Collective economic dismissal of employees: mandatory information and consultation
Verified 07 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
The employer who is considering making an economic dismissal collective must first convene and consult the Social and Economic Committee (CSE). He must also inform the Dreets: titleContent. The steps taken to consult the CSE and to inform Dreets by the employer vary according to the number of dismissals envisaged and the number of employees of the company. We provide an update on the regulations and outline the steps involved.
What applies to you ?
Procedures for consulting the CSE and information from Dreets differ according to the number of employees made redundant over a period of 30 days and the number of company employees.
It exists 2 categories of dismissal:
- Small dismissal from: 2 to 9 employees laid off over a period of 30 days, regardless of the size of the company
- Great dismissal : at least 10 employees made redundant over a period of 30 days. The procedure of great dismissal has differences depending on the size of the company less than 50 employees or 50 or more employees.
Small dismissal
Step-by-step approach
The employer must summon and consult the CSE: titleContent when it was set up in the company.
Where there is no CSE in a company with 11 or more employees, the employer is exempt from consultation.
One report of deficiency certifies that the professional elections were indeed organized by the employer and that the CSE could not be set up or renewed.
Warning
The absence of a report of deficiency may result in the irregularity of the economic dismissal procedure.
How many meetings does the employer have to organize with the CSE?
The employer organizes 1 meeting only information and consultation with CSE.
Please note
However, it is possible to schedule 2 meetings: one 1re to discuss the proposed layoff and a 2nd to obtain the opinion of the CSE.
How is the CSE convened by the employer?
The employer shall convene the CSE in writing at least 3 days before the meeting.
The summons shall be accompanied by relevant information on the proposed dismissal.
What information does the employer provide to CSE?
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
Please note
In the companies of 1,000 employees and more, the employer shall also inform CSE of the conditions for the implementation of the reclassification leave.
What is the purpose of the CSE consultation?
Pre-termination consultation allows the employer to provide the CSE with relevant information regarding the proposed collective economic termination.
How does the CSE consultation work?
The employer shall submit the economic redundancy plan to the CSE.
He answers any questions he may have and gives him explanations if necessary.
The CSE must give the employer its opinion on the proposed dismissal within the maximum period of1 month after the consultation.
The company with at least 50 employees must also inform Subcontracted companies of the proposed dismissal when the reduction in staff might result in a reduction in their volume of activity or employment.
The employer must inform the Dreets: titleContent.
What information does the employer provide to Dreets?
The employer shall first address the minutes consultation center of the CSE on the collective economic redundancy project.
The employer must then inform Dreets of the dismissals, within 8 days of sending the termination letters to the employees concerned.
It shall then provide the following information:
- Name and address of the company
- Nature of activity and number of employees of the company or establishment
- Surnames, forenames, nationality, date of birth, sex, address, employment and qualification of the dismissed employee(s)
- Date of the notification redundancies for the employees concerned.
How does the employer transmit the information to Dreets?
The employer shall transmit to Dreets the minutes of CSE consultation by any means (e.g. by LR/mail or email).
The employer shall inform Dreets of the dismissals of dematerialized way on the following website:
Portal for the dematerialized management of collective breaks in employment contracts (RUPCO)
Please note
In case of malfunction of the computer reporting system, the transmission of information and requests shall take place by any other means (by registered mail for example).
Major layoffs (less than 50 employees)
Step-by-step approach
The employer must summon and consult the CSE when it has been set up in the company.
Where there is no CSE in a company with 11 or more employees, the employer is exempt from consultation.
One report of deficiency certifies that the professional elections were indeed organized by the employer and that the CSE could not be set up or renewed.
Warning
The absence of a report of deficiency may result in the irregularity of the economic dismissal procedure.
How many meetings does the employer have to organize with the CSE?
The employer organizes 2 meetings information and consultation with CSE. They must be spaced apart by 14 days maximum.
How is the CSE convened by the employer?
The employer summons the CSE meetings in writing.
No minimum delay shall not be imposed between the presentation of the notice of meeting and the date of the meetings.
However, the employer must ensure that sufficient time to CSE to prepare for the meeting (e.g. 3 days).
The summons shall be accompanied by relevant information on the proposed dismissal.
What information does the employer provide to CSE?
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
- Measures envisaged for limit redundancies and for facilitate reclassification of the employees concerned
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
What is the purpose of the CSE consultation?
Pre-termination consultation allows the employer to provide the CSE with relevant information regarding the proposed collective economic termination.
