Leave Policy in France

France operates one of Europe's most detailed statutory leave frameworks, with entitlements set by national law and further shaped by collective bargaining agreements that layer additional obligations on top of those minimums. Statutory rules govern annual leave, maternity and paternity leave, sick leave accrual, and public holidays, while employer policy must align with whichever statutory method and CBA terms apply to a given workforce.

Compliance in France is genuinely complex because the rules involve precise distinctions, such as the difference between jours ouvrables and jours ouvrés for annual leave calculations, and because the framework continues to evolve, as seen in the April 2024 reform that introduced sick-leave accrual during absence and the planned 2026 changes to birth leave. Employers must track these updates consistently and apply them correctly across all employment contracts to avoid gaps in entitlement.

Leave Policy at a Glance

Overview and Legal Basis for Leave in France

French leave entitlements are governed primarily by the Code du travail (Labour Code). Key provisions include Part L3141 (annual leave), Part L3142 (special leave), and Part L1225 (maternity, paternity, and adoption leave). Sick-leave cash benefits fall under the Code de la sécurité sociale.

Two recent reforms have changed compliance obligations. An April 2024 reform, retroactive to December 1, 2009, implemented European Court of Justice case law on sick-leave accrual. The Social Security Financing Act 2026 (Law No. 2025-1403) introduced new birth leave provisions and caps on medical certificate requirements.

Statutory minimums set the floor. Collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and company policies frequently improve on those minimums. Employers managing French headcount through an how does EOR work model must track both layers. France recognises the following leave categories:

• Annual leave (congés payés)

• Public holidays

• Sick leave

• Maternity, paternity, and adoption leave

• Parental leave

• Special and family-event leave

• Sabbatical leave

Plan your next hiring step

Talk through the questions raised in Overview and Legal Basis for Leave in France with the Gloroots team.

Book a demo

Annual Leave (Earned / Privilege Leave)

French law grants employees 30 jours ouvrables (working days, Saturday included) of paid annual leave per year under Code du travail L3141-3. Employers may instead apply a jours ouvrés system of 25 days (Monday to Friday) provided the result is at least equivalent.

Accrual runs at 2.5 jours ouvrables per month worked. Eligibility begins after one month of actual work; the previous requirement of a full year no longer applies.

Additional leave applies in specific circumstances:

• Employees aged 21 or over receive 2 extra days per dependent child under 15, or per disabled child of any age, capped at 30 jours ouvrables total (L3141-8).

• A fractionnement bonus applies when leave is taken outside the May 1 to October 31 window: 1 extra day if 3 to 5 days are taken outside that window; 2 extra days if 6 or more days are taken outside it (L3141-19 to L3141-23). Employees may waive this bonus.

• Married or PACS-partnered employees working for the same company are entitled to simultaneous leave.

Scheduling rules are mandatory. Employees must take at least 12 consecutive working days between May 1 and October 31. The main leave block cannot exceed 24 consecutive working days (L3141-13 and L3141-17). Employers must notify employees of leave dates at least one month before departure and cannot modify dates within that month except in exceptional circumstances (L3141-15 to L3141-16).

The April 2024 reform extended accrual rights during sick leave. Employees accrue 2.5 days per month during work-related illness and 2 days per month during non-work-related illness, up to a maximum of 24 working days per year. Accrued days lost due to sick leave carry over for up to 15 months. Employers must inform employees of their carry-over rights upon return from sick leave.

Vacation pay is calculated as the higher of two amounts: salary maintenance during the leave period, or one-tenth of total gross remuneration earned during the reference period (L3141-24). On termination, employers must pay an indemnité compensatrice de congés payés for unused leave. The only exception is dismissal for faute lourde (gross misconduct) under L3141-28.

Public Holidays

France observes 11 national public holidays each year. Only 1 May (Fête du Travail, Labour Day) is a universally mandatory paid holiday under Code du travail L3133-4. Whether other holidays are paid depends on the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or individual employment contract.

Three holidays follow Easter-based calculations: Easter Monday falls the day after Easter Sunday; Ascension falls on the 40th day after Easter; Whit Monday falls on the 50th day after Easter.

Employees in Alsace-Moselle receive two additional holidays under local law: Good Friday (Vendredi Saint) and St Stephen's Day (Saint-Étienne, 26 December).

