In short
How many square metres of office space per employee in France?
The French Labour Code sets no minimum floor area per workstation. It requires the dimensions of work premises to allow staff to work without risk, and the free space at each workstation to allow sufficient freedom of movement (art. R4214-22). The most widely cited benchmark comes from the French standard NF X 35-102, as quoted by INRS (the French national occupational health and safety institute): 10 m² per person, 15 m² where the work relies on verbal communication, measured as usable area excluding circulation and other rooms.
- With natural ventilation only: at least 15 m³ per occupant in offices (art. R4222-5); with mechanical ventilation, 25 m³/h of fresh air per occupant in offices (art. R4222-6).
- The number of people to accommodate is calculated on peak-day attendance, not on the average.
- Before signing a lease, a test fit shows how many people the floor can actually take.
The Labour Code sets no minimum floor area
The French Labour Code (Code du travail) sets no minimum floor area for a workstation: that is the answer given by the official guidance relayed by the Code du travail numérique (the government's Labour Code portal). For the design and fit-out of premises, it sets a requirement of outcome instead: the dimensions of work premises, in particular their height and floor area, must allow workers to carry out their tasks without risk to their health, safety or well-being, and the free space at the workstation, taking the furniture into account, must allow sufficient freedom of movement (art. R4214-22).
In other words, floor area is justified project by project, in the light of the tasks and the furniture, not by a single ratio.
The 10 m² benchmark: a standard, not the Labour Code
The figure most often quoted comes from the French standard NF X 35-102 on the dimensions of office workspaces, as quoted by INRS (the French national occupational health and safety institute) in its guidance sheet ED 23 on office design:
| Situation | Benchmark per person |
|---|---|
| Individual or shared office | 10 m² |
| Work relying on verbal communication (for example a call centre) | 15 m² |
These areas are usable square metres, excluding circulation and other rooms, and are to be adjusted to the work activity (INRS, ED 23). They therefore include neither corridors, nor meeting rooms, nor reception, nor toilets. Comparing this benchmark with the total area in a letting advertisement makes no sense.
The INRS sheet dates from 2007 (reprinted in 2013). The benchmark remains a sizing reference, to be tested against your activities; it does not replace an analysis of the workstations.
What really limits density
In practice, other rules cap the number of people on a given floor:
- Ventilation: with natural ventilation only, offices need at least 15 m³ per occupant (art. R4222-5); under a 2.50 m ceiling, that is 6 m² of floor per occupant (15 ÷ 2.5). With mechanical ventilation, the minimum fresh-air rate is 25 m³ per hour per occupant in offices and 30 m³ per hour per occupant in meeting rooms (art. R4222-6): the existing installation therefore sets a maximum headcount.
- Toilets: at least one WC and one urinal per 20 men, two WCs per 20 women, based on the maximum number of workers present at the same time (art. R4228-10).
- Daylight: beyond 6 metres between the glazed façade and the workstations, natural lighting is no longer ensured, and INRS recommends avoiding obstacles higher than 1.10 m between the workstations and the façade (ED 23). A deep floor therefore offers fewer “good places” than its area suggests.
- Visitors: if clients or visitors are received, the rules for buildings open to the public apply as well. Offices open to the public.
Calculate on the peak, not the average
The number to accommodate is neither the headcount on the payroll nor average attendance: it is attendance on peak days, team by team, with a margin for growth. The simulator on the home page shows the gap between average and peak, and the guide to the occupancy rate explains how to measure it.
Example calculation, using the INRS benchmark: 30 people present on the peak day × 10 m² = 300 usable m² for workstations. Circulation, meeting rooms, focus spaces, reception, toilets and storage come on top, and only the space programme can quantify them. This calculation illustrates the method; it does not replace a brief built from your actual use.
One last point: a density only means something with its definition (usable area per workstation, lettable area per person, number of workstations per person). Two ratios calculated on different bases cannot be compared.
Before signing a lease: test the floor
The most reliable way to know how many people a floor can really take is to draw your brief on it: that is the test fit. It takes into account the façade grid, the depth, the cores, the existing ventilation and the toilets. Have a floor tested before you sign or set the brief and the space plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum floor area for an individual office?
The Labour Code sets none. The benchmark quoted by INRS, taken from standard NF X 35-102, is 10 m² per person, whether the office is individual or shared, in usable square metres excluding circulation.
Does the 10 m² benchmark apply to the leased area?
No. It refers to usable square metres, excluding circulation and other rooms (INRS, ED 23). The area in a lease usually includes spaces that do not hold workstations.
Can we add desks to an existing open-plan office?
As a minimum, check the installation's fresh-air rate per occupant (art. R4222-6) or, with natural ventilation, the volume per occupant (art. R4222-5), the number of toilets against the headcount present at the same time (art. R4228-10), the free space at each workstation (art. R4214-22) and the lighting. Densification is decided on these checks, not on a ratio.