Generally, it is the employer who is responsible for managing the work schedules of a company’s employees. This scheduling is governed by law—specifically, Articles L3121-18 to L3121-26 of the Labor Code. Although work hours must comply with labor legislation and be clearly outlined in the company’s regulations, occasional modifications may be necessary. Let’s explore how these schedule updates can be handled.
If an employer plans to change an employee’s working hours, the employee may oppose the change if the schedule is specified in their employment contract. A challenge may also be justified if the updated schedule significantly disrupts an employee’s routine—particularly for those with major family obligations, for whom a schedule change might make it impossible to meet personal commitments. Furthermore, employers cannot arbitrarily impose frequent, last-minute schedule changes. They must respect employees’ rest periods and cannot adjust schedules at their whim. There may be exceptions, for instance when on-call conditions are included in the contract. Under normal circumstances, such practices could be seen as violations of the right to rest—or even as an intention to cause harm by the employer. Consequently, employees who feel unfairly treated can seek assistance from their union or take legal action.
Employers can make last-minute schedule updates; however, if the employment contract includes a specific clause, this may restrict such modifications. In addition, a notice period is required when implementing schedule changes. According to Article 3121-47 of the Labor Code, this notice period is set at 7 days. In practice, the updated schedule must be communicated to the employee within that same period. In any case, the minimum notice period is 3 days, as stipulated by the industry’s collective agreement. In the case of a part-time contract, nothing prevents an employer from deciding on a change in working hours. It is also possible for an employee to request a schedule change, but the final decision rests with the employer, who is responsible for managing the schedule.
Last-minute schedule changes can be implemented quickly while still respecting legal requirements. To facilitate these modifications, you can rely on Shyfter’s scheduling tool. Shyfter offers a “free shifts” feature that allows available team members to apply for work hours to cover for absent colleagues or to report their availability and absences. Everything is automated within our scheduling and planning software, making schedule updates both intuitive and easy to use. An automatic notification is sent to employees to confirm the change. Shyfter is designed to simplify your work by saving you significant time on scheduling and work-hour management, leaving you free to focus on other projects.
By using our expert advice and leveraging modern tools like Shyfter, HR teams can ensure smooth and compliant schedule changes even at the last minute.
