Are you employing French employees on your payroll? Or is your organization about to open a branch in France? One of the biggest challenges is the laws and regulations. You have to deal with different employee rights in France such as the ‘CDI’. Also, salaries and leave arrangements may be regulated a little differently than you are used to. In our free white paper we explain the most important differences. This will give you the most complete picture possible of everything you need to consider in French HR and payroll administration.
Do you still have questions after reading this guide? Let us know. We are happy to assist you in setting up your French HR and Payroll in the best possible way
1. Labour Considerations
COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENTS (CLA’S), TRADE UNIONS, LABOUR LEGISLATION AND CONTRACT LAWS
CLA’s and Trade Unions
Almost all sectors in France have collective labour agreements. French legislation defines CLA’s as written agreements between one or more representative trade union organizations and one or more employers or
employers’ organizations. Major national trade unions include CFDT, CGT, CGT-FO, CFTC and the employers’ union CFE-CGC.
Substantive CLA negotiations regarding remuneration and working conditions mainly take place at sector level and employer level. At sector level, it involves negotiations between employers and employees in an entire sector (either nationally, regionally, or locally). At employer level, it involves CLA negotiations of unions with a single company or group of companies, or a company’s branch.
The provisions of the agreement with one employer take precedence over sector agreements unless the latter are more favorable for the employee.
Trade unions have the right to have their own union department within companies, provided they have members there. In companies or branches with 50 or more employees, they may appoint ( elected by local members ) union delegates. These delegates negotiate collective agreements at company and branch level with the local employer. They also have a number of information and consultation rights, regarding, for example, working hours, career guidance, and equal treatment of employees
Labour Legislation
The French Labour Code, le code du travail, safeguards the rights of employees in France. This labour law is dealt with in eight parts:
1. Individual employment relations (including anti-discrimination provisions, employment contracts, statutory leave, and dismissal law);
2. Collective employment relations (such as CLA negotiations, union representation, and disputes);
3. Remuneration (including working, resting, and leave times, salary, profitsharing, participation, and company savings schemes);
4. A healthy and safe workplace (think of risk prevention, protective equipment, emergency measures and procedures, and penal provisions in case of violation);
5. Promoting and protecting employment (through, for example, retraining or (re)integration of personnel, a mandatory percentage of disabled employees, and requirements set for foreign employees);
6. Lifelong vocational training (the right of every employee to professional development up to his/her retirement, mainly funded by companies);
7. Special provisions for specific professions. Such as journalists, representatives, branch managers, and concierges. And activities by, for example, children (such as appearing in a TV commercial) and home workers;
8. Supervision and enforcement of correctly applied labour legislation.
An employee from another EU member state who is hired in France has the same obligations and rights as a French employee regarding working hours, leave, and remuneration, among other things. Moreover, he does not need to obtain a work permit to be hired in France
Labour Legislation
n all cases where someone works as a subordinate and for compensation for another, French jurisprudence assumes the existence of an employment contract. In the absence of a written agreement, jurisprudence assumes a (verbal) indefinite-term agreement for a full work week, regardless of the views of the parties involved. For employment contracts, see chapter 1.3.)
Regarding the conclusion of employment contracts, France has the following options and practices:
Contrat à durée indéterminée, abbreviated as CDI is the standard. About three-quarters of the French working population has a fixed contract.
Trial period: the legal maximum duration of this differs per job level. For workers and employees, a maximum trial period of two months applies, for supervisory and technical staff three months, and for managerial and professional staff four months.
Extended trial period: the employer can extend the trial period once, provided the employment contract (or appointment letter) and the applicable collective agreement explicitly mention this possibility. Some collective agreements contain clauses on longer or shorter trial periods.
The employee must agree in advance to the extension. However, refusal can obviously result in dismissal, since the first trial period is still ongoing. No trial period: an appointment can also start without a trial period if both
parties agree. An employer may not even require a trial period if he could be aware of the work-related capacities of the employee, for example, if the employee has previously worked under a temporary contract.
A fixed-term employment contract (contrat à durée déterminée, CDD) is the most common after the CDI. They are even concluded much more often, but that is largely due to their nature: such a contract ends regularly. Even after one day. Unlike a fixed contract.
Furthermore, France also recognizes the agency agreement and the secondment agreement.
Arrangements for International Employees
France does not have special rules for recruiting residents from other EU member states. The same applies to Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway (not EU member states, but like the EU countries, members of the EEA, the
European Economic Area) and Switzerland.