Dates for Easter-dependent holidays shift each year. Review this table annually to confirm accuracy. For a comparison with a neighbouring EU market, see the leave policy in Germany.

Sick Leave

French Social Security pays 50% of the employee's daily wage from the fourth day of absence, capped at $59 (€50.58) per day (2023 figure; review annually). The first three days are an unpaid waiting period for most employees.

Employees in Alsace-Moselle are an exception: local law requires the employer to pay from day one, with no three-day waiting period.

To qualify for Social Security sick pay, an employee must meet one of these conditions under Article L313-1 of the Social Security Code:

• Have worked at least 150 hours in the three months before the absence, or

• Have paid contributions on earnings equal to at least 1,015 times the hourly SMIC rate in the six months before the absence.

For extended sick leave beyond three months, the employee must meet a higher threshold: 600 hours worked in the prior 12 months, 12 months of Social Security affiliation, or income equal to at least 2,030 times the hourly SMIC rate.

Employers are also required to top up Social Security payments under the Code du travail for employees with at least one year of service. The employer pays 90% of gross salary for the first 30 days of absence, then 66% from day 31 onward.

From 1 September 2026, a new rule limits initial sick leave certificates to one month. Each extension certificate is capped at two months unless the treating physician provides medical justification for a longer period.

A separate April 2024 reform confirmed that employees continue to accrue paid annual leave during periods of sick leave. See the Annual Leave section for full details on accrual rules.

Casual Leave

France does not have a statutory casual leave category separate from annual leave. Short-notice absences are drawn from the employee's annual leave entitlement or covered by specific statutory provisions.

The Code du travail (Article L3142-1) defines congés pour événements familiaux, which serves the practical function of casual leave for named life events. Entitlements include four days for marriage or PACS, one day for a child's wedding, three days for a birth or adoption announcement, and two days following a child disability announcement.

Collective bargaining agreements or company-level agreements may grant additional discretionary short-notice days beyond these statutory minimums. Carry-forward rules for any unused days follow the same conditions that apply to annual leave.

Maternity Leave

In France, maternity leave duration depends on the number of children the employee already has and the number of children being born. At least eight weeks of maternity leave are mandatory and cannot be waived by the employee or employer.

The table below sets out statutory entitlements under the Code du travail.

Maternity benefits are paid by Social Security. The daily benefit cap is $121 (€104.02) (2026 rate). Benefits are calculated on the average daily salary over the three months before leave begins and are paid every two weeks.

To qualify, an employee must have been affiliated with Social Security for at least six months before the due date, taken at least eight weeks of leave, and worked a minimum of 150 hours in the 90 days before the leave starts.

From July 1, 2026, a new additional birth leave of up to two months per parent takes effect. Social Security pays 70% of salary in the first month and 60% in the second month. Employers managing French payroll should account for this change in benefit calculations from that date. For a comparison of parental leave structures across Europe, see the leave policy in the UK.

Paternity Leave

Paternity leave in France is statutory under Code du travail L1225-35. Employers cannot refuse it.

Fathers and second parents receive 25 calendar days of paternity leave, or 32 days for multiple births. This follows an initial 3-day birth leave paid by the employer. The first 4 days of paternity leave must be taken consecutively, immediately after the birth leave period.

The remaining 21 days can be split into a maximum of two periods, each lasting at least 5 days. All leave must be used within 6 months of the child's birth. Employers must receive at least one month's written notice.

Social Security funds the benefit after the employer-paid birth leave. The daily cap is $121 (€104.02) (2026). Eligibility requires at least 10 months of Social Security enrollment. For a European comparison, see the leave policy in Poland.

Adoption and Surrogacy Leave

Adoption leave in France is governed by Code du travail L1225-37. Entitlement depends on family size at the time of adoption.

• Single parent adopting one child with one or fewer existing children: 16 weeks

• Single parent adopting one child with two or more existing children: 18 weeks

• Adoption of multiple children: 22 weeks

When two parents share adoption leave, an additional 25 days are added to the total, or 32 days for multiple adoptions. Leave may begin up to 7 days before the child's arrival.

Employers must be notified in advance. An adoption certificate is required as supporting documentation.

Surrogacy (gestation pour autrui) is illegal in France. No statutory surrogacy leave exists under French law.

Get clear hiring costs

See how pricing can support the plan covered in Adoption and Surrogacy Leave.

