Running a Business During Strikes in France: A Playbook
Strike days are part of doing business in France, and late October 2026 has more of them than usual, with yellow vest actions and a national union day of strikes already announced. You cannot stop a strike, but you can decide in advance how your business will open, serve customers, look after staff and stay on the right side of French law. This playbook walks you through it week by week and day by day.
Key takeaways
- Check announced strike and protest dates every week and decide, before each one, how you will operate.
- In the private sector, French employees generally do not have to give advance notice before striking; public services need a 5-day union notice.
- You may withhold pay in proportion to time on strike, but you must not replace strikers with fixed-term or agency workers or penalize lawful strikers.
- Staff who cannot reach work because of transport strikes are not on strike: agree remote work, flexible hours or leave.
- Tell customers early and clearly what will change on strike days.
As of late October 2026, France is going through a wave of cost-of-living protests. A nationwide day of action on 17 October brought together students, yellow vest groups and trade unions; the Interior Ministry estimated about 550,000 demonstrators, while unions claimed about 800,000. Yellow vest groups announced actions on 24 and 31 October, and five unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, Unsa and FSU) called a national day of strikes and demonstrations on 5 November 2026. A public sector strike against planned spending cuts has also been running.
The steps below work for this wave and for the next one. They focus on practical decisions, not on the politics behind the protests. The legal points are general information, not legal advice: check the details with an employment lawyer, your accountant or your collective agreement.
Week before: map the strike calendar to your business
Start with dates. Unions and organizers usually announce national days in advance, and transport operators publish forecasts of reduced service shortly before. Keep a simple calendar of announced days and check it every Monday.
- List the announced dates. As of late October 2026, that means 24 and 31 October (yellow vest actions) and 5 November (national union day). Add local actions announced in your city.
- Mark what each date affects. Public transport, schools, roads near march routes, deliveries, public offices and your own staff.
- Decide your operating mode for each day. Normal, reduced hours, remote only, or closed. Write it down.
- Tell your team. Share the plan at least a few days ahead so people can arrange childcare and travel.
- Check official information. Your préfecture can announce restrictions, and partial curfews were imposed in some areas after 17 October. Follow local authorities and service-public.fr.
Staffing: know the rules before you plan
French strike law protects the right to strike strongly, and the rules for employers are specific. Getting them wrong can mean fines or claims, so it is worth understanding the basics before a strike day arrives.
Notice and who can strike
In the private sector, employees generally do not have to warn you in advance. There are exceptions, for example in some transport services, where a 48-hour individual notice and prior negotiation rules apply. In public services, a union must give 5 days' notice. A strike can be national or local, and your employees can join a national day even if there is no dispute inside your company.
Pay and payslips
You may withhold pay in proportion to the time an employee spends on strike. The payslip must not mention the strike: use a neutral "unpaid absence" line instead. Keep accurate records of hours, and treat everyone the same way.
Replacing strikers
You must not replace striking employees with fixed-term (CDD) workers or temporary agency staff. The rules are in articles L1242-6 and L1251-10 of the Code du travail, and the fine is €3,750, or €7,500 for a repeat offense. You may, however, ask non-striking permanent staff to work overtime, within the usual working time rules.
Common mistake
Calling a temp agency the night before a strike to "cover the gap." It feels like good contingency planning, but replacing strikers with agency or fixed-term workers is prohibited. Plan cover with your permanent staff, reduced hours or a simpler service instead.
Staff who cannot get to work
An employee who wants to work but cannot reach the workplace because trains or buses are not running is not on strike. Treat this as a separate situation. Options include remote work, flexible hours, swapping days or taking leave. Whether the time is paid depends on the situation and on your collective agreement, so agree the approach in advance and apply it consistently.
| Situation | What it is | Typical options |
|---|---|---|
| Employee joins the strike | Strike (protected right) | Pay withheld pro rata, neutral payslip line, no penalty |
| Employee blocked by transport strike | Not a strike | Remote work, flexible hours, leave, per agreement |
| Employee worried about safety near protests | Safety concern | Remote work, adjusted hours, route check |
| Non-striking staff covering | Normal work | Overtime within working time rules |
Safety: your duty as an employer
French employers have a general obligation to protect employees' health and safety. Your risk assessment, the "document unique d'évaluation des risques professionnels" (DUERP), should include risks linked to demonstrations if your premises or staff travel routes are exposed.
- Remote work on protest days for roles that allow it.
- Adjusted hours, such as opening later and closing earlier so staff travel outside peak protest times.
