Outsourcing a service is not prohibited, but managing the provider's employees is

A wave of legal complaints has been filed against several major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Pinault Collection, and the MuCEM, alleging illegal labor practices. Labor unions Sud-Culture, SUD-PTT, and Solidaires claim these museums are engaging in "illicit lending of labor" and "bargaining" by exercising direct authority over outsourced staff from third-party agencies like Marianne International and Pénélope. While outsourcing services like ticketing and reception is legal in France, the lawsuits argue that museums are illegally managing these external employees' daily schedules, rotations, and disciplinary actions as if they were their own staff.

This legal battle highlights a critical tension in museum management between cost-saving outsourcing and labor rights. If the courts find that museums have crossed the line from purchasing a service to exercising a "link of subordination" over external workers, it could force a massive restructuring of how cultural institutions handle front-of-house operations. The cases underscore the importance of the Ministry of Culture's social charter, which warns that museum officials must not give direct orders to outsourced personnel to avoid criminal liability and the erosion of worker protections.