Public holidays & long weekends : how to manage payroll ?

In France, public holidays are regulated by the Labour Code (Article L.3133-1). Managing public holidays and long weekends can present a real challenge for businesses.

In 2025, employees will benefit from 11 statutory public holidays, but regional specificities may apply.
In parallel, the question of long weekends – voluntary or mandatory work breaks between a public holiday and a weekend – requires particular attention to avoid misunderstandings around pay or working time organisation.

Our RSM experts shed light on the main legal and practical rules to follow regarding the management of public holidays and long weekends.
 

What are the rules for public holidays?

This year, employees are entitled to 11 statutory public holidays, with a few exceptions:

• In Alsace-Moselle: two additional days are observed as public holidays
  Friday 18 April (Good Friday) is a public holiday in certain municipalities
• In Overseas Territories: local public holidays may apply, such as the Abolition of Slavery Day (article L3422-2 of the Labour Code).

Some sectors or collective agreements may provide for additional public holidays
 

What  are the rest and pay rules?

May 1st

May 1st is the only public holiday that is legally mandatory and must be both non-working and paid for all employees, except for companies where activity cannot be interrupted (e.g., hospitals, transport). It cannot result in any wage reduction.

If May 1st is a day off, it must be paid in full, with no requirement for length of service. If worked, the employee must receive their regular wage plus an additional indemnity equal to their daily wage, with no condition of seniority or presence the day before or after.

Moreover, it is prohibited to require employees to make up for hours not worked due to a public holiday.

Other public holidays

For all other public holidays, a day off is not mandatory except for:

• Employees under 18
• Departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, and Moselle, where public holidays are legally observed
• CerCertain collective agreements (HCR sector, hairdressers, etc.)

If a public holiday falls on a Sunday or a usual day off, the employer is not required to grant an additional day off, unless the applicable collective agreement provides more favourable terms.

Regarding pay for the 10 other statutory public holidays, employees with at least 3 months of service are entitled to maintain their usual pay, with no requirement to be present the day before or after (unless more favourable provisions exist in the collective agreement or by company practice).

This public policy measure ensures full salary is maintained, including base pay and all components considered as wage supplements.

If the public holiday is worked, the law does not require additional pay, unless more favourable terms are set out in a collective agreement.
 

Any specific cases ?

The pay conditions mentioned above do not apply to home workers, intermittent workers, or temporary workers – unless more favourable provisions exist in their respective collective agreements.
 

What are the impacts of public holidays on absence and paid leave ?

Absences 

When a month with an unpaid absence includes a public holiday that is usually a paid day off (May 1st or other), that holiday is treated as a worked day for the purpose of salary deduction.

Paid Leave

If a public holiday that is usually observed falls during an employee’s paid leave, it should not be counted as a leave day, and the leave must be extended by one day (Cass. ass. plén., 21 March 1997, n°92-44778). It is therefore important to carefully track business days versus working days.

If the company remains open on a public holiday, that day becomes a working day and must therefore be deducted from the employee’s paid leave balance.

Overtime Calculation and Annual Quota

Public holidays that are not worked are not considered as actual working time when calculating overtime entitlements.

Likewise, hours not worked due to a public holiday do not count against the annual overtime quota and do not entitle employees to compensatory rest.
 

How to manage a long weekend?

Taking a long weekend involves not working one or two weekdays between a public holiday and a weekend or before annual leave (Labour Code, art. L. 3121-50).  

For long weekends, two scenarios apply:

1. At the employee's request: the employee may request time off – paid leave, compensatory time off, or unpaid leave.
   The employer decides whether to grant the long weekend.
    
2. At the employer's initiative: the company may impose a long weekend (such as during a company closure). This results in a change to working hours, requiring a specific procedure.

There are three ways to implement a long weekend:

• By a Unilateral Decision of the Employer (DUE);
• Through a company-level collective agreement;
• Or through established company practice
   

In all cases, the employer must inform employees with sufficient notice and consult with staff representatives.

How to make up the hours?

In the absence of a collective agreement, hours not worked due to a long weekend must be made up by all employees within 12 months before or after the time off, in accordance with specific terms governed by the Labour Code.

Make-up hours are not considered as overtime.
 

To manage public holidays and long weekends effectively, it is essential for employers to communicate clearly from the start of the year, plan ahead, and most importantly, ensure their policies comply with applicable collective agreements.

Our payroll, HR, and labour law experts remain at your disposal to support and advise you in this area, ensuring optimal and compliant management.