View pricing

Bereavement Leave

French law (Code du travail, L3142-1 et seq.) grants paid bereavement leave to all employees, with job protection throughout the absence.

Entitlements vary by relationship. Employees receive 3 days for the death of a spouse, PACS partner, parent, or sibling. The death of a child triggers 12 days, extended to 14 days if the child was under 25 or was a parent themselves. An additional 8 days of separate leave is available following a child's death.

These are statutory minimums. Collective bargaining agreements frequently provide more generous entitlements, so employers should review any applicable CBA before setting internal policy.

Other Leave Types

French law provides several additional leave categories beyond the main entitlements. Each has its own eligibility conditions, duration limits, and pay rules.

Family and event leave (congés pour événements familiaux, L3142-1): Employees are entitled to 4 days for their own marriage or PACS, 1 day for a child's wedding, 3 days for a birth or adoption announcement, and 2 days for a child disability announcement (some CBAs grant 5 days).

Caregiver leave (congé de proche aidant, L3142-16 et seq.): Unpaid leave of up to 3 months, renewable to a maximum of 1 year in total. The AJPA daily allowance is $73 (€62.44) for a full day or $36 (€31.22) for a half day (as of January 2023), capped at 66 days per year.

Family solidarity leave (congé de solidarité familiale, L3142-6 et seq.): Available to accompany a terminally ill family member. Duration is up to 3 months, renewable once. A daily support allowance applies during this period.

• Business creation leave (L3142-105 et seq.): Requires 24 months of service. Employees may take up to 1 year of unpaid leave, renewable once, with 2 months advance notice. Employers with fewer than 300 employees may postpone or refuse the request.

• RTT (Réduction du temps de travail): Available only under agreements predating August 22, 2008. No new company-level RTT agreements have been permitted since that date. A buyback option (rachat) applies at or above the first overtime hour premium rate, with income tax exemption up to $8,720 (€7,500) per year, for days accrued between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2026.

• Jury duty leave: Employers must grant leave for Cour d'Assises jury service. Wages are not required from the employer; the court pays a compensatory allowance. Job protection applies throughout.

• Military and reservist leave: Up to 8 days per year. Employer approval is required for absences exceeding 5 days. The period counts as effective working time for seniority purposes, and the state covers military pay.

State or Regional Variations in Leave Entitlements

France applies a single national Labour Code, but three departments retain a distinct legal regime: Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle. These territories were under German administration before 1918, and when they rejoined France their local law (droit local) was preserved. That local law still governs employment conditions in Alsace-Moselle today.

The most significant difference concerns sick leave. Under national rules, Social Security benefits begin only on the fourth day of absence, creating a three-day waiting period (carence). Alsace-Moselle eliminates this waiting period entirely. Employers there must pay from day one of a certified illness.

The region also observes two additional public holidays not recognised elsewhere in France: Good Friday and St Stephen's Day (26 December).

Carry-Forward and Leave Encashment Rules

Under the Code du travail, unused annual leave lapses at the end of the reference period on 31 May each year. There is no automatic right to carry days forward unless a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) provides otherwise.

An April 2024 reform created a specific exception. Employees who could not take vacation because of sick leave may carry over unused days for up to 15 months. The window opens from the date the employer informs the employee in writing of their accrued carry-over rights upon return. Any days not taken within that 15-month window lapse. Employers must issue this written notice; failure to do so creates legal exposure.

On termination, employers must pay an indemnité compensatrice de congés payés for all accrued unused annual leave under Article L3141-28. The only exception is faute lourde, meaning serious and gross misconduct by the employee.

RTT days follow a separate encashment path. Employees may sell back RTT days (rachat) at a rate no lower than the first overtime hour premium. For days accrued between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026, buyback proceeds are tax-exempt up to $8,720 (€7,500) per year. Outside of this RTT buyback mechanism, there is no general right to encash annual leave while still employed.

Tracking carry-over windows, written notice obligations, and RTT buyback eligibility across a distributed workforce requires reliable tooling. Employer of record software can centralise these records and flag deadlines before they lapse.

What our clients are saying

“While OTCs are too expensive for these market conditions, and the minimum tranches are not viable.”

