All you need to know about night work in 2024

While the majority of the population works during the day, some people choose to work at night in companies whose activities require a nocturnal presence in order to guarantee, for example, optimum production timing. Working at night and therefore out of step with the rest of the population offers a number of advantages that are attracting more and more temps. In this blog post, you’ll find a practical guide to the legislation surrounding night work: a description of what night work is, conditions, benefits and much more.

What is night work in temporary employment?

Night work is defined as work performed between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am. However, slightly different working hours may be set by a collective bargaining agreement or a sector-specific company agreement. Night work is governed by the French Labor Code. As a result, night work in the temporary sector is governed by the same principles as in a conventional contract, with the difference that a temporary worker enjoys additional benefits and rights (length of assignment, breaks and remuneration) specific to temporary work.

The French Ministry of Labor and Employment specifies that “recourse to night work is exceptional. It must take into account the imperatives of protecting the health and safety of workers, and must be justified by the need to ensure the continuity of economic activity or socially useful services. This is why it must be introduced under certain conditions.”

Conditions and benefits of night work

Night workers, whether temporary or permanent, benefit from special working conditions. For example, they are often entitled to additional financial compensation, known as wage increases, as well as compensatory rest and specific health and safety protections.

Indeed, night work can have certain health consequences, such as potential sleep disorders, increased fatigue… For this reason, employers must put in place measures to protect night workers, and the latter must also benefit from reinforced medical surveillance. In addition, certain categories of workers, such as pregnant women, may be excluded from certain forms of night work in order to protect them.

Over and above the health and safety aspects, night work is generally remunerated at a higher rate than day work. This premium is generally around 20-30% of the hourly wage, but once again, these conditions depend on collective agreements, company agreements and industry practices. Some industries and companies also offer a specific bonus called “night premium”.

Business sectors recruiting temporary night workers

Temporary night work is generally more common in sectors where activities have to continue continuously, even at night. These sectors of activity offer the following types of positions:

Industry: operator on a production line running continuously.
Food processing: production line operator
Logistics and transport: driver/delivery person on the road for night deliveries or warehouse handler for night management.
Security: security or surveillance officer

Conclusion: what you need to know about night work

In France, just like temporary daytime work, temporary night work is governed by specific legislation designed to protect workers’ rights. Night work can offer advantages for some, such as higher pay or greater flexibility in the organization of the day. Indeed, it may be attractive to some people in terms of their lifestyle, career goals or personal preferences. However, it can also have some notable drawbacks, both for health and for social life and quality of life in general.

Find out more about Capa Interim ‘s temporary job offers and benefit from our support in finding the assignment that’s right for you.