licenciement, responsabilité civile et pénale). L’article recommande plutôt de s’immatriculer en France comme employeur étranger sans établissement, une solution plus sécurisée juridiquement.](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/legal-article/eor-in-france-fatal-attraction-2/)

[13/07/26 Article 4 min Employer of Record (EOR) en France : entre souplesse apparente et risques réels Les solutions d’Employer of Record (EOR) permettent aux entreprises étrangères de recruter en France sans créer d’entité locale, mais elles ne sont pas reconnues par le droit français. En pratique, l’entreprise cliente peut être considérée comme le véritable employeur, avec des risques importants (contentieux, licenciement, responsabilité civile et pénale). L’article recommande plutôt de s’immatriculer en France comme employeur étranger sans établissement, une solution plus sécurisée juridiquement.](https://www.august-debouzy.com/article-juridique/employer-of-record-eor-en-france-entre-souplesse-apparente-et-risques-reels-3/)

[04/11/24 Legal Article 2 min Dismissal for Gross Misconduct in France: What Happens if the Date of the Misconduct is Missing? The process of dismissing an employee for gross misconduct in France is highly regulated, requiring employers to follow specific procedures to avoid legal challenges. Among these, sending a detailed letter of dismissal is a critical step. This letter must clearly outline the reasons for dismissal, as any additional reasons or facts discovered later are inadmissible before the French labor courts. Since September 2017, the Macron Statute has allowed employers to…](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/legal-article/dismissal-for-gross-misconduct-in-france-what-happens-if-the-date-of-the-misconduct-is-missing/)

[22/05/24 Legal Article 4 min Employers: the important thing is to anticipate! As the Olympic and Paralympic Games are fast approaching, the government has put the website “anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr” online with the slogan: the importa](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/legal-article/employers-the-important-thing-is-to-anticipate/)

[07/03/24 Legal Article 8 min Labour & Employment Law : 3 questions to Ghislaine Zaidi & Boris Léone-Robin More than 10,000 athletes from 206 different countries will be taking part in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will attract millions of specta](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/legal-article/labour-employment-law-3-questions-to-ghislaine-zaidi-boris-leone-robin/)

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Précédent     Suivant

[Find our latest news](https://www.august-debouzy.com/en/le-hub/)
News

## *FAQ*

### (01) How does a law firm specializing in employment law secure individual employment relationships, compensation and executive status?

Every individual decision (hiring, contract drafting, changes to working conditions, termination) engages the company’s compliance and its ability to attract or retain talent. We design tailored employment contracts, structure compensation packages (fixed, variable, benefits in kind, employee savings, share ownership) and secure the status of corporate officers (combined employment contract and corporate mandate, golden parachutes, non-compete clauses). The objective is to create compliant, competitive and strategically coherent arrangements, integrating tax and social security dimensions.

### (02) What obligations govern the establishment and operation of the works council (CSE)?

Article L. 2311-2 of the French Labour Code requires the establishment of a social and economic committee (CSE) in every company with at least eleven employees. Above fifty employees, the CSE exercises broader powers in consultation, expert assessments and collective bargaining. We support companies in organizing staff elections, drafting collective agreements, managing mandatory consultations and ensuring compliance of social dialogue practices. In ethics and compliance, we structure whistleblowing systems, charters and internal policies.

### (03) How can you secure a redundancy plan or the social dimension of an M&A transaction?

Restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational changes involve strict social obligations whose breach can result in annulment of the procedure. Article L. 1233-61 of the French Labour Code requires a job protection plan (PSE) when a redundancy project involves at least ten employees over a thirty-day period in a company with at least fifty employees. We manage the social dimension of restructuring and M&A transactions: social due diligence, contract transfers (Article L. 1224-1), PSE negotiation, CSE consultation management and information obligations.

### (04) How should you structure a health and safety policy compliant with the employer’s obligations?

Employers owe a duty of care to their employees, the breach of which engages both civil and criminal liability. The single occupational risk assessment document (DUERP), mandatory in every company from the first employee under Article R. 4121-1 of the French Labour Code, forms the foundation of this policy. We advise companies on occupational risk prevention (psychosocial risks, harassment, workplace accidents), internal investigations, responses to labour inspectorate formal notices and structuring of quality of working life policies.

### (05) What social security and welfare issues does an employment law firm handle?

Social security contributions, health and retirement schemes, URSSAF audits and management of workplace accidents and occupational diseases represent significant financial stakes for companies. Article L. 243-7 of the French Social Security Code sets the URSSAF’s limitation period at three years, extended to five years for undeclared work. We assist companies in structuring supplementary welfare schemes, managing URSSAF audits, challenging reassessments and pursuing disputes before social security courts.

### (06) Why choose August Debouzy as your law firm for employment law and social security in France?

Our work covers the full spectrum of employment law, from strategic transactions to litigation defence. We advise HR departments, legal departments and executives on the day-to-day and strategic management of employment relations: contracts, compensation, social dialogue, restructurings, M&A, health and safety, social protection and compliance. Each engagement is built on an approach that is both technical and strategic, designed to break deadlocks, prevent disputes and deliver lasting solutions.