In cross-border employment relationships between employees and employers in countries within the EU/EEA, Regulation (EC) nr. 593/2008 Rome I applies.
Highly qualified citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland have the right to work in France based on the “European Blue Card” scheme, formulated in EU Directive 2009/50/EG.
The United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU or the EEA since 2021. A British employee who has to work in France for more than 90 days needs a residence permit.
Hiring Employees
According to European Directive 2019/1152, an employer must provide a written (or digital) employment contract within a week after the first working day. French jurisprudence states that the employer complies with this European directive by issuing pay slips, in line with what is mentioned above under chapter 1.1 (on laws on employment contracts). Strictly speaking, you do not need to draw up a written employment contract with a new
employee: the pay slip serves as evidence of an indefinite (!) term agreement.
However, we think it is wise to always draw up a written employment contract, describing the
various clauses
Duration of the working day
Employees are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of free time per day. Exceptions are allowed, on the initiative of the employer, in cases of, for example, emergency work.
Duration of the working week
A full working week in France lasts 35 hours. Hours worked above this number count as overtime, with corresponding surcharges or, under specific circumstances, compensatory rest.
The total weekly working time including overtime may not exceed 48 hours unless the Labor Inspection (in exceptional cases) agrees to a maximum of 60 hours. Over a contiguous period of 12 weeks, a maximum average of 44 hours per week applies in most cases. More information on this subject can be found in chapter 2.
2. Salaries, Termination and Pensions
Salaries
Minimum Wage: Smic
Every employer, both domestic and foreign, is obligated to pay their employees working in France the national statutory minimum wage: le salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance (Smic). This minimum applies to all work carried out in France, even for short-term assignments.
The current minimum wage can be found on this page of Service Public, the official website of the French Republic.
At the beginning of each year, the Smic increases by decree, in line with inflation and purchasing power gains. Additionally, the minimum hourly rate can increase during the year; this happens automatically if the consumer price index increases by 2 percent or more compared to the previous year.
The Smic applies to employees aged 18 and over. Minor employees receive 80 percent of the Smic until their 17th birthday, and 90 percent until their 18th birthday. An important exception is made for young individuals who have worked in a particular sector for six months; they are also entitled to the full rate.
If a collective bargaining agreement sets a higher minimum wage, the employer must pay the
higher amount.
Monthly Payments
Payroll is processed monthly; France does not have four-weekly pay periods. Salary payments are made either by check (still a common payment method in France) or bank transfer.
Cash payments are also allowed, but only if the salary and thus the amount to be handed over is a maximum of 1500 euros per month, and exclusively if the employee requests it. The employer may not object to this request.
In the case of a bank transfer, the counter account must also be in the name of the employee.
An exception to the mandatory monthly salary disbursement applies to seasonal workers, temporary workers, intermittently working forces, home workers, and employees with a temporary contract. Such employees are
entitled to payment twice a month.
Employees of the general category may request an advance on their salary, up to half of the monthly salary.
With each payment, an employee must receive a pay slip. Since 2017, the electronic pay slip has been the standard compared to the paper version, except in case of disagreement by the employee.
For a comprehensive overview (including prohibited components), also see the section Pay Slips on the aforementioned French government website Service Public
Pay Slip Components
- Employer’s name and address
- The location where the employee works (if the company has multiple locations)
- The official company registration number (Siret-number) of the employer, if applicable
- Name and position of the employee
- The reference of the social security institution and the registration number under which the contributions are paid
- The applicable collective bargaining agreement at sector level (in the absence of an agreement, you can refer to the relevant provisions of the French labor code, le code du travail, see § Labor Legislation of Chapter 1.1);
- The position of the employee in the salary scale of the collective bargaining agreement;
- pay period and number of hours worked, split into regular hours and overtime hours (including mention of the associated rates);
- Subject-to-contribution wage supplements such as tips and certain bonuses (specified in type and associated amount)
- The gross hourly wage
- Withheld income tax
- Rates of (social security) contributions
- The nature and amount of other compensations and deductions (such as mileage allowance)
- The net wage
- The payment date
- Any dates of leave taken during the pay period, with associated amount
- The total amount paid by the employer, i.e., the gross wage, social security contributions, and other employer contributions
- A reference to the government website Service Public, specifically the section Employee Contributions. There, they can find information about social contributions and employee contributions withheld on the pay slip
- An advice to the employee to keep the pay slip indefinitely.
