French Parliament approves dedicated leave for victims of sexual and gender-based abuse
Lawmakers voted to create a specific paid leave for employees who have experienced sexual assault, harassment or sexist conduct.
On the final day of debate over the comprehensive bill, deputies approved a dedicated leave for employees who have suffered sexual assault, harassment or sexist behavior, enabling them to pursue necessary medical, judicial or administrative actions. The law now gives victims up to five days to submit supporting documents, a change championed by co-rapporteur Karim Benbrahim. In parallel, legislators adopted a compulsory reporting framework obliging employers to manage and respond to workplace sexual and gender-based violence claims.
Both provisions were opposed by the Rassemblement national and its UDR partners, who argued the procedures could be burdensome for smaller firms. Minister Aurore Bergé praised the new leave as a groundbreaking step for victims' rights in France.
Why it matters
It gives victims of workplace sexual violence legal time off and forces employers to handle complaints consistently.
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