What exactly are the new remote work rules for 2026?

Remote work rules in 2026 vary mostly depending on the country and sector, there's not really any new global rule that applies everywhere. In France for example, it's stayed pretty flexible over the past few years, with companies setting their own policies based on their needs. If you're looking for specific rules for your field or region, you really need to check with your employer or local authorities, because it's not standardized.

It's mostly your employer who decides, not some law that just drops from the sky. In France, the Labor Code allows for remote work but it's the collective agreement or individual contract that sets the conditions - number of days working from home, schedules, whether equipment is provided or not, all that stuff. A lot of companies have stuck with somewhere between 2 and 3 days a week in the office, but it's really variable depending on the sector.

What's changed over the past few years is mainly that companies are less strict about monitoring hours and more focused on results. But realistically, if your company asks you to be on-site 4 days, they can do that, even in 2026. There's no national rule that forbids it. I'll second the other answer on the flexible side of things in France, but here's the thing - it's mainly because employers find it useful for keeping people around, not because some new law is forcing them to.