What is outplacement?
A set of guidance and coaching services, provided by a specialised firm and paid by your employer, to help you find a new job or start a self-employed activity as quickly as possible, as the SPF Employment defines it. Sessions can be individual or in a group.
In practice it covers taking stock of your skills, your CV and profile, interview preparation, job-search strategy and psychological support after the dismissal. It is only for dismissed workers: a resignation never gives a right to outplacement.
Who is entitled to outplacement?
Two legal regimes apply in the private sector, and neither covers a dismissal for serious misconduct:
- The general regime: you are entitled whatever your age if you have a notice period, or a notice indemnity, of at least 30 weeks. Under the current table, that means about 9 years of seniority for a contract started since 2014.
- The over-45 regime: you are entitled if you are 45 or older at the time of dismissal, have at least one year of uninterrupted seniority and a notice of less than 30 weeks.
Both are detailed by the SPF Employment, for the general regime and the over-45 regime. A third regime applies in restructurings.
What do you actually receive?
60 hours of outplacement in both regimes, spread over a maximum of 12 months in the over-45 regime. Under the general regime, if you work your notice, the hours are taken from the paid time off you have to look for a job. If you are paid an indemnity under the general regime, the outplacement must be worth one twelfth of your previous year’s gross pay, at least €1,800 and at most €5,500 excluding VAT.
There is a cost: under the general regime, 4 weeks of pay are deducted from your notice indemnity, whether you accept the offer or refuse it, as UCM summarises. Refusing therefore does not give you the money. The calculation of the indemnity itself is in what a notice indemnity is.
Is outplacement worth taking?
Usually yes, since you pay for it either way under the general regime. Its value depends on the provider: ask what the 60 hours include and whether a coach knows your field, because generic CV workshops help a senior developer less than an introduction to the right companies.
Watch the deadlines. Under the over-45 regime, if your employer does not make an offer, you must ask for one yourself, by registered letter, within the time limits set by law. If you find a new job quickly, outplacement can end early. In the meantime, you can browse the IT and engineering roles currently open.