Mandatory Profit Sharing
Companies with at least fifty employees on staff for five years must share their profits with all their employees: participation. Companies that do not meet these conditions can participate voluntarily.
The amounts depend on the provisions in the participation agreement, drafted with unions, with employee representatives, or based on an employee referendum. Without such an agreement, a statutory standard arrangement follows at the initiative of the labor inspection.
The employee has the choice for direct payment of the allocated amounts or participation in a savings plan for at least five years.
incentive Bonus
In addition to this mandatory scheme, the French wage system has a voluntary form of profit-sharing: intéressement, a company savings plan for bonuses based on company performance. This system serves as an incentive for employees to achieve the company’s objectives.
Companies with more than fifty employees establish such a plan, as with mandatory profit-sharing, with unions, with employee representatives, or based on an employee referendum. In companies with fewer than 50 employees, the employer can also unilaterally introduce profit-sharing.
The distribution can take place uniformly, or proportio ally to, for example, the salary or the time spent per employee, or a combination of both criteria.
Overtime Payment
As mentioned in Chapter 1.4, France has a legally established working week of 35 hours. Every worked hour beyond this is considered as overtime, with the corresponding higher rate. The level of this depends on the applicable collective agreement, concluded at company, establishment, or sector level.
The same applies to the maximum number of overtime hours per year, the annual quota. If agreements on overtime are lacking, a surcharge of at least 25 percent applies for the first eight hours per week (counting from Monday to Sunday) and for the hours beyond, at least 50 percent, on top of the regular wage.
Without collective agreement arrangements, a maximum of 220 hours per employee per year stands for the annual quota. Overtime hours made due to an emergency or compensated by compensatory rest do not count towards the quota.
Income from overtime is exempt from income tax, within a yearly determined ceiling amount. Overtime is done at the request (written or verbal) of the employer. The employee can, in principle, not refuse the overtime determined by their employer unless in an exceptional case if they were not informed in time.
The employee who continues working without a request from his employer cannot claim payment for overtime, unless the task entrusted to him made this necessary.
Leave Days
During taken vacation days, the employer does not pay a salary. Instead, the employee receives a leave allowance.
Dismissal
Termination of a permanent contract
An employer wishing to terminate an indefinite-term employment contract (contrat à durée indéterminée, abbreviated to CDI) must be able to provide real and serious cause for this.
- Personal reasons: A disciplinary (e.g., misconduct) or a non-disciplinary reason (e.g., underperformance). If an employer wishes to dismiss an employee for personal reasons, they must invite them for a preliminary
meeting and send a dismissal letter. Details of the dismissal procedure are described on this official government page. The dismissed employee can receive a severance pay under certain conditions. Current
information about the amount and conditions can be found here.
- Economic reasons: Reasons unrelated to the employee’s person, but associated with, for example, financial difficulties, a reorganization, closure of the company, the introduction of new technology, or an
essential change in the employment contract refused by the employee. The dismissal procedure to follow for economic reasons is described here.
- In case of force majeure (such as a devastating fire).
- In case of incapacity to work established by the occupational physician
(under these conditions).
- In case of force majeure
- In case of forced retirement. Employers have the right to require an employee to retire from their 70th birthday at any time. This can be done without the employee’s consent and without an official dismissal
procedure, unless a collective agreement indicates otherwise. Protected employees, such as a staff representative or union delegate, enjoy dismissal protection: the labor inspection must give its approval. When determining the retirement date, the employer must take into account a notice period equal to the notice period for dismissal.
Termination of a permanent contract
A fixed-term employment contract (contrat à durée déterminée, abbreviated to CDD) can be terminated during the probationary period without any particular reason. Outside the probationary period, the CDD can only end prematurely in one of the following cases:
- With mutual agreement of employer and employee.
- At the request of the employee because they have been offered a
permanent contract (CDI). - In case of misconduct or gross negligence (learn more).
- In case of force majeure (such as a devastating fire).
- In case of incapacity to work established by the occupational physician (
under these conditions).
The employee can contest their dismissal at the labor court. An overview of
prohibited grounds for dismissal can be found on this page of Service Public.
Transition Allowance/Severance Pay
The dismissed employee can claim a severance pay under certain conditions, both with
a permanent or temporary employment contract.
Pension Accrual
Employers have the duty to pay employer contributions and withhold employee contributions for social security. Both employers and employees thus contribute to, among other things, the old-age pension insurance.
