FRENCH HR ESSENTIALS · LEAVE
How should employers plan paid leave and public holidays?
Separate paid leave, public holidays, additional working-time rest days and annual-days rest — then build one operating calendar.
THE FOUR LAYERS
Different rights, one staffing plan.
Five weeks in the standard case
Employees acquire 2.5 working days per month of actual work, up to 30 working days — the familiar five-week entitlement. Alternative day-count methods must be at least equivalent.
Eleven statutory dates in the general mainland case
Only 1 May is generally required to be non-working, subject to narrow operational exceptions. Treatment of other dates depends on collective rules or employer decision.
Rest from an hours-based arrangement
These days are commonly called RTT days in France. Their number and scheduling follow the applicable collective framework and work pattern.
Rest linked to the annual day count
These days are calculated from the calendar and package; they are not an extra paid-leave entitlement.
PLANNING VALUE
Predictability comes from the calendar, not from reducing rights.
Set the leave-taking period, approval workflow, minimum coverage, closure dates, public-holiday treatment and additional-rest-day rules before peak periods. The collective agreement may add conditions or more favorable rights.
A public holiday falling on a normal non-working day does not automatically create an extra day, although a collective rule may be more favorable. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories also require local checks.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Accrual and standard annual entitlement.
Official page in French · browser translation may helpFRENCH GOVERNMENTPublic holidays and bridge daysDates, work and pay rules, including local differences.
Official page in French · browser translation may helpGeneral information only. Check the collective agreement, location, work pattern and employee situation.