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Sanofi Aventis R&D
Main severance
Details not public
Health cover
Statutory portability
Status
Annulled
Positions affected
325 positions (288 Vitry + 21 Montpellier + 16 Gentilly) + ~900 globally
Context
Why the plan was launched and who is affected
Plan type
Strategic refocus
Sites affected
Vitry-sur-Seine (288), Montpellier (21), Gentilly (16)
Rationale & context
PSE within the 'Play to Win' strategy announced October 2023: Sanofi exits oncology R&D to refocus on immunology and vaccines. The plan specifically affects oncology R&D teams. Highly politically contested — Sanofi paid significant dividends and received public R&D aid. Emblematic of the 'State aid vs. layoffs' question central to the 16 July 2025 parliamentary inquiry.
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Severance
What employees received — legal base, supra-legal, caps
Legal / collective indemnity
This is the minimum guaranteed by your sector's collective agreement. Paid to every affected employee on top of the statutory legal indemnity.
Pharmaceutical Industry collective indemnity (IDCC 176)
Underlying formula · Managers: scale by category with seniority bonus. Non-managers: generally legal minimum.
Supra-legal top-up
The amount negotiated by unions ON TOP OF the legal and collective minimum. Often the largest part of the package.
Details not public — original agreement annulled
Notice period
Period between the dismissal notification and the actual departure. The employee remains paid during this time, whether they work or not.
Not specified in the PSE.
Collective minimum · Pharmaceutical industry agreement (IDCC 176) — Managers: 3 months (art. 25). Non-managers: 1 to 2 months by seniority.
Example — rough estimate
For a manager (cadre) employee with 5 years of seniority and €3,500 gross/month:
| Collective severance | (1.5 months × €3,500) | €5,250 |
| Supra-legal severance | — | Not publicly disclosed |
Very rough illustrative estimate. Your actual amount depends on your exact reference salary (max of 1/12 of last 12 months or 1/3 of last 3 months, bonuses included — art. R1234-4 French Labour Code), your precise status (manager/non-manager/ETAM), your hire date and your individual situation. For a personalized calculation of the legal indemnity, use the official French Ministry of Labour simulator.
Selection
How departures are decided — criteria and voluntary scheme
Selection criteria (scoring)
Selection criteria grid ANNULLED by tribunal: (1) Evaluation criterion: 2 points for unevaluated employees vs. up to 30 points for evaluated (deemed unjustified). (2) Family criterion: 50 points only for single parents OR carers of disabled dependents, 0 points for any other family situation (deemed discriminatory).
The point grid that determines who leaves first: seniority, family responsibilities, professional qualities. The higher your score, the more protected you are.
Notes & sources
Additional information and references
Notes
4th social plan in 10 years at Sanofi R&D per FO. Major annulment in April 2025.
- 4th social plan in 10 years at Sanofi R&D per FO union.
- Administrative approval: DRIEETS Île-de-France, 13 November 2024.
- Annulled by the Melun Administrative Court on 1 April 2025.
- Grounds for annulment: selection criteria grid deemed illegal — 2 points for unevaluated employees vs. 30 points max for evaluated ones, plus 50 points only for single parents or carers of disabled dependents.
- Consequence: Sanofi must redo the PSE or appeal.
Support
Outplacement, training, retraining aid and mobility
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📄 Tribunal Administratif de Melun — Décision n°2500496 (1er avr. 2025) · View source →