Sick Leave

• After a minimum period of employment or amount paid in social security contributions, employees in France are generally entitled to paid sick leave.
• To go on sick leave, you need an official doctor’s note.
• The French social security system also includes extended sick leave for serious and prolonged illnesses, as well as pensions and other benefits for people with disabilities.
• To be entitled to paid sick leave for up to six months, you need

• • to have worked for at least 150 hours in the last 90 days before falling sick
  • or to have paid social security contributions based on gross earnings equivalent to 1,015 times the minimum hourly wage (9.76 EUR in 2017) in the last six months before your illness.

• You can also be on sick leave for up to twelve months, but only if you have

• • worked for at least 600 hours in the last twelve months before falling sick
  • or paid social security contributions based on gross earnings equivalent to 2,030 times the minimum hourly wage (9.76 EUR in 2017) in this period.

Work Hours

• In France, the legal length of the working week is 35 hours in all types of companies. 
• The working day may not exceed 10 hours. 
• Furthermore, employees may not work for more than 4.5 hours without a break.

Overtime

• Overtime must be paid for as follows:

• • 25 percent an hour for each of the first eight hours of overtime (from the 36th to the 43rd hour inclusive)
  • 50 percent for each hour after that

• It should be noted that many exceptions are allowed, especially under collective agreements.
• Some managerial staff classified as “autonome” work more than 35 hours a week, but are given additional holiday days.

Notice Period

• Each employee that is to be dismissed is entitled to a notice period, except if the dismissal was due to gross misconduct, negligence, or incapacity. The employee continues to work in the company under the same status and receives regular remuneration until the employment relationship is terminated. The length of notice depends on the employee's seniority in the company:

• • One-month notice for six months to two years of seniority;
  • Two months’ notice for more than two years of seniority;
  • The notice period for seniority below six months is set by collective agreement or company practice.

• The notice period commences on the day on which the letter of dismissal is presented to the employee. The notice period cannot be postponed or suspended except in case of an accident at work, an occupational disease or paid leave.

Severance

• Severance pay is only awarded if:

• • The employer terminates an indefinite-term contract.
  • The employee has the minimum length of service required by the Labor Code or an applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The minimum length of service has been reduced to eight months of seniority by the Macron Reform.

• Severance pay depends on the employee's length of service and the relevant CBA's provisions. 
• It is generally calculated on the basis of an employee's average salary (often including bonuses as well as basic salary) during the last twelve months of employment. 
• Employees receive statutory severance pay (that is, one fourth of monthly salary for each year of service for the first ten years of service and one third for each year above ten years of service) if no CBA applies or the CBA rate is lower than the statutory amount.
• Employment contracts can also provide for severance payments, provided that their rate is higher than that of the CBA or the statutory amount. 
• However, severance payments in company directors' employment contracts must be approved by the company's corporate governance body.