https://parole-de-rh.fr/en/tags/pay-in-lieu-of-notice/Recent content in Pay in Lieu of Notice on Parole de RHHugoen-USMon, 02 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0100https://parole-de-rh.fr/en/blog/notice-period-dismissal-france/Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0100https://parole-de-rh.fr/en/blog/notice-period-dismissal-france/<blockquote> <p><strong>In short:</strong></p> <ol> <li>The statutory <strong>notice period for dismissal</strong> 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.</li> <li>The notice period starts when the registered letter is first presented, even if the employee does not collect it.</li> <li>There is no notice period in case of serious or gross misconduct, unfitness, force majeure or acceptance of the professional security contract.</li> <li>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.</li> </ol> </blockquote> <p>The <strong>notice period</strong> (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.</p>