In short:
- The statutory notice period for dismissal in France is 1 month between 6 months and 2 years of service, and 2 months from 2 years. Below 6 months, it depends on the collective agreement or local practice.
- The notice period starts when the registered letter is first presented, even if the employee does not collect it.
- There is no notice period in case of serious or gross misconduct, unfitness, force majeure or acceptance of the professional security contract.
- If the employer releases the employee from notice, it pays compensation equal to the gross salary the employee would have received. If the release comes from the employee, compensation is not mandatory.
The notice period (préavis de licenciement) is the time between notification of the dismissal to the employee and the end of their employment contract. Its length depends mainly on length of service. The rules below come from the Service-Public guide on notice periods for dismissal, checked on 7 August 2026, and its guide on pay in lieu of notice, checked on 9 September 2025.
Notice period for dismissal by length of service
The notice period varies with the employee’s length of service in the company. Length of service is calculated on the day the employer sends the dismissal letter.
| Length of service | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | Set by the collective agreement or local practice |
| Between 6 months and 2 years | 1 month |
| At least 2 years | 2 months |
These periods are the general rule. A collective agreement, the employment contract or company practice may provide terms more favourable to the employee. Service-Public offers a simulator to find the period set by a collective agreement.
Special rules by type of employee
| Employee concerned | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Worker with a disability | Double the normal period, up to 3 months |
| Journalist (newspaper and periodical companies) | 1 month up to 2 years of service, 2 months beyond |
| Sales representative (VRP) | At least 1 month in the 1st year, 2 months in the 2nd year, 3 months beyond |
Employees of private individuals and childminders are subject to specific provisions, not covered here.
Moselle, Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin
Local rules apply in these three departments, unless a legal provision, collective agreement or practice sets a longer notice period.
| Employee’s pay | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Set by the day | 1 day |
| Set by the week | 1 week |
| Set by the month | 15 days |
| Set by the quarter or a longer period | 6 weeks |
A 6-week notice period also applies to certain categories: teachers and people employed by private individuals, sales clerks, fixed-pay employees permanently in charge of managing or supervising an activity, and fixed-pay employees entrusted with skilled technical duties.
When does the notice period start?
The notice period starts on the day the registered letter is first presented by the Post Office. It does not matter whether the employee has collected the letter.
This differs from the date used to calculate length of service, which is the day the letter is sent. For the amount of severance pay in France, however, length of service is counted up to the end of the notice period.
Cases with no notice period
The employee has the right to a notice period, except in several situations:
| Situation | Notice | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissal for serious or gross misconduct | No | No pay in lieu of notice either |
| Dismissal for unfitness | No | The contract ends on notification of the dismissal |
| Force majeure | No | The termination gives rise to no notice |
| Economic dismissal with acceptance of the CSP | No | The contract ends at the end of the reflection period |
There is no notice period for a mutual termination either, as explained in the comparison of mutual termination or resignation in France. Ending a trial period in France follows a separate notice rule.
Release from notice: who decides and who pays?
An employee entitled to a notice period normally works it: they continue working and receive their usual pay. A release may nevertheless occur, with different consequences depending on where it comes from.
| Origin of the release | Can the employee refuse? | Pay in lieu of notice |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | No | Due for the period not worked |
| Collective agreement | Not stated in the guide | Not stated in the guide |
| Employee, with the employer’s agreement | The employer does not have to agree | Not mandatory |
The release does not change the end date of the contract. A released employee may nevertheless be hired by another company without waiting for that date.
An employee may also be unable to work their notice. Service-Public gives the example of a field technician dismissed after several speeding offences whose driving licence was suspended.
Can the notice period be suspended?
