Saturday will remain a workday under labor law in 2023 as well

In our blog post dated September 5, 2022, we announced that, under the New Civil Code, Saturdays (in addition to statutory holidays and Sundays) will no longer be considered workdays as of January 1, 2023. This new rule could have a significant impact on a number of time-limit calculations in labor law, as Saturdays have always been treated as workdays under labor law. For example, when the law stipulates that dismissal for cause must be issued within three working days after the facts become known, Saturday was counted as a working day. We reported back in September that Federal Minister of Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne had asked the National Labor Council to consider whether it might be appropriate for Saturdays to retain their status as workdays in social matters. The minister had until January 1, 2023, to have a new law passed, and that is what happened. The Act of December 26, 2022, neutralizing Article I.7 of Book 1 of the Civil Code with regard to labor law, social security, and social assistance, provides that, as of January 1, 2023, Saturdays will continue to be considered workdays under labor law. In that regard, everything remains the same under labor law after all!