France has a general old-age pension scheme and a mandatory supplementary pension scheme.
In addition to these basic and supplementary pension schemes, companies can arrange their own additional company pension schemes based on collective agreements or voluntary initiatives. In practice, this rarely occurs.
As of 1 September 2023, the pensionable age in France is 64
3. Taxes and Social Insurances
Since 2019, the French government has required employers to deduct income tax “at source” from the salaries of employees. Previously, this only applied to social security and employee
contributions.
As of January 1, 2023, employers located outside of France but within the EU or EEA (and under certain conditions, the UK) are no longer required to withhold income tax “at source” for employees who are fiscal residents of France and who work temporarily in France, such as in cases of teleworking. This means that these employers no longer bear the responsibility for withholding and remitting French income tax on behalf of their employees; instead, these employees may be responsible themselves for declaring and paying their taxes in France.
Income Tax
The French tax authority, Finances publiques, provides the prevailing individual tax rates. Employers are required to remit the withheld amounts to the tax authority within a specified timeframe. They then detail the tax base, the applied withholding rate, and the withheld amount on the pay slips.
Unlike European countries like the Netherlands, France does not have a box system. All income of the taxpayer is subject to the same tax rate.
To determine the amount of income tax, Finances publiques divides the total family income by the number of taxpayers in the household. Hence, the taxpayer employee must inform the tax authority within sixty days after
events like their wedding day or PACS (the French equivalent of a registered partnership), or after a birth, so the withholding rate can be immediately adjusted for the tax-paying family members.
The individual share of the family income is then taxed at progressive rates. The current rates can be found on the page Impôt sur le revenu – Calcul de l’impôt on the governmental website Service Public.
Social Insurances
As mentioned above, employers are required to remit the employer and employee contributions for social security monthly. Both the employer and the employee contribute to, among others:
- Pension insurance (for general and mandatory supplementary pension);
- Health insurance (state health fund);
- Social debt repayment contribution CSG (contribution sociale généralisée);
- Coverage for occupational diseases and accidents (employer only);
- Family allowance (employer only);
- Unemployment contributions;
- Supplementary pension premiums;
- Insurance for unforeseen events (maternity, disability, death);
- Family allowances (employer only);
- Funds financing training, apprenticeships, and housing (employer only)
- Social charges contribution CRDS (contribution au remboursement de la dette sociale), a tax for reducing national debt;
The contribution rates and cost-sharing between the employee and employer vary by position and income. But roughly, over 20 percent of the gross wage is borne by the employee, and 45 to 50 percent by the employer.
Health Insurance
The French health fund does not cover medical costs in full. Employers are required to provide a collective health insurance policy, covering the employee for additional (dental) medical costs, besides the coverage provided by the state healthcare.
The employer pays at least half of the total premium. On top of the mandatory coverage, employers can expand the coverages of the company fund.
4. Leave Arrangements
Vacation Days and Other Leave
- With a six-day work week, employees are entitled to 2.5 paid leave days per month, totaling 30 days per year. Legal holidays and Sundays are not included in this total, equating to a maximum of five weeks annually.
- With a five-day work week, although employees are entitled to fewer leave days, i.e., 2.08 per month and 25 per year, the total still amounts to a maximum of five weeks, as the usual weekly non-working days are not included.
- Part-time workers have the same rights as full-time workers, adjusted according to their shorter work day or week, also resulting in a maximum of five full vacation weeks annually
- During leave days, employers either pay the normal compensation the employee would have received had they worked, or one-tenth of their total salary between June 1st of the previous year and May 31st of the current year. The higher amount of the two options determines the choice.
- An employee has the right to take at least two consecutive weeks of vacation days between May 1st and October 31st unless both parties agree otherwise.
- Working parents who were under 21 years old on April 30th of the previous calendar year are entitled to two extra paid vacation days per child living at home, with no maximum number of leave days. Employees above this age category have the same right, but with a maximum of 30 paid leave days, allowing only part-time workers to benefit from this right.
- The reference period for calculating the annual leave days is the twelve months between June 1st of one year and May 31st of the following calendar year.
- Employees who have not worked the full reference period are entitled to the rightful number of leave days per year, adjusted to the number of completed months. The number of days is rounded up to the next whole number.
- Annually, the employee must, in principle, take their leave days in two parts: a main vacation of four consecutive weeks between May 1st and October 31st, and an additional vacation of one week. The main vacation can be divided into shorter leave periods by mutual agreement between employer and employee,
but always with at least one consecutive period of at least twelve working days between May 1st and October 31st.