How does the CSE consultation work?
The employer shall submit the economic redundancy plan to the CSE.
He answers any questions the CSE may have and gives explanations if necessary.
The CSE must give the employer its opinion on the proposed dismissal.
The employer must inform the Dreets: titleContent. The procedure and the information provided vary depending on whether the company has a CSE or does not:
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
The company has a CSE
What information does the employer provide to Dreets?
The employer shall immediately inform Dreets of the information sent to CSE at the time of the summons to the 1re meeting.
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
The employer shall also transmit to Dreets the minutes meetings with CSE.
These minutes shall include the opinions, suggestions and proposals from the CSE.
It transmits the notification the proposed dismissal, at the earliest the day after 1re meeting with CSE.
This document shall contain the following information:
- Name and address of employer
- Nature of the activity and number of employees of the company or establishment
- Number of planned redundancies
- Possible changes to the information already provided to staff representatives
- Possible recourse to the assistance of an accountant.
Dreets has one 21 days to check the redundancy plan.
The employer must send to Dreets after the 2e meeting with CSE, any changes to the provisional timetable for redundancies, accompanying social measures and the timetable for their implementation.
How does the employer transmit the information to Dreets?
The employer shall inform the Dreets: titleContent from dematerialized way on the following website:
Portal for the dematerialized management of collective breaks in employment contracts (RUPCO)
Please note
In case of malfunction of the computer reporting system, the transmission of information and requests shall take place by any other means (by registered mail for example).
Other case
What information does the employer provide to Dreets?
The employer must communicate to Dreets the notification of planned dismissal containing all the information that would have been sent to CSE if it had been set up:
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
The employer shall also transmit the report of deficiency established when CSE could not be established or renewed.
Warning
The absence of a report of deficiency may result in the irregularity of the economic dismissal procedure.
How does the employer transmit the information to Dreets?
The employer shall inform Dreets of dematerialized way on the following website:
Portal for the dematerialized management of collective breaks in employment contracts (RUPCO)
Major layoffs (50+ employees)
Step-by-step approach
The employer must summon and consult the CSE when it has been set up in the company.
Where there is no CSE in a company with 50 or more employees, the employer is exempt from consultation.
One report of deficiency certifies that the professional elections were indeed organized by the employer and that the CSE could not be set up or renewed.
Warning
The absence of a report of deficiency may result in the irregularity of the economic dismissal procedure.
How many meetings does the employer have to organize with the CSE?
The employer organizes at least 2 meetings information and consultation with CSE. They must be spaced at minimum of 15 days.
How is the CSE convened by the employer?
The employer shall convene the CSE in writing.
A delay minimum of 3 days must be respected between the date of presentation of the convocation and the date of each meeting.
The summons shall be accompanied by the relevant information relating to the proposed dismissal.
What information does the employer provide to CSE?
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
The employer shall also send the CSE job protection plan (PES).
The PES is a system which provides for various measures to prevent or limit redundancies.
The content of the PES may be established by one collective agreement or by a unilateral document prepared by the employer.
Please note
In the companies of 1,000 employees and more, the employer shall also inform CSE of the conditions for implementing the reclassification leave.
What is the purpose of the CSE consultation?
The CSE consultation focuses on 2 following aspects :
- Restructuring project and downsizing (economic component on the nature of the difficulties, restructuring measures envisaged, etc.)
- Collective redundancy plan himself (social component) and covering the following subjects:
- Number of redundancies envisaged
- Professional categories concerned
- Criteria fororder of dismissals
- Provisional timetable for redundancies
- Accompanying social measures provided for in job protection plan
- Possible consequences of redundancies in terms of health, safety or working conditions.
The CSE is therefore required to issue two separate opinions.
How does the CSE consultation work?
The employer consider CSE suggestions on the social measures envisaged by the employment protection plan.
He discusses alternative proposals from CSE the restructuring project.
The employer gives a reasoned answer CSE suggestions and questions.
How does the CSE advise the employer?
The CSE shall send the employer minutes of meeting.
These documents contain CSE opinions, suggestions and proposals.
The CSE shall deliver its opinions, from the date of its first meeting, within the following maximum deadlines:
- 2 months where the number of redundancies is less than 100,
- 3 months where the number of redundancies is between 100 and 249,
- 4 months where the number of redundancies is greater than 249.
Please note
A company agreement, a group of undertakings or branch may lay down the conditions for consultation with the CSE.
