Congés Payés (paid annual leave) is the statutory entitlement of every employee in France to five weeks of paid holiday per year, regardless of contract type, seniority, or sector. The entitlement accrues at 2.5 working days per month of actual work during the reference period, which runs from 1 June to 31 May under the default legal rule, though many conventions collectives and company agreements align the reference period with the calendar year. A full 12-month reference period generates 30 working days (calculated on a basis of five working days per week, excluding Sundays and public holidays).
Pay during congés payés is calculated using the more favourable of two methods: one tenth of total gross remuneration earned during the reference period, or the employee's normal pay for the leave days taken. Employers must ensure that employees take at least 12 consecutive working days of leave during the peak period (1 May to 31 October), and may not roll over unlimited leave entitlements unless a collective agreement so provides.
A ruling by the Cour de Cassation (France's highest civil court) in September 2023, aligned with EU case law, confirmed that employees continue to accrue congés payés during sick leave, significantly expanding employer obligations. Employers should review leave accrual policies to ensure compliance with the updated legal position, which has been codified into French law as of 2024.