The inclusion of a place of work in an employment contract is for information purposes only, unless a clear and precise clause indicates that the employee will perform their work exclusively at that location.
In the absence of such a clause in an employee’s employment contract, a change of location within the same geographical area constitutes a simple change in working conditions. In other words, the employer may unilaterally change an employee’s place of work if the new place of work is located in the same geographical area as the old one. This was confirmed by a ruling on 22 October 2025.
This identity of geographical area depends on several criteria established by case law:
- distance between the two workplaces;
- travel time;
- access to public transport and road and traffic conditions;
- identity of the employment area.
For example, a 2024 ruling decided that a new place of work located 35 km from the previous one could constitute a change to the employment contract, given the additional constraints on the employee: carpooling was difficult and public transport was not easily accessible during the employee’s working hours (Cass. soc., 24 January 2024, No. 22-19.752).
