Le 11 août 2026, une nouvelle proposition de loi apportant une réponse intégrale au phénomène des violences sexuelles et sexistes contre les femmes et les enfants a été déposée devant l’Assemblée nationale. Parmi sesOn August 11, 2026, a new bill offering a comprehensive response to the issue of sexual and gender-based violence against women and children was tabled before the National Assembly. Among its many measures, it incorporates the concept of “sexual assault” into the Labor Code and introduces several provisions relating to human resources management, which are divided into three stages: prevention, detection and support.
Prevention
The bill proposes to revise mandatory collective bargaining at company level, by making the prevention of and action against sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist behavior in the workplace a subject for negotiation.
The DUERP (single document for the assessment of occupational risks) would also be expanded to include measures designed to strengthen the prevention of sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist behavior. A general obligation to provide information and training on combating such behavior would also be introduced, with a particular focus on managerial roles, notably in terms of prevention, detection, handling of reports and support for those affected.
Finally, the bill strengthens the role of the point of contact for sexual harassment and sexist behavior, who would become mandatory for employers with 50 or more employees, rather than 250. This person would also be entitled to ongoing training, funded by the employer, and to time off for training without being penalized.
Detection
The Labor Code would be amended to treat, in terms of reports made by a victim or witness, acts of sexual assault in the same way as psychological harassment. It should be noted that sexual assault constitutes “a non-consensual sexual act committed against another person or against the perpetrator themselves”.
The proposed changes also include the establishment of a highly formalized framework:
- the employer must immediately inform an employee who considers themselves a victim of such acts of their rights and avenues of redress under the Labor Code
- internal investigations following such reports would be strictly regulated, with alleged victims and alleged perpetrators of such acts required to receive a copy of an investigation report, the preparation of which would be mandatory.
Failure to comply with these formal requirements may result in an administrative fine of up to 1 percent of the company’s total wage bill.
Support
Paid leave, lasting a minimum of 10 days, would be introduced for victims of gender-based and sexual violence to facilitate the completion of various procedures – legal, medical, psychological, administrative, social or professional – related to the situation of gender-based or sexual violence, upon presentation of supporting documentation (a receipt confirming the filing of a complaint, a sworn statement, a certificate issued by a healthcare professional or a certificate from an organization).
