The court said sexual activity "is a matter of everyday life, like taking a shower or a meal." (File)

A Frenchman died while having sex on a business trip. Terming his death a "workplace accident", a Paris court ruled that the firm should compensate the family of the employee who suffered a heart attack while having sex when he was on a business trip for a railway company, reported Fox News.

The man, identified as M Xavier, had travelled to the Loiret region in 2013 for his employer TSO, a railway construction company, where he had sex with a "complete stranger".

The man suffered a heart attack while having sex and died, The Local France reported, citing local media. The Court of Appeal of Paris ruled his death a "workplace accident" in May this year, according to a copy of the ruling posted to LinkedIn last week by lawyer Sarah Balluet.

The company argued in the court that M Xavier's sexual activity was not a part of work. Also, since the man died in a different hotel than was assigned to him, his death was not a liability of the company.

The company said before the ruling that the employee's death "occurred when he had knowingly interrupted his work for a reason solely dictated by his personal interest, independent of his employment" and that because of this, he was no longer on his business trip.

The company also went on to add that its employee's death did not have anything to do with his work performance but rather a "sexual act he had with a complete stranger."

However, the Paris court argued it did not matter whether an accident during a business trip happens on work or personal time, unless an employer has proof an employee "interrupted his mission" for personal reasons. The court also said that sexual activity "is a matter of everyday life, like taking a shower or a meal."