France’s labour ministry is standing firm on the current rules of the compte professionnel de prévention (C2P) and has rejected a proposal to open this points-based scheme for hazardous and strenuous work to temporary agency workers on contracts shorter than one month. That is the outcome of a written reply from the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity, published in the Journal officiel on 6 October 2026. Trade publication actuEL-HSE reported the decision on 12 October 2026.
What was the proposal?
Member of Parliament Ian Boucard (Droite Républicaine, Territoire de Belfort constituency) submitted the underlying written question on 16 June 2026. He pointed out that temp workers and employees on successive short-term contracts are indeed exposed to risk factors, particularly night work, but that this exposure goes entirely unrecognised once it is split across very short contracts. Each individual contract is simply too short to count towards the C2P. Boucard asked the government to adjust the scheme so that this group’s real, cumulative exposure is properly taken into account.
Why does the government reject the proposal?
The ministry replies that no change to the C2P for contracts shorter than one month is currently planned. Under Article R. 4163-8 of the Code du travail, the scheme applies only to employment contracts of at least one month, regardless of contract type. The government notes that exposure over very short periods is difficult to establish, that the traceability of that exposure must be safeguarded, and that accumulating points in any case requires at least a quarter of exposure.
As an alternative, the ministry points to the Fonds d’investissement pour la prévention de l’usure professionnelle (FIPU), from which workers on contracts shorter than one month can also receive support, including for preventing ergonomic risks and musculoskeletal disorders. The ministry also cites measures specific to the temp-work sector. Since a decree of 5 July 2024, temp agencies and client companies have shared the costs of workplace accidents and occupational illnesses equally. On 3 April 2026, the sector signed an agreement to set up a new prevention body for temp workers, OP2SI. In addition, occupational health services (SPST) may experiment voluntarily for three years with collective prevention measures for temp workers.
Context
The C2P is France’s points-based scheme under which employees exposed above set thresholds to six risk factors build up entitlements: night work, shift work, repetitive work, noise, extreme temperatures, and work under raised pressure (hyperbaric environments), according to the French government’s official guidance (service-public.gouv.fr). Employees in post all year accrue four points per risk factor per year; those who work only part of the year earn one point per factor for each quarter of exposure. Points can be used for training or retraining into less strenuous work, part-time work without loss of pay, or early retirement. Because points accrue on a quarterly basis, standalone short contracts fall outside the current scheme.
For HSE professionals outside France, the debate illustrates a familiar problem: schemes for hazardous work designed around standard employment can leave flexible workers, such as temp and on-call staff, out in the cold, even when they are exposed to the same risks as permanent staff over an extended period.
Source: Written question No. 16100 (Ian Boucard) and reply from the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity, Assemblée nationale, reply published 6 October 2026
Additional research: actuEL-HSE: Pénibilité : le gouvernement dit niet à l’ouverture du C2P aux intérimaires en contrat court, 12 October 2026; Compte professionnel de prévention (C2P), service-public.gouv.fr
