Employees

Solidarity Day: how does it work?

Publié le 03 juin 2025 - Mise à jour le 11 mai 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The Solidarity Day was set up in 2004 to finance actions to promote the autonomy of the elderly or disabled. How does it apply to employees in the private sector and to public officials? Answers with Public Service.

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Private sector

The arrangements for the day of solidarity are laid down by agreement or company (or establishment) agreement or by branch agreement. In the absence of a collective agreement, they shall be defined by the employer after consultation with the employee representative body.

As a general rule, the day of solidarity in the private sector takes the form of an additional working day over the year, this day not being remunerated. It can be working:

  • on a public holiday that was previously off work other than 1er May (as Whit Monday);
  • either on a day of RTT;
  • or according to any other modality allowing the work of 7 hours previously not worked (such as working on a Saturday, for example).

Hours worked during the solidarity day are not considered overtime (or extra hours).

Public sector

The day of solidarity in the civil service translates into an extra day of unpaid work. It may be carried out in one of the following ways:

  • work on Whit Monday or on another holiday previously off (other than 1er May);
  • elimination of one day of RTT;
  • any other modality allowing the work of 7 hours previously not worked, excluding the abolition of one day of annual leave (e.g. working on an extra day, excluding school time for teachers).

The conditions for the day of solidarity vary depending on whether you exercise Alsace-Moselle or on the rest of French territory

FYI  

  • If the day of solidarity is fixed as a public holiday, it will not concern minor workers since, with rare exceptions, the work of employees under 18 years of age is prohibited during public holidays. If a collective agreement establishes a non-public holiday as a day of solidarity, it is up to the social partners to decide on the conditions under which these young employees will carry out that day.
  • As regards part-time employees, the 7-hour limit is reduced in proportion to the working time provided for in their employment contract (for example, for a part-time employee, the limit will be set at 3.5 hours). Hours worked beyond that will normally be compensated.

Please note

Provision is made for employees changing employers during the year not to have to work on that day several times a year.

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