SUNDAY REST
| FRANCE |
| REPOS DOMINICAL SUNDAY REST |
The choice of Sunday as the day in the week on which employees may not be required to work is one of the elements of the principle of the weekly rest day . This choice, which is prompted partly by Christian tradition but also by the fact that a secular State must give proper consideration to religious beliefs and the needs of family life, is the target of criticism from certain quarters. Despite this, the most recent legislative intervention on the matter (1992) upheld the rule, while modifying the conditions under which exceptions are permitted. In some instances exceptions to the rule are laid down by law; others require authorization from the Prefect of the département concerned, as the authority representing the State.
The rule that Sunday must be the weekly rest day raises the question of competition between enterprises. Hence, in order to avoid any distortion of competitiveness the law empowers a Prefect, after consultation with employers' organizations and trade unions, to issue a formal decision concerning the Sunday closure of establishments within a particular sphere of activity and a particular geographical area.
Please note: the European industrial relations glossaries were compiled between 1991 and 2003 and are not updated. For current material see the European industrial relations dictionary.