- The period of the annual “main vacation” is often fixed in collective labor agreements at company or establishment level. If this is not the case, the collective labor agreements on this matter at the sector level apply. If none of the collective labor agreements provide for this, the employer determines the leave
dates of the employees. This must be done after consultation with the employee representatives, and tailored to factors such as the employee’s family situation, care tasks, and seniority (years of service within the company). The employer must inform the employee at least one or two months before the start date,
depending on the CLA. Often, the main vacation falls in a period when the entire company temporarily closes.
- Expiry Date of Leave Days: Employees must, in principle, take their annual vacations each year. An individual or collective agreement can possibly regulate the partial carryover of this. The payout of untaken vacation days (buy-back) can only occur in rare cases.
- Unpaid Leave: For personal reasons, the employee can request unpaid leave. They do not need to explain their request. An employer may refuse this request, also without substantiating their refusal. This leave does not affect the calculation of the duration of the annual paid leave days.
Sundays and Holidays
Sunday Rest
- Employees do not have to work more than six days a week and are entitled to a weekly rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours. This rest period usually falls on Sunday.
- At least 11 hours before this, employees must have stopped working, thus actually entitling them to a minimum weekly rest period of 35 hours. Exceptions to both the chosen rest day and the mandatory rest time may apply, whether or not related to the industry, to specific activities or under certain circumstances.
- Employers can require employees to work on Sundays, without the need for agreements in a collective agreement or specific permission from the government, provided that this Sunday work is necessary due to production or activity restrictions, or due to the needs of the public, such as in hospitality, healthcare, utilities, and sports facility operators.
- In such cases, employees can have their rest day on varying days weekly, and thus sometimes work on Sundays. Employees have no legal entitlement to a wage premium or other special allowances for Sunday work. However, an applicable collective agreement or employment contract may provide for this.
- Other (partial) exceptions to the legal Sunday rest, for among others the industry, food stores, and tourist areas, can be found on this page of Service Public.
- Employees under the age of 18 are not allowed to work on Sundays, unless as an apprentice, in sectors that are exempt from Sunday rest (specified on the aforementioned page of Service Public).
Public Holidays
Employees do not have a constitutionally guaranteed right to a paid day off on public holidays, except on May 1 (Labor Day). However, traditionally, and due to collective agreement provisions, public holidays are often considered nonworking days.
Currently, there are 11 official public holidays per year:
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Easter Monday; May
- Labor Day, May 8
- Victory Day (marking the end of World War II)
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- National Day, commemorating the French Revolution), July 14
- Assumption of Mary, August 15
- All Saints’ Day, november 1
- Armistice Day, (marking the end of World War I) November 11
- Christmas Day, december 25
The collective agreement (at company, establishment, or sector level) determines the public holidays on which employees have a day off. In the absence of such agreements, the employer decides.
If a public holiday falls on a regular working day, and the employee works that day, they do not have a legal right to a premium or hour compensation unless the collective agreement requires it.
Employees who do get a day off on a public holiday are entitled to their regular salary, provided they have worked for the company for at least three months. Collective agreements can improve these conditions
Unpaid Solidarity Day
French legislation provides for an annual solidarity day: an extra working day where employees work unpaid. The money they would have earned is contributed by the employer to a fund for initiatives benefiting the elderly and
disabled. Employers also contribute 0.3 percent of the payroll per employee. The arrangements for this solidarity day should be detailed in collective agreements at company, establishment, or sector level.
Vacation pay
France does not have a vacation pay.
Sick Pay
- Employees unable to work due to illness must inform their employer as soon as possible and provide a medical certificate, usually within 48 hours. They also must keep their employer updated on developments and provide additional certificates if necessary.
- From the fourth day of their absence, employees receive a daily social security benefit if
they meet the premium and employment conditions. This benefit is up to 50 percent of
the employee’s regular basic salary, with a capped amount. The rate is higher for parents
of three or more children.
- During sick leave, the employment contract is suspended. Employers have no legal
obligations regarding sick pay until the eighth day of absence, except in the case of
absence due to a work accident or occupational disease.
- If the employee has been employed for at least one year as of the first day of sick leave,
the employer must supplement the social security benefit to 90 percent of the regular
income for the first 30 days of absence, and to 66.66 percent for the following 30 days.
