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Employers: be careful about the reason for dismissal!
If an employee refuses to accept a change in his employment contract proposed by his employer for a reason not related to his person, the dismissal constitutes a dismissal for economic reasons. (Regarding the judgment of the Social Chamber of the Court of Cassation of May 27, 2020, No. 18-19.605) In order to strengthen team cohesion and optimize operating procedures, a company decides to reorganize its commercial activity by business sector rather than by geographical sector. It therefore proposes to a modification of her employment contractnamely her position and salary. She refused. The employer then dismissed the employee for personal reasons, which she contested, arguing that the reason for termination of her employment contract was not related to her person. The company stated in the dismissal letter that it was not experiencing any cash flow difficulties and that the dismissal was simply a matter of maintaining its competitiveness. The reason for dismissal, related to the employee herself, was therefore invalid. The Court of Cassation also indicated that the dismissal, which could not be considered for personal reasons, could not be considered within the framework of a redundancy procedure. Indeed, the employer failed to demonstrate any economic difficulties or a desire to safeguard the company's competitiveness. The Court of Cassation therefore characterized the dismissal as a dismissal without real and serious cause: "In so ruling, when it was clear from its findings that the reason for the modification of the employment contract refused by the employee lay in the employer's desire to reorganize the company's commercial activity and that it was not alleged that this reorganization resulted from economic difficulties or technological changes or that it was essential to safeguarding the company's competitiveness, so that the dismissal was without real and serious cause, the Court of Appeal violated Article L. 1233-3 of the Labor Code, in its wording prior to Law No. 2016-1088 of August 8, 2016."The Cécile ZAKINE can help you for all your questions when you leave containment!
Frequently asked questions
Quels sont les motifs valables de licenciement ?
Les motifs peuvent être personnels (faute, insuffisance professionnelle) ou économiques (difficultés, réorganisation). Le motif doit être réel et sérieux, c’est-à-dire objectif et vérifiable. Un licenciement sans motif valable est abusif et peut entraîner des dommages et intérêts.
Puis-je licencier un salarié pour une faute légère ?
Non, la faute doit être suffisamment grave pour justifier le licenciement. Une faute légère (retard isolé, erreur mineure) ne peut pas être un motif valable. L’employeur doit d’abord sanctionner par un avertissement ou une mise à pied.
Quels sont les délais pour contester un licenciement ?
Le salarié a 12 mois à compter de la notification du licenciement pour saisir le conseil de prud’hommes. L’employeur doit respecter un préavis (variable selon l’ancienneté) et notifier le licenciement par lettre recommandée.
Combien coûte un licenciement abusif pour l’employeur ?
Les indemnités peuvent aller de 1 à 20 mois de salaire selon l’ancienneté et le préjudice. En plus, l’employeur doit payer les honoraires d’avocat (3 000 € à 8 000 €) et les frais de procédure. Mieux vaut sécuriser le motif en amont.
Que faire si un salarié conteste son licenciement ?
Réunissez les preuves du motif (lettres, témoignages, évaluations). Consultez un avocat pour préparer la défense. Vous pouvez proposer une transaction (indemnité en échange d’une renonciation aux poursuites) pour éviter un procès long.
