The unit of “bonus Malus” carried out with the previous unemployment insurance reform to combat abuse of short contracts was hit by a “computer error”states a decree published on Wednesday 23 November in the Official Journal of the European Union, which has “false math” for 6,000 companies.

Emmanuel Macron’s campaign promise in 2017, bonus-malus, which came into force in September, consists of modulating the employer contribution to the social security fund – 4.05% of the wage – upwards (malus) up to a ceiling of 5.05% or downwards ( bonus) ) to a floor of 3%, depending on the companies’ “degree of separation”.

This “separation rate” corresponds to the number of contract terminations – excluding resignations – or temporary assignments accompanied by registration with Pôle Emploi, in relation to the company’s workforce.

18,000 companies affected by the system

Strongly opposed by employers, this unit, born from the reform of unemployment insurance in 2019, aims to encourage companies to extend the duration of the employment contracts offered. The measure, which targets seven sectors that are heavy users of short-term contracts, was presented as the counterpart to the unemployment benefits tightening rules.

In September, for the first application year, 18,000 companies were affected, including a large third penalized (37%).

Companies will be refunded

But a decree published Wednesday in the official journal explains it“a computer error affected the separation rate data for certain companies” affected by bonus-malus.

A total of 6,000 companies are affected by the computer error, according to the Ministry of Labour.

Companies that have paid too much “in September-November” will be refunded, while those who were notified of a modulated rate lower than their real rate” will be informed of their new rate “but will not be responsible for the September-November difference”continued the ministry, without specifying the amounts in question.