- Travel checks before staff head to client sites or deliveries, using local news and official alerts.
- A contact chain so every employee knows who to call and gets a quick check-in message if things escalate.
Pro tip
Add one line to your DUERP for "demonstrations and transport strikes" and list the measures above. It takes ten minutes, shows you have thought about the risk and gives managers a clear reference on the day.
Customers: communicate early and simply
Customers forgive changes they hear about in advance. They are less forgiving when they arrive at a closed door or wait for a delivery that never comes. Prepare short message templates now and adapt them for each date.
- Update your opening hours on your website, Google Business Profile and social media at least a day before.
- Email or text customers with bookings on strike days, offering to keep, move or switch to a remote appointment.
- Set realistic delivery times on your online shop for orders placed around strike dates.
- Brief front-line staff with two or three sentences they can use to explain delays.
Hypothetical example
Imagine "Studio Lemoine," a small physiotherapy practice in Lille with four staff. The week before the 5 November strike day, the owner checks transport forecasts and sees reduced service. Two staff live far out and will not be able to get in. She moves their appointments to video consultations, opens the practice from 10:00 to 16:00 with the two staff who live nearby and texts every patient booked that day with their options. Most keep their appointment in one form or another. Names and details here are invented.
Suppliers, deliveries and cash
Strikes affect what comes in as well as what goes out. Road blockades, slower transport and closed depots can delay stock, while customers may delay payments in uncertain times.
- Order early. Bring forward orders for critical stock before announced dates.
- Ask suppliers about their plans. Find out whether their drivers or depots are affected and which days they expect delays.
- Line up an alternative. Identify a second supplier or delivery route for your most important items.
- Watch your cash. Keep a buffer for slower weeks, and follow up on unpaid invoices promptly but politely.
- Read your contracts. Under French law (Code civil article 1218), force majeure covers events beyond a party's control that were not reasonably foreseeable and whose effects cannot be avoided. Strikes qualify only sometimes: an internal company strike rarely does, while a sudden general strike may, depending on the facts and the contract wording. Under English and US law, force majeure exists only if the contract includes a clause.
Strike day: run the plan
On the day itself, keep it simple. Check the news first thing, confirm who is working and where, and send a short message to the team. If the situation near your premises changes, for example a march diverted down your street, be ready to close early and send people home safely. Note what worked and what did not for the next date.
Good strike-day habits
- One decision maker for the day, with a named deputy
- Clear morning message to staff and customers
- Consistent treatment of strikers and non-strikers
- A short debrief afterward
Habits that cause trouble
- Asking staff whether they plan to strike in a pressuring way
- Mentioning the strike on payslips
- Hiring temps to replace strikers
- Leaving customers to find out at the door
Your strike-day playbook checklist
- Keep a calendar of announced strike and protest dates and review it every Monday
- Decide your operating mode for each date and share it with staff
- Agree how to handle staff blocked by transport strikes
- Add demonstrations and strikes to your DUERP with practical measures
- Set up a staff contact chain for protest days
- Prepare customer message templates and update opening hours online
- Bring forward critical orders and identify a backup supplier
- Check the force majeure wording in your key contracts
- Run a quick debrief after each strike day
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask my employees in advance if they will strike?
In the private sector, employees generally do not have to tell you in advance, and you must not put pressure on them or penalize them for lawfully striking. You can ask who expects to be available to help with planning, as long as there is no pressure and answers are voluntary. Check with an employment adviser if in doubt.
Do I have to pay staff who cannot get to work because of a transport strike?
They are not on strike, so the strike pay rules do not apply. Whether the day is paid depends on the situation and your collective agreement. The simplest approach is to offer remote work, flexible hours or leave, agreed in advance and applied consistently.
Can I close my shop on a strike day?
Yes, you can choose to close or reduce hours for safety or business reasons. Think about how employees' pay will be handled if you close at short notice, and check your collective agreement and contracts with customers.
Where can I find announced strike dates?
Unions publish national dates, transport operators such as SNCF and local transport networks publish service forecasts, and your préfecture announces local restrictions. Check these official sources close to each date, because plans can change.
Related reading
The bottom line
Strikes and protests will come and go, but a business that plans for them loses far less time, money and goodwill. Keep a calendar of announced dates, decide your operating mode in advance, respect French strike rules on pay and replacement, protect your staff and tell customers early.
Once you have run this playbook for one strike day, the next one becomes routine. Keep your notes, refine the plan and check official sources before each date, because the situation in late October 2026 is moving quickly.
