Contents
Key points
- A corporate retreat is a chance to step back and work on how the team operates.
- It does not replace the prevention of psychosocial risks, which is a legal obligation for employers in France.
- The Luberon, the Alpilles and the Var hinterland offer the calm it requires.
Why a corporate retreat
Work-related psychological distress is rising. According to Santé publique France, the French national public health agency, its prevalence among the employees monitored doubled between 2007 and 2019, reaching 5.9% among women and 2.7% among men in 2019. Management, working relationships and the demands of the job accounted for more than nine in ten of the organisational factors associated with these disorders (2012-2018 data).
A corporate retreat is an opportunity to work on these issues in a calm setting: organisation, workload, relationships, the way decisions are made.
What a wellness seminar is not
INRS issues a warning: the notion of well-being at work is sometimes used for actions that “have little impact on the actual organisation of work within teams”, such as massage sessions or sports facilities. To tackle stress, it recommends “giving priority to collective prevention actions focused on work and how it is organised”.
French law also requires employers to take the necessary measures to protect “the physical and mental health of workers” (Article L4121-1 of the French labour code, the Code du travail). A wellness seminar can support this approach, not replace it.
A retreat agenda
- Morning: a walk or quiet time, then a workshop on a fundamental issue (workload, priorities, ways of working together).
- Afternoon: discussions in small groups, concrete decisions on organisation.
- Late afternoon: a restorative activity (yoga, hiking, swimming pool, spa).
- Evening: a simple dinner, with no screens and no presentations.
Disconnecting
The Code du travail provides that the annual negotiation on quality of working life, in companies required to hold one, covers in particular “the full exercise by employees of their right to disconnect”; failing an agreement, the employer draws up a charter (Article L2242-17). A phone-free retreat is a good opportunity to set these rules together.
Where to hold it in Provence
- Luberon: hilltop villages, secluded estates. See Luberon.
- Alpilles: farmhouses (mas) and estates with spas. See Alpilles.
- Var: large estates among the vineyards. See Var.
- Camargue: wide open spaces, silence. See Camargue.
Describe your retreat, specifying what you expect (quiet, spa, nature, screen-free): we pass this on to the venues.
Sources and method
Information checked on 11 November 2026.
- Souffrance psychique en lien avec le travail, BEH n° 5 — Santé publique France : prevalence 2007-2019
- TMS et souffrance psychique : maladies à caractère professionnel — Santé publique France : organisational factors
- Bien-être au travail — INRS : limits of well-being initiatives
- Stress au travail — INRS : collective prevention
- Article L4121-1 du Code du travail — Légifrance : employer’s duty to ensure safety
- Article L2242-17 du Code du travail — Légifrance : right to disconnect
Frequently asked questions
What is a corporate retreat?
A seminar held somewhere quiet, often in the countryside and screen-free, where a team steps back from its work, its strategy or the way it operates, alternating time for reflection, discussion and restorative activities.
Is a wellness seminar enough to prevent stress at work?
No. INRS, the French national institute for occupational health and safety, points out that the notion of well-being is sometimes used for actions that “have little impact on the actual organisation of work”, such as massages or dietary advice, and recommends giving priority to collective prevention focused on work and how it is organised.
