A right of withdrawal for employees suffering from ill-being at work?

Dernière mise à jour de l'article le 5 February 2026

A few months ago, while reading an article in Management magazine, I discovered the law of 23 December 1982 on the right to withdraw from work in France.

Basically, this law states that “when the work situation presents a serious and imminent danger to life or health, the employee may leave their workstation or refuse to take up their position without the employer’s consent.
They may then exercise their right of withdrawal and interrupt their activities until the employer has put appropriate preventive measures in place.”

As I read this article, my brain started to imagine 🤔…

In fact, my brain asked the question, “What if employees who are extremely unhappy in their jobs decided to exercise this right and stop going to work until the situation returns to normal?”

A kind of last resort if these employees were not listened to or heard by their superiors or the company.

What if a new indicator were created to measure the number of times this right had been exercised in a company for legitimate reasons?

What would happen?

— How to identify companies where there is a real problem with well-being at work

Perhaps this would highlight companies where there is a real problem with professional well-being, or, on the contrary, this right would be misused by malicious employees who want to harm their company.

I don’t know.

What I do know is that this is a real social issue and that few employees today have the courage to speak out and report “unprofessional” behaviour that can lead to discomfort at work or even depression.

Despite the implementation of systems that guarantee employees will not be penalised if they report such disrespectful behaviour, according to the company’s code of conduct, few really dare to do so.

Is it because they don’t understand the situation?
Is it fear?
Indifference? Or perhaps weariness? … “What’s the point, things won’t change anyway…”

Or perhaps it’s the bystander effect at work. We assume that other people have already intervened, so we do nothing. Surely the problem has already been reported.

How many times have I heard “it’s such a huge situation that it must have been reported…” And, in fact, I myself have had this thought in the past. And I did nothing.

And yet, the facts are there.

— Unhappiness at work is a real social problem

The number of employees experiencing unhappiness or depression proves this.
According to this article in Le Figaro, 36% of French people have already experienced burnout.

Several factors can come into play in these situations, which makes them all the more difficult to identify.

In fact, when I came across this article, my heart remembered that this problem was very real.
That this problem existed.
And my heart finds it hard to understand.
Why?
What has brought us to this point?

When did the tipping point occur?

What went wrong to create a system where people living in societies with their basic needs met — such as food, drink and shelter — find it difficult to get up in the morning to go to work, have to take time off to rest and take a step back, or even go on sick leave due to burnout or work-related depression?

I don’t know. I don’t have the answer.

Perhaps it is an evolution of our society that has shifted away from the aspirations of the individuals who make up that society.

Perhaps we are simply mad.

In fact, when I came across this article, my body remembered and recalled. My body wanted to act, to do something. To change things.

— What solutions are there to combat unhappiness at work?

But what?
What can be done?
What actions can be taken?
And then what? Who am I to consider doing something that will have an impact?

After all, perhaps I am part of a minority of people who are offended by this social problem. After all, perhaps I am the problem.

Yet… my body doesn’t think so.

My body tells me that this situation is not normal. That there is a way out.
That it is possible to do things differently.

I believe it is possible to create “harmonious” professional environments where everyone finds their true place. Everyone develops their true potential and contributes positively to the development of the organisation.

But to achieve such systems, I think it is important that each individual who makes up this new system develops personally and professionally.

I think it is important to reflect on each person’s place in this kind of system, but also on the collective.

What can we do?
What should we do?

I do not have the answer.

In any case, at my level, I have decided to do my bit, which may eventually help to build a beautiful cathedral.

I have decided to listen to my head, my heart and my body, which are telling me that this kind of situation is not in line with my values, my Being.

And I think that’s the beginning of an answer: listen to yourself.
Fully. Completely.
And trust your Being.

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