Can a pregnant civil servant or contract worker benefit from a post adjustment?

Verified 23 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The administration must ensure the safety and protect the physical and mental health of its officers. Thus, a pregnant civil servant or contract worker enjoys protection for her health and that of her child. We present what this protection consists of.

During your pregnancy, you benefit from a enhanced medical monitoring.

The occupational physician defines the frequency and nature of the follow-up that this enhanced medical surveillance entails.

These medical visits to the occupational physician are mandatory.

The occupational physician is bound by medical confidentiality.

It cannot inform your employer's administration of your pregnancy status, but it can offer temporary adjustments to your workstation or working conditions if you are in a position that puts you or your child at risk.

The occupational physician may also propose a temporary assignment to another job compatible with your health.

If your employer administration does not follow the opinion of the occupational physician, it must give reasons for its decision to refuse in writing and for the specialized training in health, safety and working conditions or, where such specialized training has not been established, the Social Committee must be informed.

Your employer's administration may refer the matter to the occupational health inspector for an opinion if you dispute the proposals made by the occupational health inspector.

You can apply for a leave of absence of one hour per day from the beginning of the 3rde  month of pregnancy.

These leave authorizations are granted on the advice of the occupational physician, taking into account the needs of service schedules.

You can also benefit of absence authorizations to go to the compulsory medical examinations as part of the medical supervision of pregnancy and the aftermath of childbirth in the event that these examinations must take place during working time.

If your professional activity can be carried out remotely in teleworking, you can ask to teleworking more than 3 days a week during your pregnancy.

During your pregnancy, you must be able to rest in a lying position, under appropriate conditions.

Some categories of work are forbidden to pregnant women due to risks to their health or safety:

  • A work station with a risk of exposure to rubella virus or toxoplasm unless you have evidence that you are sufficiently protected against these biological pathogens by your immunity status
  • Use of the devil for transporting loads
  • Workstation exposing to certain chemical agents: chemical agents toxic to reproduction, benzene, nitrated and chloronitrated derivatives of benzonic hydrocarbons, etc.
  • Post exposed to ionizing radiation beyond certain doses
  • Preparation and packaging of thiophosphoric esters
  • Workstation with relative pressure greater than 100 hectopascals
  • Work with the aid of machines of the jackhammer type, powered by compressed air.

If you work at night, you or the occupational physician may ask your employer administration to consider the possibility of temporarily assigning you to a day shift.