Mar 12, 2021 12:00:00

'Lunch at work desk' is legalized in France under the influence of the new Corona

As more people eat at the same place at one time, the risk of spreading the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19)

increases , so experts say, 'It is a big risk to eat in a restaurant with coronavirus. Is accompanied by ', and we are calling for refraining from eating out . In France, 'meal at work' was prohibited by law from the viewpoint of respecting food culture, but due to the need for COVID-19 measures, the regulation has been temporarily relaxed. ..

France legalises employees eating at their desks --The Local
https://www.thelocal.fr/20210203/france-to-legalise-eating-at-the-work-desk/

French workers can now eat lunch at their desks without breaking the law --CNN
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/15/business/france-workers-desk-lunch/index.html

In France, the break time for lunch is called 'la pause déjeuner' and is considered a sacred time . According to a study conducted by Wrike, a software developer for corporate groupware, 39% of French workers spend at least 30 minutes eating during lunch breaks, 36% of Germans and 36% of British. It was 23% higher than 22% of Americans. Public news media · Franceinfo of France, which took up the results of this survey, 'it French, is the lunch break of champions' and commented .

Reflecting the national character of sacred lunch, France has long explicitly prohibited 'workers from eating at work'.

Article R4228-19 of the French labor law ' Code du travail ' states that 'workers are prohibited from eating on the premises assigned to their work.'

However, the number of people infected with COVID-19 in France is on the rise, and at the time of writing the article, an average of more than 21,000 new cases are reported daily, and the situation remains severe. In addition, restaurants, cafes, bars and other restaurants have been closed since the end of October 2020, making it difficult for some workplaces to leave their workplaces for lunch.

by Reuters Graphics

In light of these circumstances, the French government announced on February 15, 2021 that 'employers would break the provisions of Article R4228-19 if necessary to allow workers to eat and drink on the premises assigned to their work. Announced a government ordinance stating that it is okay. From February 15th, for the time being, we have taken steps to legalize diet at work.

However, this decree is only temporary, and the prohibition has not been removed from the labor law, so companies with workplaces with less than 50 employees or companies with places to eat in the neighborhood or on the premises. So it is illegal to continue eating at work.

However, it seems that the law prohibiting eating at work was not so strictly adhered to from the beginning, and the news media The Local France, which took up the announcement of the French government, said, 'Eat lunch in a short time every year in France. It seems that some French workers were surprised to find a law banning meals in the office, as it is becoming more common to do it easily with sandwiches. ' did.