Training leave for a labor court counselor

Verified 20 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You are appointed labor court advisor and you wonder how is the training organized to exercise this function? You have an absence permit for this training. The employer cannot refuse it. During this absence, your rights regarding your remuneration, the determination of paid leave, your seniority, your social security coverage are fully maintained. We present you the information to know.

A prud'homal councilor is a lay magistrate. Its mission is to settle individual disputes between employer and employee labor court council. Such disputes may arise in connection with any employment contract.

To benefit from this training, you must complete the 2 following conditions :

  • Be an employee
  • And be appointed as a member of a labor court.

FYI  

The Ministry of Justice has posted a information portal for the appointment of labor court advisers.

Yes, to take the labor court counselor training, an application for leave of absence must be made to your employer.

The rules depend on days during which you are absent from work:

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Absence equal to or greater than 3 consecutive working days

You can request leave of absence :

  • As soon as you are appointed
  • And before sitting as a member of a labor court.

You must make the request to your employer by any means that allows you to give him a certain date (example: registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt).

This letter must specify all of the following:

  • Date, duration, schedules of training
  • Name of the institution responsible for providing the training.

The letter must reach your employer at least 30 days in advance.

Absence of less than 3 consecutive working days

You can request leave of absence :

  • As soon as you are appointed
  • And before sitting as a member of a labor court.

You must make the request to your employer by any means that allows you to give it a certain date (example: registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt).

This letter must specify all of the following:

  • Date, duration, schedules of training
  • Name of the institution responsible for providing the training.

The letter must reach your employer at least 15 days in advance.

No, the employer is obliged to accept your training request.

The duration of the training varies depending on whether it is initial or continuing training:

Initial training

You benefit from training of 5 days :

  • If you are a new counselor and have never held a prud'homal mandate
  • Or if you have not fulfilled this obligation in a previous term.

This training is organized by the National School of the Judiciary (ENM).

Warning  

If you have not completed this training within 15 months from 1er day 2e month after your appointment, you are considered to have resigned.

Continuing education

During your mandate, you benefit from 6 weeks maximum of training.

This absence can be split, but it cannot exceed 2 weeks in the same calendar year.

This training is organized by recognized organizations.

FYI  

These trainings cannot take place during paid leave. Training times higher than usual working hours are not considered to be actual working time and therefore do not entitle to overtime.

Training leave shall be treated as actual working hours.

Thus, you retain your rights related to:

  • To your remuneration
  • To the determination of paid leave
  • To your seniority
  • And your social security coverage.

FYI  

Arrangements exist for the partial or total coverage of your travel and subsistence expenses during an initial training. These modalities are modeled on those applicable to public officials.

The rules vary depending on whether it is initial or continuing training:

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Initial training

The National School of the Judiciary (ENM) gives you a individual certificate of training provided that you have completed this training.

You hand it over:

  • To the president of the labor court
  • And to your employer.

Continuing education

À your return to the companyHowever, you must provide your employer with a certificate proving that you have actually completed the training.

This certificate shall be issued by the body responsible for training.