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Business practices
OJ 2024: possibility for shops near the sites to open on Sundays
Publié le 10 novembre 2023 - Mise à jour le 15 avril 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
With the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead, it will be possible for retail establishments to open on Sundays. These must be located in competition venues and in municipalities close to these venues.
The Law of 19 May 2023 on the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024 allows retail establishments selling goods or services to open on Sundays and to allocate weekly rest on a rotating basis.
The authorization period is between june 15 and september 30, 2024.
This derogation from Sunday rest is made in respect of the rights of the employee, who must be voluntary to work on Sundays. That agreement shall be given in writing.
The employee is free to change his or her decision to work on Sunday at any time, provided that he or she informs his or her employer in writing within 10 clear days.
FYI
Employers who fail to comply with their obligations relating to derogations from the period of rest will be penalized with a €1,500 penalty (€3,000 in case of repeat offenses).
Please note
The calculation of free days includes all days that have elapsed, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The starting day of the deadline does not count. If the last day of that period falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the period shall expire on the following day.
Which establishments are involved?
Retail establishments covered by this authorization must be located in the municipalities where the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are held or in the municipalities adjacent to or close to these sites.
The prefect, who receives a request, authorizes, after consulting the local actors (municipal council, CCI, CMA, professional organizations...), the opening of the establishment on Sunday within one month from the referral. In order to avoid too many applications, it may also grant an authorization to all or some of the establishments located in the communes of the department concerned.
It takes into account the "needs of the public resulting from the expected exceptional influx of tourists and workers".
Please note
This specific arrangement does not replace the other existing derogations from Sunday rest.