There was hardly any more suspense. While the latest figures from Public Health France showed that nearly a quarter (24%) of outbreaks of contamination are today in companies, a generalization of the port of masque within these was expected.
The Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne announced Tuesday August 18 to the social partners during a videoconference. “It is necessary to systematize, as recommended by the High Council for Public Health (HCSP), the wearing of masks in all work spaces which are closed and shared”, like the “Meeting rooms, corridors, changing rooms, open space”, she clarified. A new health protocol specifying the rules should be published ” end of August “.
→ READ. Covid-19: the government seeks to limit contamination in companies
In this new text, called « national protocol to ensure the health and safety of workers in the workplace during Covid-19 », the rules will become stricter.
“As soon as a worker is no longer alone in the space in which he works, and whatever the size of this space, wearing a mask will be compulsory”, reports Pascale Coton, vice-president of the CFTC, present at the videoconference organized by the Ministry of Labor.
The end of the minimum distance rule
“The only place where the mask will not be compulsory is therefore the individual office. This risks” be heavy for employees, continues the union representative. Especially for those who have to travel by public transport, and who therefore already wear the mask, or those who also have to wear it in the streets ”, alluding to the recent decisions of several cities to impose the mask outdoors in frequented places.
Until now, the health protocol in force for work in a company only required the mask when the minimum distance of one meter between two people could not be respected.
“We wanted clear rules, it’s done. This constraint will not prevent us from working but we would have liked more flexibility ”, reacts for his part François Asselin, president of the Confederation of small and medium-sized enterprises (CPME). The latter notably highlights the efforts of certain companies which, in their collective spaces, have sometimes invested a lot in the installation of glass walls to separate the workspaces of people. “Even then, the isolation is not considered complete. Wearing a mask remains compulsory “, he laments.
The mask will be provided by the employer
“These new measures almost amount to a total generalization of the wearing of masks because individual offices are no longer the norm at all today. The majority of companies operate in open spaces. Not to mention those that have gone to flex-office (without a dedicated office, editor’s note) », recalls Benoît Serre, vice-president of the National Association of Human Resources Directors (ANDRH).
The latter fears that this health reinforcement will increase the worries of workers. ” I do not dispute the health reasons. But it will surely be even more difficult to bring back the employees. The hope of a more or less normal recovery flies a little more », Laments Benoît Serre, who would have liked more solutions to be found« at company level ».
Depending on health trends and the types of business premises, this measure may however experience “Derogations”, after advice from the health authorities. But because of the obligation to wear a mask, it must be provided by companies, and its cost will therefore be borne by them.
Upcoming agreement on teleworking
The meeting will also have made it possible to better define the types of companies identified as being sources of contamination. « From what we have been told, the majority of clusters are in slaughterhouses, wetlands, medical and social services, catering, commerce and public transport ”, details Pascale Coton. It indicates that health measures on “Housing conditions for seasonal workers and collective housing » will be detailed in the protocol.
→ READ. Telework finally appreciated by the French
Finally, according to the union representative, a national agreement on teleworking should also be initiated, to meet the needs arising from the coronavirus epidemic.
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An obligation borne by companies
According to labor law, the employer is responsible for the health and safety of his employees at their workplace. The mask being considered as a “Personal safety equipment”, he is therefore responsible for providing it.
In the new protocol, both disposable and cloth masks will be allowed. Some unions, including the CFTC, have asked employers to give preference to masks made in France.
A disposable mask, usable for 4 hours, costs on average 50 euro cents. The fabric mask, the price of which varies depending on the number of possible reuses, costs around € 3. The overall cost, per employee, for companies is not yet known.
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