According to the French Labour Code, “Teleworkers have the same rights as employees who perform their work on the company’s premises.”
Two rulings dated 8 October 2025 held that employers cannot refuse to grant meal vouchers to employees solely on the grounds that they are teleworking. If the employer grants meal vouchers to employees, this benefit cannot be withdrawn for teleworking employees.
These two rulings end a debate amongst appeal judges as to whether teleworkers should be entitled to meal vouchers. The debate started with the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many employers ceased providing meal vouchers to employees who were no longer required to eat their lunch at work. By way of reminder, meal vouchers are financed by the employee and the employer. The employer contribution is not subject to any social security contributions to date, subject to abiding by certain rules.
According to the Court, the fact that all employees were teleworking due to the lockdown during the COVID-19 epidemic is not a reason to refuse to grant meal vouchers for either:
- employees who would normally receive them due to geographical distance or the itinerant nature of their work;
- employees who would normally have used the company canteen, which was closed during the COVID-19 crisis.
Cass. soc., 8 October 2025, no. 24-12.373 & Cass. soc., 8 October 2025, no. 24-10.566
