this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
140 points (98.6% liked)

Europe

6284 readers
1201 users here now

News and information from Europe 🇪🇺

(Current banner: La Mancha, Spain. Feel free to post submissions for banner images.)

Rules (2024-08-30)

  1. This is an English-language community. Comments should be in English. Posts can link to non-English news sources when providing a full-text translation in the post description. Automated translations are fine, as long as they don't overly distort the content.
  2. No links to misinformation or commercial advertising. When you post outdated/historic articles, add the year of publication to the post title. Infographics must include a source and a year of creation; if possible, also provide a link to the source.
  3. Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. Don't post direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments. Don't troll nor incite hatred. Don't look for novel argumentation strategies at Wikipedia's List of fallacies.
  4. No bigotry, sexism, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, dehumanization of minorities, or glorification of National Socialism. We follow German law; don't question the statehood of Israel.
  5. Be the signal, not the noise: Strive to post insightful comments. Add "/s" when you're being sarcastic (and don't use it to break rule no. 3).
  6. If you link to paywalled information, please provide also a link to a freely available archived version. Alternatively, try to find a different source.
  7. Light-hearted content, memes, and posts about your European everyday belong in !yurop@lemm.ee. (They're cool, you should subscribe there too!)
  8. Don't evade bans. If we notice ban evasion, that will result in a permanent ban for all the accounts we can associate with you.
  9. No posts linking to speculative reporting about ongoing events with unclear backgrounds. Please wait at least 12 hours. (E.g., do not post breathless reporting on an ongoing terror attack.)
  10. Always provide context with posts: Don't post uncontextualized images or videos, and don't start discussions without giving some context first.

(This list may get expanded as necessary.)

Posts that link to the following sources will be removed

Unless they're the only sources, please also avoid The Sun, Daily Mail, any "thinktank" type organization, and non-Lemmy social media. Don't link to Twitter directly, instead use xcancel.com. For Reddit, use old:reddit:com

(Lists may get expanded as necessary.)

Ban lengths, etc.

We will use some leeway to decide whether to remove a comment.

If need be, there are also bans: 3 days for lighter offenses, 7 or 14 days for bigger offenses, and permanent bans for people who don't show any willingness to participate productively. If we think the ban reason is obvious, we may not specifically write to you.

If you want to protest a removal or ban, feel free to write privately to the primary mod account @EuroMod@feddit.org

founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS
 

#10% pay cut for pregnant civil servants: “unacceptable sexist discrimination” for trade unions

Civil service unions deplore the 10% cut in compensation for pregnant civil servants on ordinary sick leave, calling it a “discriminatory measure”.

In a letter to the French government on Friday, civil service unions called for the “immediate withdrawal” of the 10% cut in compensation for pregnant civil servants on ordinary sick leave, “an unacceptably serious discriminatory measure”.

Since March 1, François Bayrou's government has reduced the pay of civil servants on sick leave from 100% to 90%, after a one-day waiting period which does not apply to pregnant women.

“Our trade union organizations solemnly denounce this unacceptably serious discriminatory measure against pregnant women working in the civil service”, they write.

The letter is addressed to Prime Minister François Bayrou, the Minister for the Civil Service, Laurent Marcangeli, and the Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, Aurore Bergé. It has been signed by eight organizations: Solidaires Fonction publique, CGT Fonction publique, UFFA-CFDT, FSU, CFE-CGC, UIAFP-FO, Unsa Fonction publique, FA-FP. "Manifest sexist discrimination

“Your policy choices mean that pregnant women on ordinary sick leave - excluding leave for pathological pregnancy or maternity leave - will suffer a 10% loss of pay from the first day of sick leave,” the unions denounced.

“Thus, a woman whose pregnancy has been declared but who is forced to take a few days off work on the advice of her doctor will see her pay cut”, they illustrated.

The eight organizations are calling for “the immediate withdrawal” of this measure, described as “clear sexist discrimination”, and “a full guarantee of continued salary for all pregnant women placed on ordinary sick leave on medical advice, whatever the nature of the leave”.

translated with deepl

EDIT: i added context to the title to avoid confusion.

top 21 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] OfCourseNot@fedia.io 18 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Wait, you Frenchies have 100% pay for ordinary sick leave??? I guess we'll have to get some hi viz vests and a handful of lighters over here.

