Delegation hours (the paid hours granted to members of the CSE, the French works council, for their duties), meeting time, training time: all three are paid, but they are not counted in the same way. Here is the practical fact sheet, article by article.
1. Delegation hours: the allowance of full elected members
Each full member has a monthly allowance of hours to carry out their mandate (L2315-7). The statutory scale (R2314-1) begins as follows:
| Headcount | Full members | Hours per month per full member |
|---|---|---|
| 11 to 24 | 1 | 10 hrs |
| 25 to 49 | 2 | 10 hrs |
| 50 to 74 | 4 | 18 hrs |
| 75 to 99 | 5 | 19 hrs |
| 100 to 199 | 6 to 9 | 21 hrs |
| 200 to 499 | 10 to 12 | 22 hrs |
The protocole d'accord préélectoral (pre-election agreement negotiated with the unions) may change the number of seats and how the hours are allocated, without reducing the overall volume (L2314-7).
- Payment: delegation time is automatically treated as working time and paid on the normal pay date. An employer who disputes how it was used refers the matter to the ordinary courts (juge judiciaire) (L2315-10).
- Carry-over: hours can be accumulated over 12 months, without exceeding one and a half times the monthly allowance in any one month; the elected member notifies the employer at least 8 days in advance (R2315-5).
- Sharing: full members may share their hours among themselves and with substitute members, within the same limit of one and a half times, by informing the employer in writing at least 8 days in advance (R2315-6).
- Substitute members: no allowance of their own; they only have hours through sharing or when they stand in for a full member.
- Forfait jours (annual working-days arrangement): unless otherwise agreed, the allowance is grouped into half-days of 4 hours, deducted from the annual number of days worked (R2315-3).
2. Time paid as work and NOT deducted from delegation hours
Time spent by elected members (L2315-11):
- in CSE meetings, both ordinary and extraordinary, and in meetings of its committees;
- on investigations carried out after a serious workplace accident, repeated incidents revealing a serious risk, or a serious occupational disease;
- on looking for preventive measures in urgent and serious situations, in particular in the event of serious and imminent danger.
For committees, unless otherwise agreed, the non-deducted time is capped at 30 hours a year for 300 to 1,000 employees and at 60 hours from 1,000 employees; time spent in meetings of the commission santé, sécurité et conditions de travail (CSSCT, the health, safety and working conditions committee) is never deducted (R2315-7).
3. Training time
- Time spent on training for elected members is taken from working time, paid as such, and is not deducted from delegation hours (L2315-16).
- Health, safety and working conditions: all elected members, at least 5 days for a first term, 3 days on renewal (L2315-18).
- Economic training: from 50 employees, for full members elected for the first time, up to 5 days, funded by the CSE (L2315-63).
4. In summary
| Elected member's activity | Paid? | Deducted from delegation hours? |
|---|---|---|
| Day-to-day mandate (meeting employees, preparing files…) | Yes | Yes, this is the hours allowance |
| Convened CSE meeting, ordinary or extraordinary | Yes | No |
| Committee meeting | Yes | No, within the set limit (no limit for the CSSCT) |
| Investigation after a serious accident, serious and imminent danger | Yes | No |
| Training for elected members | Yes | No |
Please note: this guide is for information only, up to date as of 14 October 2026, and is no substitute for legal advice tailored to your situation. A company-level agreement or your convention collective (collective bargaining agreement) may provide for different rules: check them, and consult an employment lawyer for a specific case.