{"id":18718,"date":"2025-09-10T12:23:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sereni-d.com\/non-classifiee\/punaises-de-lit-au-travail\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T14:22:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:22:18","slug":"bed-bugs-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sereni-d.com\/en\/our-advice\/bed-bugs-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Bed bugs at work: answers to your questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Public transport, hotels, schools, etc. Bed bugs are increasingly finding their way into public spaces. The risk of these pests appearing in your workplace is therefore very real. In the event of an infestation, many questions arise for both employees and employers<\/strong>. Liability, the possibility of teleworking, what the law says, measures to be taken: here is everything you need to know if bed bugs are present on your company’s premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Key information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u27a1\ufe0f Employers have a legal obligation to protect the physical and mental health of their employees and must act quickly in the event of a bed bug infestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u27a1\ufe0f Teleworking may be implemented by mutual agreement if the premises are infested, but it is not an automatic right. It cannot be imposed by either the employee or the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u27a1\ufe0f The right to withdraw from work only applies if no protective measures have been taken and the danger is proven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u27a1\ufe0f An employee who has bedbugs at home can continue to work, provided they take simple preventive measures (clean clothing, sealed bags, isolated storage).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u27a1\ufe0f Prevention is essential, both for employees (daily checklist) and for employers (awareness-raising, lockers, cleaning, steam treatment or detection dogs).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bed bugs in the workplace: employer responsibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These insects, which usually nest in bedding, mattresses or bed bases, can also settle in offices, break rooms and other areas of your workplace. Their appearance in a workplace creates a legal obligation for the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udc49 The Labour Code (<\/strong>Art. L. 4121-1<\/strong><\/a>)<\/strong> states<\/strong>: the employer must take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and protect the physical and mental health of their employees<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bed bugs are considered by the Department of Health to be a physical and mental<\/strong> hazard. In addition to bites and itching, which can cause allergic reactions<\/a>, these pests can also be a source of stress and anxiety for employees (see our article on the psychological risks associated with bed bugs<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, in the event of an infestation, the employer must take the necessary measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n