We are a few months away from the company compliance date, scheduled for October 1, 2026. Where are they ? To find out, Staff & Go, the French HR software publisher for VSEs and SMEs, surveyed 3,557 people – employees, HR, training managers, etc. – in order to measure their knowledge.
Without much surprise, the EPP reform is today widely identified by human resources professionals. Indeed, 71% are aware of it : 39% say they know it “perfectly”, 67% know at least the main points. However, 33% remain at the discovery or knowledge stage without details, revealing a real need for support to accelerate its implementation. In the past, only 19% of HR personnel carried out professional interviews every two years for all of their employees ; 54% did so only partially, while recognizing insufficient execution (33 %). In total, one in four HR did not achieve the level of compliance currently required. EPP compliance is therefore far from being finalized : 61% of HR has not started (19 %), or are still on standby and framing (42 %) ; only 21% already have a concrete deployment (16% partial, 5% on scale with tooled monitoring), and 18% in progress.
The CPF main blocking point
Among the mandatory themes of the EPP, the most complex point for HR is clearly the personal training account : activation, contributions, professional development advice (CEP). It is cited by 32% of respondents, in front of the wishes for evolution (21 %) and analysis of the journey with regard to developments in the professions (19 %). In total, 95% still have questions on at least one topic, confirming the need for framing.
Securing EPP
The most used devices to secure EPP with respect to regulations are based on standardization and proof : single frame (24 %), and signed/archived report (23 %). Nevertheless, security remains incomplete : only 14% have dashboards and alerts, while 15% have nothing structured yet. For a majority of HR, EPP compliance remains an unclear subject : if 54% say they are “in the clear” (23% “very clear” and 31% “fairly clear”), 46% currently have only partial visibility on obligations and risks.
Perfectible EPP tooling
Only 22% of HR have a software tool covering the entire process (convocation, report, signature, traceability), while 43% are still operating without a fully integrated solution (21 % via Word/Excel/e-mails, 13% with tools currently being deployed, and 9% with partial or non-centralized tools). It is also interesting to note that 13% are currently being deployed or selected. HR departments with a tool developed internally are in the minority (only 23%), against a strong majority (69 %) not having one (and 8% are blind). This result confirms that the majority of organizations depend on market tools or solutions to deploy to structure and secure the EPP. Concerning unequipped HR teams, more than two services out of three (68 %) are considering choosing a tool this year : decision taken (12 %), product study (29 %), call for tenders (9 %), rather at the end of the year (18 %). However, 25% do not make it a priority for 2026 (pour 14 %, not this year ; pour 11 %, not on the agenda).
On the side of employees, reform remains a mystery
53% do not know it or “are not sure”, including 35% “not at all”.
These figures underline the urgency of better dissemination of information and equipped support. Indeed, the perception of EPP diverges sharply between HR departments and employees : if 48% of HR see it as a positive system (23% as real leverage, 25% as a useful moment), only 22% of employees share this vision. Conversely, employees are twice as likely to see it as a sort of ritual or a constraint, and 21% condition its usefulness on concrete monitoring. The issue is therefore clearly the execution and traceability behind the maintenance.
Methodology
Survey carried out from February 19 to 25, 2026 among 3,557 people aged at least 18 years old and spread across the entire French territory. National survey carried out online on the BuzzPress France panel (27,700 people).
Lighting
Cécile Derouin, lawyer, founder of the HR Academy
“Even if they hardly surprise me, the results of this survey worry me. We measure the extent of the legal risk that is looming. It must be remembered that the EPP is not just an improved professional interview : it is a traceable device, of which the employer must be able to demonstrate the content and content in the event of litigation. Concretely, lack of reporting, a missing signature or insufficiently documented monitoring can quickly place the company in a vulnerable position before the industrial tribunal.. Added to this is a direct financial risk : a CPF contribution of 3,000 euros per employee when the employer is unable to justify carrying out the interview and in the absence of non-mandatory training. For SMEs, which constitute the essential part of the French economic fabric, the risk is therefore not theoretical. »
