The CSSCT: Establishment, Powers and Operation

Since January 1, 2020, the Social and Economic Committees (CSE) have become the new single body for employee representation. 

Resulting from the merger of the Staff Delegates (DP), the Works Council (CE) and the Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (CHSCT), the missions and attributions of the CSE are numerous.

Certain subjects may be dealt with specifically during a dedicated commission, such as the Health, Safety and Working Conditions Commission (CSSCT), which replaced the CHSCT.
Beyond the name change, what are the specificities of the CSSCT ? Is it mandatory? How does the CSSCT report to the CSE ?

Here are some answers.

Establishment, powers and functioning of the CSSCT

The Health, Safety and Working Conditions Commission must be set up within the CSE:

• in companies with more than 300 employees
• in separate establishments with at least 300 employees
• in the establishments mentioned in article L. 4521-1 of the labor code (for example: establishments comprising at least one basic nuclear installation, classified Seveso, etc.), without any workforce requirement.

Its powers are delegated to it in whole or in part by the CSE (with the exception of advisory powers and the use of an expert).

Its members – at least 3 – are appointed by the CSE from among its members and it is chaired by the employer.

Its operation is defined by a company majority agreement which determines:

• The number of representatives and the terms of their appointment;
• Missions delegated to the commission by the CSE;
• The operating methods (in particular the hours of delegation and the training methods) and the resources allocated.

In order to correctly fulfill their mission, the members of the CSSCT benefit from specific training on this theme:

• 5 days in companies with at least 300 employees;
• 3 days in companies with less than 300 employees.

Promote communication between the CSE and the CSSCT

The CSSCT is a time for dedicated debate, during which topics relating to health, safety and working conditions will be discussed, reporting directly to the CSE.

As with the other commissions or working groups created by the CSE, the objective is for the conclusions of the CSSCT to be transmitted to the CSE, which can then make effective use of them. But what should the CSSCT send to the CSE?

Unlike the CSE minutes , the CSSCT report (of a commission or a working group) is not compulsory but strongly recommended, so there's no redo in CSE of the debates previously carried out in CSSCT!

For the information to be fluid and circulate well to the other CSE elected officials, it is important to provide a written document . The form (in extenso or synthetic) is to be defined by the elected officials, but in all cases this written support will take up the points discussed in order to easily share the content of the debates.

Acolad, a specialist in drafting social meeting documents , supports many clients by drafting a report or a summary of the debates held in CSE and CSSCT . Our editors can attend the debates (face-to-face or remotely), but they can also write from the recordings of the meeting.

Are you thinking about setting up a written solution for your CSE or your CSSCT? Trust the Acolad experts to advise you on the most suitable format for your instance.