In principle, no. The notice period runs from date to date, without interruption or suspension. There are, however, some exceptions.
| Event during the notice period | Effect on the notice period |
|---|---|
| Paid leave requested before notification of the dismissal | Notice suspended and extended accordingly |
| Paid leave requested after notification | No suspension or extension |
| Dismissal notified during paid leave | Notice postponed until after the leave |
| Workplace accident or occupational disease | Notice suspended and extended by the length of the sick leave |
| Agreement between employer and employee, or collective agreement | Suspension or postponement possible |
The rules for taking paid leave in France are explained in a dedicated article. Non-occupational illness is not among these exceptions: an employee on sick leave in France during a notice period they have not been released from has no right to pay in lieu of notice, unless a collective agreement provides otherwise.
Pay in lieu of notice
Pay in lieu of notice (indemnité compensatrice de préavis) is paid to an employee who could not work their notice because of their employer or a particular situation. It is not due in every case.
| Situation | Pay in lieu of notice |
|---|---|
| Release at the employer’s initiative | Due |
| Release requested by the employee and accepted | Not due |
| Serious or gross misconduct | Not due |
| Economic dismissal with redeployment leave | Due |
| Non-occupational unfitness | Not due |
| Occupational unfitness | Not due, but compensation of the same amount |
| Dismissal ruled to be without real and serious cause | Due |
| Void dismissal, if the employee refuses reinstatement | Due |
If the employee accepts the professional security contract, the right to compensation depends on length of service and the length of the notice. It is due with less than 1 year of service. From 1 year, it is not due for a notice of up to 3 months, and it is due for the part beyond the 3rd month.
Amount and payment
The compensation equals the gross salary the employee would have received had they worked until the end of the notice period, paid leave allowance included. It is calculated on the working hours set in the contract and takes the following into account:
- regular or contractual overtime, whose calculation is covered in the article on overtime pay in France;
- fixed and variable pay (bonuses, commissions);
- meal vouchers issued by the employer;
- compensation for the RTT days the employee would have earned.
Example applying this rule: an employee earning €2,500 gross per month, with 3 years of service, released by the employer from a 2-month notice period, receives at least €5,000 gross for those 2 months, plus any of the items above that apply.
The employer may pay this compensation at each payroll during the notice period, or in one payment when the employee actually leaves.
It can be combined with severance pay and pay in lieu of untaken paid leave, according to the Service-Public guide on severance pay.
Can an employee take time off to look for a job during notice?
The Labour Code does not provide for job-seeking hours during a notice period for dismissal. The employer therefore does not have to let the employee take time off.
A collective agreement or company practice may, however, grant hours of absence and set out how they are used and paid. Without such hours, the employee must obtain the employer’s agreement to be absent.
The employer may legitimately refuse time off to look for a job if the employee has already found and accepted a new position.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the notice period for dismissal in France?
The statutory notice period (préavis de licenciement) depends on length of service, assessed on the day the dismissal letter is sent. It is 1 month between 6 months and 2 years of service, and 2 months from 2 years. Below 6 months, it is set by the collective agreement or local practice. A collective agreement, the employment contract or company practice may provide a period more favourable to the employee.
When does the notice period start?
The notice period starts on the day the registered letter is first presented by the Post Office, even if the employee has not collected it.
Is there a notice period in case of serious misconduct?
No. An employee dismissed for serious or gross misconduct has no right to a notice period and does not receive pay in lieu of notice. There is also no notice period in case of dismissal for unfitness, force majeure, or when the employee accepts the professional security contract (CSP).
Is the employee paid if released from working their notice?
It depends on who asks for the release. If the employer releases the employee, it pays compensation in lieu of notice for the period not worked. If the employee asks not to work their notice and the employer agrees, this compensation does not have to be paid.
Sources
- Service-Public, Préavis de licenciement d’un salarié (notice period for dismissal), guide checked on 7 August 2026, consulted on 1 November 2026.
- Service-Public, Indemnité compensatrice de préavis pour un salarié (licenciement, démission…) (pay in lieu of notice), guide checked on 9 September 2025, consulted on 1 November 2026.
- Service-Public, Indemnité de licenciement du salarié en CDI (severance pay), guide checked on 5 June 2026, consulted on 27 October 2026.