French Paid Leave Calculator: Accrued Days and Payout

Enter months worked, days taken and salary to get accrued leave under French rules, the balance and the payout.

French paid leave and RTT: entitlement and payout calculation

Under French law, an employee earns 2.5 working days (jours ouvrables, Monday to Saturday) of paid leave per month of actual work, i.e. 30 days or 25 business days per year. When the contract ends, untaken days are paid out at the higher of two amounts: one tenth of gross pay over the reference period, or the salary the employee would have earned while working.

What the tool calculates

  • Entitlement: months of presence × 25/12 (business days) or × 2.5 (working days), plus seniority and carry-over days, minus days taken.
  • RTT: (weekly hours − 35) × 44 weeks ÷ (weekly hours ÷ 5), prorated by months.
  • Payout: one tenth of (monthly salary × months + prorated bonuses) is spread over the days accrued in the period, then multiplied by the balance; salary maintenance is monthly salary ÷ 21.67 (business days) or ÷ 26 (working days) per day. The tool keeps the higher amount.

Example (default values)

10 months at €3,200 gross, €2,000 a year of bonuses that count towards the base (commissions, for instance), business days, 1 seniority day, 2 days carried over, 8 taken, 37.5 hours a week, 3 RTT days taken. Days accrued: 20.83; balance: 20.83 + 3 − 8 = 15.83 days. RTT: 110 h ÷ 7.5 h = 14.7 days a year, 12.2 accrued, 9.2 left. Tenth rule: €33,666.67 ÷ 10 = €3,366.67, i.e. €161.60 per accrued day and €2,558.67 for 15.83 days. Maintenance: €147.67 a day, i.e. €2,338.10. The tenth rule wins.

Limits

  • Every month counts as worked: reduced accrual during non-occupational sick leave (2 working days a month, 24 a year at most) is not modelled.
  • Sums paid for the whole year (year-end bonus, balance-sheet bonus, profit-sharing) are excluded from the tenth: do not enter them.
  • RTT depends on your collective agreement; 44 weeks is an assumption of the tool.

This is an estimate under French law, not a substitute for your payroll department.

Sources and dates: French Labour Code, article L3141-3 (version of 10/08/2016), article L3141-5-1 (Law no. 2024-364 of 22 April 2024, in force 24/04/2024), article L3141-24 (version of 24/04/2024) and article L3141-28 (payout on termination); service-public.gouv.fr, paid leave in the private sector (updated 30/04/2026) and calculating holiday pay (checked 06/02/2026) (checked 14/10/2026)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days of paid leave do you earn per month in France?

An employee earns 2.5 working days (Monday to Saturday) per month of actual work, i.e. 30 working days or 5 weeks a year, which equals about 2.08 business days a month and 25 business days a year. During non-occupational sick leave, accrual is 2 working days a month, capped at 24 days a year, under the law of 22 April 2024.

How is the payout for untaken leave calculated in France?

The employer compares one tenth of gross pay over the reference period with the salary you would have earned while working, and pays the higher amount (French Labour Code, article L3141-24). Over 10 months at €3,200 gross with €2,000 of annual commissions, the tenth (€3,366.67) spread over 20.83 accrued days gives €161.60 a day, against €147.67 under salary maintenance.

How many RTT days do you get for a 37.5-hour week?

The tool counts 2.5 hours above 35 over 44 weeks, i.e. 110 hours, divided by a 7.5-hour day: about 14.7 RTT days a year. The actual number depends on your company agreement, which sets the number of weeks worked and the calculation method.

What is the difference between jours ouvrés and jours ouvrables?

Jours ouvrables run Monday to Saturday and give 30 days of leave a year; jours ouvrés are the days actually worked in the company, usually Monday to Friday, and give 25 days. Both represent 5 weeks; the tool values one day by dividing the monthly salary by 26 (ouvrables) or 21.67 (ouvrés).

Is this tool really free?

Yes, all tools on Kristools are 100% free and accessible without registration.

Is my data protected?

Yes. All processing is performed directly and securely inside your browser. No personal data is sent to our servers.