What are the mandatory rest periods in France?
Employment law regulates employees’ rest periods to protect their health and ensure a sustainable balance between work and personal life. Daily rest, weekly rest, breaks and the right to disconnect structure the organization of work within businesses.
In a nutshell
- Employees are entitled to a minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours between two working days.
- A weekly rest period of at least 24 hours is mandatory, in addition to the daily rest period.
- Strictly regulated exemptions may apply depending on the company’s activity.
- The right to disconnect and break times supplement these protections.
What are the rules regarding daily rest?
Every employee is entitled to a minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours between two working days.
This rest period is in addition to the weekly rest period.
Certain categories, such as senior executives, are subject to specific rules.
In what cases can daily rest periods be waived?
While exceptions to daily rest periods are possible, they remain strictly regulated.
They may occur:
- In the event of a collective agreement or contract providing for adjustments for certain activities.
- In the event of an exceptional increase in workload.
- In the event of urgent work requiring immediate intervention.
In all cases, the duration of daily rest cannot be less than nine consecutive hours.
A collective agreement may provide for a reduction in daily rest periods for certain specific activities:
- Activities involving travel between home and the workplace.
- Surveillance, guarding or on-call duties.
- Activities requiring continuity of service or production.
- Handling or operational activities related to transportation.
- Activities with split shifts throughout the day.
In these cases, daily rest periods cannot be less than nine hours.
In the event of increased workload, the employer may, under certain conditions, reduce the daily rest period to up to nine hours, particularly with the authorization of the labor inspectorate (unless otherwise stipulated in a collective agreement).
For further information, visit the website of the Ministry for Labor and Solidarity.
The employer may, under their sole responsibility and after informing the labor inspector, grant an exception to the daily rest period for the following purposes:
- Organizing rescue operations.
- Preventing an imminent accident.
- Repairing damage to installations or buildings.
What are the rules regarding weekly rest?
An employee cannot work more than six days a week.
They are entitled to a minimum weekly rest period of 24 consecutive hours, generally granted on Sunday. This rest is in addition to their daily rest period.
These rules also apply to trainees and apprentices.
Certain categories of employees are subject to specific rules:
- Young workers and apprentices under 18 years of age.
- Senior executives.
- Employees in the road freight transport sector.
In certain situations, weekly rest may be suspended or modified.
In what cases can the weekly rest period be waived?
While waivers of the weekly rest period are possible, they remain strictly regulated.
They can occur:
- In the event of an exceptional increase in workload.
- In the event of urgent work requiring immediate intervention.
In certain industries (particularly those handling perishable goods), rest periods may be suspended:
- A maximum of twice a month.
- Up to six times per year.
The hours worked are then considered overtime.
For further information, visit the website of the Ministry for Labor and Solidarity.
In the event of urgent work that must be carried out, rest periods may be suspended to:
- Organize rescue operations.
- Prevent imminent accidents.
- Repair damaged equipment.
The employee concerned must then be granted compensatory rest equivalent to the rest period suspended.
Employees performing loading and unloading work in ports, landing stages and stations may be authorized to work on their weekly rest day if the activity involves:
- Exterior construction and repair work on riverboats.
- Building work.
- Open-air brickworks.
- Fruit, vegetable and fish canneries.
- Open-air rope-making sites.
In certain sectors, the weekly rest period may be adjusted:
- Seasonal activities (tourism, catering, etc.).
- Establishments operating continuously.
- Cleaning and maintenance work in industrial premises.
- Work related to national defense.
- Security guards and caretakers of industrial and commercial establishments.
What is the right to disconnect?
The right to disconnect enables employees to avoid being contacted via professional digital tools outside of working hours. It aims to protect rest periods, holidays and work-life balance.
The terms are defined:
- By a collective agreement within the firm.
- Or, failing that, by a charter drawn up by the employer after consultation with employee representatives.
For further information about the right to disconnect, visit the website for the Ministry for Labor.
What are the rules for rest periods?
As soon as the daily working time reaches six hours, employees must be granted a minimum break of 20 consecutive minutes.
This break can be taken before or after this limit.
The break constitutes an actual cessation of work and is, in principle, unpaid, unless the employee remains at the employer’s disposal.
Collective agreements or business-level agreements may provide for more favorable conditions, particularly for certain groups, such as young employees.