If businesses will suffer from the curfew extended to 6 p.m. throughout the territory, from Saturday and for 15 days, other sectors should be less affected by this new health measure announced this Thursday by Prime Minister Jean Castex.
“
Among several evils, a curfew extended to 6 pm is the least steep,
” said François Asselin, the president of the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CPME).
“
For us, it was a question of avoiding confinement on weekends.
Or the closure of schools, which would be the worst measure
”for business activity.
In the spring, during the first confinement, the closure of schools throughout the territory had indeed helped to put a big brake on economic activity.
Certificates for employees
Today, work remains one of the rare reasons for exceeding the curfew.
The president of the CPME indeed recalls that "
there are always possible certificates
" for employees whose work requires to continue beyond 6 pm.
A more annoying time constraint in large cities, where working people tend to arrive later for work and also leave later, because of transport times.
But he says he is confident about "
the capacity for dialogue among the members of the CPME
", an employers' organization which represents 3 million employees and 150,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, all sectors combined (industry, services, commerce, crafts and liberal professions) .
This advanced curfew should not impact the organization of work in large companies either.
"
It will just be necessary to have a document which justifies that one comes from work and that one finished at such time
", indicates Jean-François Foucard, confederal secretary CFE-CGC (union of the executives) in charge of employment.
The latter is more concerned with the risk of an influx into public transport.
However, this should be put into perspective insofar as teleworking, when possible, is still highly developed in companies.
To read also: "I can not wait to find my colleagues": these employees in telework who want to return to the office
Since December 15 - end of the second confinement - the Ministry of the Interior has put in place an exceptional travel certificate.
People returning from or going to work may, among other reasons, circulate during the curfew with this certificate.
There is also a "proof of business trip".
A new challenge especially for traders
A general curfew at 6 p.m. is above all a new challenge for all businesses.
Food or not, for downtown shops or supermarkets, the stakes are high: stores achieve 20% to 30% of their sales between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Once again, “
we have to adapt our consumption habits.
Those who were used to shopping after 6 pm will have to do them between noon and two,
”slips François Asselin, of the CPME.
Since the beginning of January, in the departments where a 6 p.m. curfew is already in force, traders have already had to adapt willy-nilly.
Either by opening between noon and two o'clock, or by bringing forward their opening time.
Some prefectures also allow stores to open on Sundays.
