May 1st is Labor Day. A day which, as you know, is a compulsory day off. But in reality, some stores remain open. Such is the case of the Bo & Mie bakery in the 2nd arrondissement. Known for its delicious croissants and pains au chocolat, it was open on that day… in 2021. But things didn’t go quite as planned…
A hefty fine for opening on 1ᵉʳ May
When he opened his bakery that day, owner Jean-François didn’t expect such punishment. All his employees volunteered and were paid double, and even when the labor inspector arrived at the store that same day, everything was in order.
But then, almost a year later, in March 2022, he received a letter he wouldn’t soon forget ! He was asked to pay 78,750 euros for having opened on the only compulsory day off of the year. And his 21 employees present that day must also pay: 750 euros per head. And yet, the manager insists, he thought he was in the right and perfectly in order. As he told France Live:
“We didn’t know, we looked at what the neighbors were doing, their schedules, and we did the same. We didn’t want to break the law”.
But four years on, the Bo & Mie manager has been summoned once again by the Paris Centre police station, this time to gather evidence.
A bakery fined, but a vague legal framework
So why can some bakeries and stores still open on May 1st without having to pay such a hefty bill? Legally, it’s all a blur. You have to be considered an essential business, which is far from simple… And yet, in practice, not only bakeries, but also florists (whose lily of the valley sales are very important on May 1st) are open…
Although Jean-François has not yet paid the amount requested, he is not against the idea, but only on one condition: that the law changes and that the same rules apply to everyone. What about you?