Local authorities and their public establishments will have to introduce a group protection policy covering the risks of incapacity for work, disability, unfitness for work and death.
Enrollment will be mandatory, except in certain cases provided for by the decree.
Two decrees published in the Official Journal on 24 October 2026 set out the arrangements for this supplementary social protection in relation to protection cover.
They define the conditions for introducing the policy, the cases in which enrollment may be waived and the minimum benefits to be offered to employees by 1 January 2029.
Who will be affected?
The policy will cover, among others, local government civil servants, public-law contract employees, including childminders and family carers, trainee civil servants and apprentices.
When will an exemption be possible?
An employee may be exempted from enrollment if recruited for a period of less than 6 months.
An exemption will also be possible if the employee already has individual cover providing equivalent benefits for incapacity for work and disability, until that policy expires and for a maximum of 12 months.
An apprentice or employee working less than full-time may also be exempted if their contribution represents at least 10 % of their gross pay.
Additional exemptions may be provided for by collective agreement.
What benefits and employer contribution?
In the event of incapacity for work, the benefits paid must ensure that the employee retains 90 % of their net income.
The text also provides for minimum benefits in the event of disability.
Local authorities will cover part of the contribution paid under the group protection policy.
This contribution may not be less than 15 €.
If several local government employers employ and pay the same employee, each covers a share of the contribution proportional to the time worked for that employer.
When will the new rules apply?
The new rules will take effect on 1 January 2029.
However, if a participation agreement for protection cover is already in force on that date, the new provisions will apply when that agreement expires.
This reform implements the provisions of the law of 22 December 2025 on supplementary social protection for local government public employees and follows from the national collective agreement concluded in the local government civil service.
This guidance is provided for general information and does not constitute personalized advice.
