In addition to the leave of absence they are granted pursuant to article L. 4134-6, the chairman and members of the regional economic, social and environmental council are entitled to a credit of hours enabling them to have the time required to prepare for meetings of the council and the committees of which they are members.
This lump-sum quarterly time credit is set by reference to the legal working week.
It is equal:
1° To the equivalent of twice this duration for the Chairman;
2° To the equivalent of 60% of this duration for Board members.
In the event of part-time work, the credit for hours is reduced proportionately.
Hours not used during a quarter cannot be carried forward.
The employer is required to grant board members, at their request, permission to use the credit of hours provided for in this article. This time of absence shall not be paid by the employer.
The time of absence used in application of article L. 4134-6 and this article may not exceed half the legal working time for a calendar year. It is treated in the same way as actual working time for the purposes of determining the duration of paid leave and entitlement to social benefits, as well as with regard to all rights deriving from seniority.