Transport strike: what rights for the employee?
Verified 03 April 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
In case of transport strike, the employee may be late or unable to go to work. In principle, the employee is not paid during his absence. The teleworking is it possible in this case? We present you with the information you need to know.
No, the employee may not be penalized if he notifies his employer his delay or absence. He must justify his impossibility to go to work.
The employer must be informed by any means (telephone call, SMS...). The proof provided may be a certificate issued by the transport company for example.
No, the employee shall not be paid during his absence.
Deduction from salary must be strictly proportional the duration of the absence.
Example :
If the employee is late by 20 minutes, the deduction from his salary will correspond to 20 minutes of work.
Please note
Of treaty provisions may provide for the salary to be maintained during this period of absence.
A simulator is used to search for the collective agreement with the company's name or Siret number:
Yes, the teleworking can be implemented on simple agreement between employer and employee. Oral agreement is possible, but written highly recommended in order to avoid any dispute.
The employee's duties must be compatible with teleworking.
Please note
The employer cannot impose telework on the employee. Nor is he obliged to accept a request for telework from the employee on the day of the strike.
If the employee already has a day of telework which does not correspond to the day of strike, an agreement between the employer and the employee is necessary to change the telework day.
If teleworking is not possible, the following measures can be implemented agreement between employer and employee :
- Taking a day of paid leave
- Taking a day of reduction of working time (RTT) if the employee benefits from it.
Please note
The employer may recover the hours of work not performed on the day of the strike on another day of the week except working hours are specified in the contract of employment.
The employer can propose other solutions. The employer may decide to set up shuttles or an application to facilitate carpooling between employees.
The employer can also cover the additional cost of using other means of transport (taxi, VTC: titleContent) or accommodation costs close to work.
Please note
If no solution has been found and the employee cannot go to his place of work, he will not be paid.
The employee may leave his post before the end of his working day only if he obtains the agreement of his employer.
The employer is not obliged to pay his employee beyond the initial period of his assignment.
He remains in a situation of displacement that does not constitute actual working time.
In agreement with his employer, the employee may be authorized to use another means of transport (e.g. renting a vehicle). The employer and the employee shall agree to bear any additional costs.
Use of telework
Leave period and departure order (public policy)
Leave period and departure order (collective bargaining field)
Leave period and departure order (supplementary provisions)