French Employment law - « Usage » Fixed-term employment contracts: Greenpeace cannot validly employ its employees on « Usage » fixed-term employment contracts for an association (Cass. soc. 10/09/2025)

The fixed-term contract (CDD d'usage) represents hyper-flexible contractual conditions for an employer.

There are three cumulative conditions for a company to validly use the fixed-term contract (CDD d'usage):

. The company must belong to a sector of activity covered by Article D. 1242-1 for which the CDDU (CDDU) is authorized;

. The employment in question must be one of those for which it is a consistent practice not to use permanent contracts:

. The use of successive fixed-term contracts must be justified by the existence of concrete and precise evidence establishing the temporary nature of this employment (Cass. Soc., January 23, 2008, 06-43.040).

The fixed-term contract (CDD d'usage) has three specific features compared to the "ordinary" fixed-term contract:

- It is not subject to any maximum duration;

- There is no waiting period between two fixed-term contracts. It is therefore entirely possible to enter into several successive fixed-term contracts;

- No termination compensation is due at the end of a fixed-term contract (unless provided for in a collective agreement).

Fixed-term contracts are only permitted in certain sectors exhaustively listed in Article D 1242-1 of the French Labor Code (audiovisual, sports, film production, phonographic publishing, education, survey and polling activities, fairground activities, leisure and vacation centers, etc.).

In this case, the Greenpeace association argued that it fell within the cultural activities sector, particularly because it fell under the collective agreement for sociocultural activities.

The Paris Court of Appeal followed its reasoning.

However, it was sharply reframed by the Court of Cassation, which stated that "the association's activity is not related to the cultural sector covered by Article D. 1242-1 of the French Labor Code."

The Greenpeace association's goal is to protect the environment and biodiversity, as well as to defend the interests of consumers, users, and taxpayers in the areas of the environment, health, food, energy, waste management, urban planning, advertising, and the living environment.

This activity seems far removed from the cultural sector covered by Article D. 1242-1 of the French Labor Code.

It should be remembered that the sector of activity is assessed in light of the company's principal activity (Cass. Soc., February 25, 1998, 95-44.048). It was also ruled that the activity of collecting and managing bets at racetracks does not fall within one of the sectors covered by Article D. 1242-1 of the French Labor Code (Cass. Soc. June 24, 2003, No. 00.42.766).

The Court of Cassation strictly applies Article D. 1242-1.

This is welcome.

The fixed-term contract for use is an exceptional fixed-term contract, and the sectors of activity in which it can be used must be limited.

To read the full brief, click on the link below.

https://www.village-justice.com/articles/cdd-usage-pas-possibilite-recourir-cddu-pour-une-association-qui-pour-objet,54683.html

Source :

. cass. soc. 10 sept. 2025, n° 23-23.716

https://www.courdecassation.fr/decision/68c1331d021d8d629a161224

. D. 1242-1 du code du travail

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000021336319

. Les CDD d’usage à utiliser avec modération https://www.village-justice.com/articles/usage-utiliser-moderation-janvier,7522.html

. Une QPC sur le contrat à durée déterminée d’usage (CDDU)

https://www.chhum-avocats.fr/publications/une-qpc-sur-le-contrat-a-duree-determinee-dusage-cddu

. CDDU (audiovisuel - TV) : requalification des 28 années de CDDU en CDI d’un présentateur de France Télévisions (CPH Paris 7 janvier 2025)

https://www.legavox.fr/blog/frederic-chhum-avocats/cddu-audiovisuel-requalification-annees-cddu-37211.htm

Frédéric CHHUM avocat et ancien membre du conseil de l’ordre des avocats de Paris (mandat 2019-2021)

CHHUM AVOCATS (Paris, Nantes, Lille)

e-mail: chhum@chhum-avocats.com

www.chhum-avocats.fr

https://www.instagram.com/fredericchhum/?hl=fr

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