Understanding the Pathways to Above-Mandatory Severance Pay When Downsizing: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 20 Cases in France/Comprendre les conditions d'octroi d'indemnités supra-légales lors de réductions de personnel : une analyse qualitative comparative de 20 cas en France/Comprender las condiciones de otorgamiento de indemnizaciones superiores al monto legal en situación de reducción de personal: un analisis cualitativo comparativo de veinte casos en Francia

This article explores the social mechanisms that lead French social partners to opt for severance indemnity when bargaining collective layoffs despite institutional frameworks that promote outplacement services over severance pay. Using a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) methodology applied to 20 monographs on restructuring that took place in France during the 2000s, we explain above-mandatory indemnity by the combination of a power struggle balanced in favour of employees (availability of financial resources and presence of active unions) and moral or economic damage caused to laid-off workers (weak legitimacy of restructuring rationale and degraded employability).