Prabhav Varambally

VP, Customer Enablement at AssetMantle

Read Case Study

Best Practices for Managing Leave Compliantly in France

• Apply Alsace-Moselle rules where relevant. Employees in Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle fall under droit local, which includes a shorter sick-leave carence period and two additional public holidays (Good Friday and St Stephen's Day). Track these employees separately from the national regime.

• Notify employees of carry-over rights in writing. The April 2024 reform requires employers to inform employees of accrued annual leave balances and carry-over entitlements upon return from sick leave. Document each notification.

• Confirm leave dates at least one month in advance. French law requires written confirmation of approved leave dates within this window. Maintain records of the scheduling order (ordre des départs) for audit purposes.

• Check the applicable branch collective bargaining agreement. Many CBAs set higher entitlements than the Code du travail, including extra leave days, enhanced sick-leave top-ups, and RTT provisions. Always apply whichever terms are more favourable to the employee. Gloroots EOR services include CBA-specific configuration to keep entitlements accurate.

Managing Leave Policy in France with Gloroots

France operates one of the most layered leave systems in Europe. The Code du travail sets the statutory floor, but branch collective bargaining agreements, the April 2024 sick-leave carry-over reform, upcoming 2026 changes, and the Alsace-Moselle droit local all create distinct obligations. For international employers, the compliance risk is real and ongoing.

Gloroots manages this directly. The platform tracks leave balances in both jours ouvrables and jours ouvrés, configures entitlements to match the applicable branch CBA, and integrates with payroll to calculate sick-leave top-ups and termination encashment accurately. April 2024 carry-over notifications are handled as part of the employment lifecycle, not as a manual task.

Workforce Visibility and Reporting gives HR and Finance teams a consolidated view of leave liability across all French employees. For teams evaluating cost, see Gloroots pricing for country-specific rates. For context on comparable leave frameworks, see leave policy in Germany and leave policy in the UK.

Put your hiring plan into action

Create an account to move from Managing Leave Policy in France with Gloroots to your next compliant step.

Sign up

Frequently Asked Questions About Leave Policy in France

How much annual leave are employees entitled to in France?

French employees are entitled to 30 jours ouvrables (working days) of paid annual leave per year under Article L3141-3 of the Code du travail. That equals five weeks. Saturday counts as a working day for leave calculation purposes. Employers may convert this to 25 jours ouvrés if the result is at least equivalent. Collective bargaining agreements often grant additional days beyond the statutory minimum.

Which public holidays are mandatory paid days off in France?

Only May 1 (Fête du Travail) is a universally mandatory paid public holiday under Code du travail L3133-4. The remaining 10 national public holidays are paid only if a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract requires it. Employees in Alsace-Moselle receive two additional paid public holidays under local law.

How long is paternity leave in France and is it paid?

Paternity leave in France totals 25 calendar days, or 32 days for multiple births. Employers pay an initial 3-day birth leave. The first 4 days following that birth leave are mandatory and must be taken consecutively.

The remaining 21 days are flexible and must be used within 6 months of the child's birth. Social Security funds this portion, paying up to $121 (€104.02) per day (2026 cap).

Are unused annual leave days paid out when an employee leaves?

Yes. Under Code du travail L3141-28, employers must pay indemnité compensatrice de congés payés for all accrued unused vacation days at termination. The only exception is dismissal for faute lourde (serious and gross misconduct). The payout uses whichever of the two statutory calculation formulas produces the higher amount.

Can unused annual leave be carried forward in France?

No automatic carry-forward applies. Unused days lapse at the end of the reference period on May 31, unless a collective bargaining agreement states otherwise.

One exception applies from April 2024. Employees who could not take leave due to illness may carry days forward for up to 15 months after the employer notifies them upon their return to work.

What bereavement leave are employees entitled to in France?

Under Code du travail L3142-1, employees receive 3 paid days for the death of a spouse, PACS partner, parent, or sibling. The entitlement rises to 12 days for the death of a child, or 14 days if the child was under 25 or was a parent themselves. An additional 8 days may be taken separately after a child's death. Collective bargaining agreements may provide more generous terms.

What is the new additional birth leave coming in 2026 in France?

The Social Security Financing Act 2026 (Law No. 2025-1403) introduces up to 2 months of additional paid birth leave per child born or adopted from 1 January 2026. Each parent may use this leave within 9 months after their maternity, paternity, or adoption leave ends. Social Security pays 70% of salary in month one and 60% in month two. The measure takes effect on 1 July 2026.