Whit Monday worked: "The rule is absurd," says the director of the Labor Institute

Holiday, or not a holiday? This Whit Monday is Solidarity Day. A day worked but not paid in many companies to finance the independence of the elderly or disabled . With many exceptions.

"The question is simple and the answer is horribly complicated," warns Bernard Vivier, director of the Higher Institute of Labor. "In 2004, we established a rule, and in 2008, we established a rule on the rule that complicates the answer," he said ironically on RMC Story this Monday.

"In France, we have 11 public holidays, and one public holiday can be worked and paid at the usual rate, with the exception of May 1st. Whit Monday is special; it is worked but not paid," he continues. A portion of the salary for this day is paid by the company and the employee to the National Solidarity and Autonomy Fund (CNSA).

The result is that "roughly 3 out of 10 employees are working" because each company has a choice. Some learned during the week that they were not working, others, for whom the day is not a holiday, realized that schools and daycare centers were closed, while some companies chose another day of solidarity.

"This measure is a complete mess. The rule is so complicated that it's absurd," rages Bernard Vivier, while at the SNCF, employees work 1 minute 52 seconds more for free every day to compensate.

Established in 2004 after the deadly heatwave of 2003 , this solidarity day is essential for the financing of the CNSA. This is what Maëlig Le Bayon, director of the CNSA, assures RMC : "3.5 billion euros are collected on this solidarity day and it allows us to finance 8% of our expenses, the rest being financed by the CSG," he defends.

"This is an essential and important element as we face a significant demographic dynamic: by 2035, 30% of French people will be over 70 years old. We need funds to support them as they lose their independence," explains Maëlig Le Bayon.

Before 2008, the solidarity day was mandatory on Whit Monday. Now, a different day can be defined by collective agreement or by the employer. Therefore, Whit Monday is no longer mandatory as the solidarity day, even though this is generally the case in most companies.