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Invitation to the preliminary meeting before a dismissal for personal reasons (France)

France · in French · for employers

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The French labour ministry's Code du travail numérique offers a free model invitation on code.travail.gouv.fr. This document is the letter by which an employer invites an employee it is considering dismissing for personal reasons, disciplinary or not, in mainland France or an overseas department other than Mayotte: the purpose, date, time and place of the meeting, the employee's right to be accompanied, and where the list of employee advisers can be seen (articles L. 1232-2, L. 1232-4 and R. 1232-1 of the Labour Code). Sent by registered post or handed over against a receipt, at least five working days before the meeting. In French.

  • Last updated October 27, 2026
Notice & Demand
Français
France
Employment
Print & sign
1 page

Published byDocMuse

When to use this document

  • You run a business in France and are thinking of dismissing an employee for misconduct.
  • An employee's work has not improved and you are considering letting them go.
  • Before deciding on a dismissal, you need to invite the employee to a meeting in writing.
  • You want a letter inviting your employee to the meeting held before any dismissal.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

  • Employer
  • Employer's registered address
  • Employer's SIRET number
  • How the letter is delivered
  • Employee
  • Employee's postal address (street, then postcode and town)
  • City
  • Date
  • Date of the preliminary meeting (at least 5 working days after the letter is presented)
  • Time of the meeting
  • Place of the meeting (address and, if any, office)
  • Staff representatives in the company
  • Address of the labour inspectorate where the list of employee advisers can be seen (no staff representatives)
  • Address of the town hall where the list can be seen: the employee's home town if in the same département, otherwise the workplace's
  • Precautionary suspension from (leave empty if none)
  • Person signing for the employer
  • Capacity in which they sign for the employer (e.g. sole director)

Common questions

How much time must pass between the invitation and the preliminary meeting in France?
The meeting cannot take place less than five working days after the registered letter is presented or the letter is handed over (article L. 1232-2 of the Labour Code); the count starts the next day, and Sundays and public holidays off work do not count. For misconduct, the procedure must be started within two months of the employer learning of the facts (article L. 1332-4).
Who may accompany the employee at the preliminary meeting in France?
A person of their choice who works in the company. If the company has no staff representatives, the employee may instead choose an employee adviser from the list drawn up by the prefect, and the invitation must give the addresses of the labour inspectorate and the town hall where the list can be seen (articles L. 1232-4 and R. 1232-1 of the Labour Code). A missing statement is a procedural irregularity, which can cost up to one month's pay in damages (article L. 1235-2).
What happens after the preliminary meeting in France?
If the employer decides to dismiss, it notifies the decision by registered post with proof of receipt, no sooner than two working days after the date set for the meeting (article L. 1232-6 of the Labour Code) and, for a disciplinary dismissal, no later than one month after it (article L. 1332-2). The collective agreement may add further safeguards. A protected employee, a pregnant employee or the victim of a workplace accident is covered by special rules this model does not cover.

How you can sign this document

  • Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
  • Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

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