Heatwave bonus 2026 and hardship bonus: your rights

How does the hardship allowance work?

Do you work in difficult working conditions and wonder if you can benefit from a hardship allowance? As a wage portage employee, you may be eligible if your activity involves health risks. We, an umbrella company concerned about the interests of its consultants, have published a comprehensive guide on the hardship allowance. Browse it, assess the environment and risks of your profession to ensure your work safety.

The 6 factors of work hardship

There are considered to be 6 factors of work hardship:

1. Night work: the threshold is set at one hour of work between 24 hours and 5 hours for a minimum of 100 nights/year.
2. Working in a noisy environment: the exposure level is set at at least 81 decibels over an eight-hour period. The minimum duration is set at 600 hours/year.
3. Repetitive work: for a cycle time of 30 seconds or less, the hardship threshold is set at 15 technical actions or more. For a variable cycle time or in the absence of a cycle time, 30 technical actions or more per minute are counted. The minimum duration is 900 hours/year.
4. Work in alternating successive teams: this concerns a mission that involves at least one hour of work between 24 hours and 5 hours for a minimum of 30 nights/year.
5. Work in a hyperbaric environment: the threshold is set at a minimum intensity of 1200 hectopascals for a minimum of 60 interventions or works per year.
6. Work in extreme temperature environments: the law sets a temperature threshold of less than or equal to 5 °C or at least equal to 30 °C, for a minimum of 900 hours/year.

As a wage portage employee at Weepo, you perform tertiary missions in digital and IT. You may face repetitive tasks or a noisy environment if you work at the client's site. Like any employer, professions are regulated by a wage portage collective agreement.

Eligibility criteria for the hardship allowance

There are three eligibility criteria for the hardship allowance:

1. You have a work contract of at least four weeks.
2. You fall under the Social Security system for private sector workers or equivalent.
3. You are exposed to at least one risk factor beyond a set threshold.

Employer obligations regarding hardship

Your employer or umbrella company is required to declare the risk factors to which you are exposed to the pension funds. They complete a nominative social declaration which leads to the creation of a professional prevention account.

Thanks to this account, you accumulate points for early retirement, training, or engaging in a professional reconversion. You can reduce your working hours and your exposure time to professional risks.

The employer must show your hardship allowance on your payslip and its payment conditions must be specified in your work contract.

The nature of the hardship allowance

The hardship allowance can take 5 different forms:

1. Cold allowance: it can be paid to you if you reach the thresholds mentioned above.
2. On-call allowance: if you work outside your scheduled hours, you can compensate your on-call periods with rest time or a lump sum calculated based on your base salary.
3. Unhealthiness allowance: if you perform risky tasks without protective measures, you can benefit from it if your company has provided for it in its agreement or a collective agreement.
4. Dressing allowance: if your work requires you to wear a uniform during your working time, you can claim rest time or equate dressing time to actual working time.
5. Risk allowance: you can benefit from it if you handle toxic products, threatening tools... subject to the will of your employer, a professional practice, or a collective agreement.

FAQ

Can an employee refuse to work during a heatwave?

An employee cannot unilaterally refuse to work without justification. However, they do have the right to withdraw from a dangerous situation in the event of serious and imminent danger to their health (uncontrolled extreme heat, absence of protective measures). The employer must then implement suitable measures: breaks, rescheduled hours, remote work, or a halt to the activity. If measures are insufficient, the employee can refer the matter to the labor inspectorate.

How do I request the hardship allowance from my employer?

The request usually goes through HR or your umbrella company: report your exposure to the risk factor (noise, heat, night work, etc.) so it can be included in the nominative social declaration. If you're unsure about your eligibility, check your professional prevention account or ask HR for a review of your actual working conditions.

Is a heatwave bonus automatically paid to every employee?

No, French law does not provide for a single, automatic heatwave bonus for all employees. Its payment usually depends on a company agreement, a collective bargaining agreement, or an employer's decision, within the broader framework of the hardship allowance. In the absence of such a scheme, the main protections remain the right of withdrawal and the schedule adjustments required by the Labor Code during periods of extreme heat.

How much is the hardship allowance?

There is no single legal amount: the hardship allowance depends on the company agreement, the collective bargaining agreement, or the employer's decision. It can take the form of a monthly flat-rate payment, an hourly increase, or points added to the professional prevention account (convertible into training, part-time work, or early retirement). Check with your HR department or your umbrella company for the terms that apply to your situation.

Key takeaways

You now know everything about the hardship allowance, from its criteria to payment terms. Let's remind you right away:

• Hardship factors: night work, noise, repetitive tasks, alternating successive teams, hyperbaric environment, and extreme temperatures.
• Eligibility criteria: a work contract of at least 4 weeks, affiliation to the private sector Social Security, exposure to a risk factor beyond the thresholds.
• Your employer's obligations: the nominative social declaration, the professional prevention account, and the appearance of the allowance terms on your payslip and work contract.
• The nature of the allowance: cold, on-call, unhealthiness, dressing, and risk allowances.

To learn more about your rights as a wage portage employee, consult our comprehensive guide on wage portage regulations: https://weepo.fr/en/portage-salarial/reglementations.