The company must also inform Subcontracted companies of the proposed dismissal when the reduction in staff might result in a reduction in their volume of activity or employment.
The employer must inform Dreets. The procedure and the information provided vary depending on whether the company has a CSE or does not:
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
The company has a CSE
What information does the employer provide to Dreets?
The employer shall immediately inform Dreets of the information sent to CSE at the time of the summons to the 1re meeting.
The information transmitted to CSE with the convening of the meeting includes the following items :
- Reasons economic, financial or technical aspects of the proposed redundancy
- Number of redundancies considered
- Professional categories concerned (for example, workers, employees and supervisors or executives)
- Criteria proposed for the order of dismissals
- Number of employees, whether permanent or not, employed in the establishment
- Provisional schedule redundancies
- Economic measures envisaged
- Possible consequences of redundancies planned on the health, the security or the working conditions employees of the company
This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented by the employer if necessary.
It transmits the notification the proposed dismissal, at the earliest the day after 1re meeting with CSE.
This document shall contain the following information:
- Name and address of employer
- Nature of the activity and number of employees of the company or establishment
- Number of planned redundancies
- Possible changes to the information already provided to staff representatives
- Possible recourse to the assistance of an accountant.
How does the employer transmit the information to Dreets?
The employer shall inform the Dreets: titleContent from dematerialized way on the following website:
Portal for the dematerialized management of collective breaks in employment contracts (RUPCO)
Please note
In case of malfunction of the computer reporting system, the transmission of information and requests shall take place by any other means (by registered mail for example).
Does Dreets give its opinion to the employer on the proposed dismissal?
Yes, Dreets gives its assessment of the proposed dismissal submitted by the employer.
The measures taken by the employer, in particular to avoid or limit dismissals, are described in a document called job protection plan (PES).
The content of the PES may be established by one collective agreement or by a unilateral document prepared by the employer.
After the last consultation with the CSE, the employer sends the Dreets the request for validation of this collective agreement or approval of the unilateral document.
Dreets shall examine and give its opinion on the documents submitted by the employer within the following deadlines:
- 15 days for the validation of a collective agreement
- 21 days for the approval a unilateral document.
However, validation or approval periods shall be reduced in the following situations:
- 8 days in case of backup procedure or judicial reorganization
- 4 days in case of bankruptcy.
Please note
The absence of a response from Dreets within these deadlines leads to the validation the collective agreement or the approval of the unilateral document.
In the event of refusal of validation or approval of the documents submitted, the employer must make the necessary amendments.
He must then consult the CSE: titleContent.
Other case
What information does the employer provide to Dreets?
The employer must communicate to the Dreets: titleContent the following information:
- Notification of proposed dismissal including all the information that would have been sent to CSE if it had been set up
- Deficiency report established by the employer when the CSE could not be established or renewed.
Warning
The absence of a report of deficiency may result in the irregularity of the economic dismissal procedure.
How does the employer transmit the information to Dreets?
The employer shall inform Dreets of dematerialized way on the following website:
Portal for the dematerialized management of collective breaks in employment contracts (RUPCO)
Please note
In case of malfunction of the computer reporting system, the transmission of information and requests shall take place by any other means (by registered mail for example).
Does Dreets give its opinion to the employer on the proposed dismissal?
Yes, Dreets gives its assessment of the proposed dismissal submitted by the employer.
The measures taken by the employer, in particular to avoid or limit dismissals, are described in a document called job protection plan (PES).
The content of the PES shall take the form of a unilateral document prepared by the employer.
The employer sends the application for approval of the unilateral document to Dreets.
Dreets has a deadline of 21 days for certify the document submitted by the employer.
However, the approval period is reduced in the following situations:
- 8 days in case of backup procedure or judicial reorganization
- 4 days in case of bankruptcy.
Please note
The absence of a response from Dreets within this period results in the approval of the unilateral document.
If the documents submitted are refused approval, the employer must make the necessary changes.
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Consultation of staff representatives (dismissal of less than 10 employees over 30 days)
Consultation of staff representatives (dismissal of at least 10 employees over 30 days)
Dreets information (dismissal of 10 employees minimum over 30 days)
Intervention by the administrative authority concerning companies subject to the obligation to draw up a job protection plan.
Penalties for non-compliance with CSE consultation and reporting obligations.
Dreets information (dismissal of less than 10 employees over 30 days)
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Ministry of Labor