Leave Policies in France

Mandatory Leave Policies in France

The annual leave entitlement in France is 30 working days for a full-time worker. These days are in addition to public holidays, which are separate from the annual leave entitlement.

Public Holidays in France

Employees in France obtain 11 public holidays per year. France has the following national holidays:

Types of Leave in France

Sick Leave

Employees with over three months of service and 150 hours worked are entitled to unlimited paid sick leave based on their regular salary. They must provide a medical certificate to the employer within 48 hours to obtain a Social Security salary certificate. The first three days serve as a qualifying period, and from the fourth day onward, Social Security covers the pay. Additional compensation from the employer is detailed in collective or company agreements.

Paid Time Off

As per France's labor code, employees are entitled to a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation annually. Paid leave is granted after completing one month of probation, in addition to public holidays. However, it is customary to allocate extra leave days through collective bargaining agreements. Unused leave may sometimes be carried over with employer approval.

Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees in France receive 16 weeks of maternity leave, extendable for more children or health reasons. Maternity pay, provided by Social Security, requires six months of affiliation before the due date, with 150 hours of work in the 90 days preceding leave. The pay is based on the average salary from three months before the leave, capped at 3,428 EUR, and is distributed every two weeks.

Paternity Leave

In France, paternity leave lasts 25 days, with the first 3 days after birth paid by the employer. Fathers must take 4 days, and the remaining 21 days can be used within 6 months, either consecutively or in two periods of at least 5 days. Multiple births add 7 extra days covered by social security. Qualification requires 10 months of social security enrolment and one month's notice. Payment is based on the average daily salary over the last 3 months, capped at 88.84 EUR per day.

Parental Leave

Employees with at least one year of service at their child's birth can request up to one year of unpaid parental leave or switch to part-time (pro-rata) with employer approval. Monthly allowances are provided for those with over two years of service and multiple children. A 3-5 day parental leave is granted for a child's illness, extendable until the child turns three.

Family and Emergency Leave

Employees can take family solidarity leave for up to three months to care for critically ill relatives. Leave is also available for major life events such as marriage or the loss of a family member.

Adoption Leave

In the case of adopting a child that involves travel, employees can take six weeks of unpaid leave.

Special Leave Types

Sabbatical leave is available for 6-11 months but is unpaid and subject to employer approval. Other types of unpaid leave may be granted at an employer's discretion.

Best Practices for Implementing Leave Policies in France

 
• Clear Communication: Ensure employees understand their leave entitlements and procedures.
 
• Consistent Policy Application: Apply leave policies uniformly to maintain fairness.
 
• Accurate Record-Keeping: Track leave balances and usage for compliance and planning.
 
• Encouraging Leave Utilization: Promote a culture that supports taking time off to improve well-being and productivity.

Providing Leave Benefits in France With an EOR

A competitive compensation package is critical to attract and retain the best talent, but every country different regulations, customs and expectations. That’s the advantage of using a trusted Employer of Record like Playroll to manage benefits for your global team. They can:

• ‍Handle the benefits admin: Playroll ensures compliant contracts with built-in statutory checks. Add region-specific premium benefits, while we handle administration and employee claims. Manage leave, expenses, and more – all in one easy dashboard.
• ‍Run global payroll: An EOR will act as your payroll provider, paying your employees on your behalf in the local currency. The company will also have in-depth knowledge of local tax codes, regulatory practices, and everything else that goes into managing global payroll.
• ‍Alleviate compliance concerns: Different countries each have their own federal and local laws governing employee payments. An EOR helps ensure that you are compliant with the unique set of laws for any country in which your company operates. This is extremely important since a compliance slip-up can result in heavy fines or even a lawsuit.