Edit: is it just for civil servants? Do workers for private companies get a 100%?

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's not uncommon, even in "developing" countries. The USA really is a shithole.

[–] OfCourseNot@fedia.io 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I am from a 'developed' EU country. The first three days of sick leave you get nothing (this accounts for the vast majority of ordinary leaves) then 60% of the 'regulatory base' (which takes out 'pluses' or 'bonuses' that in some trades/jobs make for a substantial part of the wage) till the 20th day from there 75% (again without those extras).

In 22 years of working I've not been paid one single sick day.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Damn. I come from a "developing" third rate country. We've had paid sick leave and paid maternity leave since the 60s I think. Maternity leave was upgraded from 4 to 6 months about 10 years ago.

PS.: you need a doctor's note the day you're back to get sick leave, which you can get for free on universal healthcare if you can wait, or pay for private practice in a private clinic.

[–] fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago

Most companies in Spain pay you a health insurance here so that it pays you the rest of your salary. (Besides free private doctor consultations and other stuff).

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Every company I’ve worked for in the USA has given 100% pay for sick time, but it’s usually limited to 10 days per year and unused time does not roll over from year to year. Sometimes companies combine sick time and vacation time into one lump of Paid Time-Off (PTO) and in those cases there might be less overall time compared to getting 10 days of vacation and 10 days of sick time, but those hours can roll over from year to year and might need to be paid out or used when you leave the company. Short-term and long-term disability leave I think sometimes goes to reduced pay, depending on what insurance plan they have covering that, but I’ve never used that so I’m not clear on how it works.

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Over here it's 80% for sick leave with a doctor's note. I pay 100% because fuck having a sick person at the workplace. Up to 30 consecutive days, the employer pays by law. Recently I think it was changed to "immediately the country takes over" so the employer doesn't have to pay anything, or rather they can get it back immediately. I think maternity / paternity is 100%, similar deal with it being paid out by the government. Sick days off are limited to half a year continuuous, then some other process needs to happen to be kept on the "payroll"?

Oh and yeah, 26 days of paid time off to be spent as you want. Sick time doesn't factor into anything. And lots of holidays that are time off too.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

FMLA is what I've heard is used for long term disability, and it doesn't cover full pay and is time limited, I think. I've never used it either so take this with a massive grain of salt.

And you're lucky, most workers in the USA do not get paid sick leave, because that's not in the law.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 10 points 1 day ago

In Germany you get 100% for six weeks, after which you get 60% and the 60% are covered by the insurance not paid by the employer.

[–] swemg@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

I think it's 100% after 1 to 3 days of sick leave

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 11 points 1 day ago

We still have too many people having kids! What can we do about that?

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

If I understand correctly (I didn't), ~~everyone got the cut to 90% except woman on maternity leave and pathological pregnancy. They are upset that if a pregnant woman otherwise takes sick time, they will see the 90% pay like everyone else.~~

The headline made it sound like women were getting 90% pay for the entire pregnancy.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Pregnant women get the pay cut on the first day of being sick for something not pregnancy related. Everyone else just gets it starting the second day.

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oh so I didn't understand it correctly. Thank you for pointing it out. The difference between pregnant woman and everyone else is when the 90% pay kicks in.

So in general, people get 100% pay the first day of sick leave and 90% every day following.

They made a special carve-out for pregnant women so they get 90% on the first day.

Yeah that's shitty to go out of your way to hurt pregnant woman.

[–] lena@gregtech.eu 3 points 1 day ago

It is still pretty bad

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

~~Yeah this title sucks, I got ragebaited until I read the article. They could take a full month off and it wouldn't even be a 1% cut.~~

~~Not that I think ANY pay should be getting cut, I just don't think this is an example of sexism. Why would getting sick while you happen to be pregnant be any different from getting sick while you're immunocompromised?~~

~~Unless you DO get compensated differently for chronic illnesses in France. If so, I take everything I said back~~

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think I was wrong originally. My current understanding is that they did deliberately disadvantage pregnant woman: https://lemmy.world/comment/17597987

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

That's a really fuckin bizarre rule then.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is anyone else clicking on an English headline but getting an article in French?

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I couldn't find an English article on the issue, so i took a french one and provided the translation as text in the post.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 1 points 1 day ago

Okay, thanks! I was wondering if it was a bizarre technical issue.