These payment periods of 30 days are extended for each additional period of five years
of service, up to a maximum of 90 days per period.
- Collective agreements can favourably alter the above arrangements.
- The employer supplementing the legal benefit is entitled to have a medical examination
conducted by a doctor of choice at the employee’s home. If the employee engages
in unauthorized paid work during sick leave, they can be fined by the social security
authorities, accompanied by disciplinary action or dismissal by the employer
Maternity and Paternal Leave
Maternity and Childbirth Leave
- Pregnant employees are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave: six weeks before the due
date and ten weeks after.
- If the birth occurs earlier than expected, the unused prenatal leave is used during the
postnatal leave period.
- Employees may opt for a shorter maternity leave, with a mandatory minimum of eight
weeks, of which six weeks must be taken after the birth.
- Employees can opt for a minimum of three weeks of prenatal leave, adding the saved time
to postnatal leave, provided their doctor approves.
- At the birth of a third or subsequent child, maternity leave entitlement increases to 26
weeks: eight weeks before birth and eighteen weeks after.
- In case of multiple births, the employee is entitled to longer prenatal leave—12 weeks for
twins, 24 weeks for triplets or more—and a total of 22 weeks postnatal leave.
- During maternity leave, employees are entitled to a statutory maternity benefit, paid by
the social security system, if they meet certain minimum social insurance requirements,
such as 10 months of registration. The benefit is calculated as a daily amount, based
on the employee’s average basic salary over the last three months, minus employee
social contributions, up to a yearly set maximum. Employers are not legally required to
pay employees during maternity leave, unless collective agreements have negotiated
supplements to maternity benefits.
- After maternity leave, employees must be able to return to their previous or a comparable
position, without loss of salary. They also have a right to a meeting with their employer to
discuss career development and are entitled to salary increases implemented during their
absence.
- Pregnant and recently given birth employees are entitled to leave without loss of pay to
attend necessary prenatal and postnatal medical appointments. The spouse, civil partner,
or cohabiting partner of the employee is entitled to leave for up to three such appointments.
- During her maternity leave, an employee may not be dismissed under any circumstances.
The same applies for the 10 weeks following maternity leave, except for serious reasons
unrelated to pregnancy, such as serious misconduct.
- During her maternity leave, the employee accrues vacation days.
Paternity Leave
- An employee is entitled to three days paid birth leave at the birth of their child.
- Fathers also have the right to take 25 days unpaid paternity leave, or 32 days in
the case of multiple births. - Four days of paternity leave must be taken immediately following the three days
of birth leave consecutively. The remaining leave can be taken during the first
six months after birth, in one go, or in two blocks of at least five days each. The
employee must notify the employer one month in advance of their intention to
take leave. - Further details on paternity leave can be found on this page of Service Public.
Adoption Leave
- Adoptive parents are entitled to 10 weeks of adoption leave. This increases to 18
weeks if the number of children grows to three or more through adoption, and to
22 weeks in the case of multiple adoption. - If there are two adoptive parents, they may share the leave. The total duration of
the lawful leave then grows by 11 days for a single, and 18 days for a multiple
adoption. - Adoptive parents receive a statutory allowance during their leave, counted as
maternity allowance. Adoptive parents enjoy similar protection against dismissal
as pregnant employees and women who have recently given birth.
Parental Leave
- Employees who have been employed by their employer for at least one year are
entitled to unpaid parental leave after the end of maternity or adoption leave,
until the child’s third birthday. - Alternatively, the employee can choose a part-time job of at least 16 hours per
week during the same period. - Collective agreements may contain arrangements for partial payment. Furthermore,
the employee is entitled to a statutory allowance in certain cases, paid by the social
security system. - The taken leave hours count towards the employee’s service time.
- If the parental leave must follow directly after maternity leave, the employee must
inform her employer at least one month in advance. In all other cases, a period of two
months applies. - The full-time or part-time leave is valid for one year each time, and can be extended
twice. - If the child has a serious illness or disability, the leave can be extended by a fourth
year. Similar parental leave rights apply in the case of adoption. - Upon the birth of twins, the employee can also take up to three years of unpaid
parental leave, but then until the children go to preschool (up to their sixth birthday at
the latest). - In the case of a multiple birth or simultaneous adoption of three or more children, the
initial leave period may be extended until the children’s sixth birthday at the latest.
Bereavement Leave
Around the death of a family member, the employee is entitled to bereavement
leave. Details about this can be found on this page from Service Public.