What compensation can an employee who has been dismissed for economic reasons receive?

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

An employee who has been dismissed for economic reasons may receive a severance payment if he meets certain conditions (in particular seniority) to be eligible for it. He may also receive compensation for notice and paid leave. We're taking stock of the regulations.

Yes, the employee may receive a severance pay if it meets the conditions, in particular seniority, enabling him to benefit from it.

Please note

In case of job protection plan (PES), an additional allowance, referred to as superlegal, may possibly be paid to the employee. The amount of this allowance shall be determined after negotiation between the staff representatives and the employer.

The employee must in principle carry out a advance notice. He then receives his salary normally.

It may, however be dispensed notice by the employer or ask not to perform it.

Compensation for this notice differs depending on whether the employee makes or does not give notice, accepts a professional security contract (CSP) or a reclassification leave :

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

General case

The compensation for the notice varies depending on whether the employee makes his notice, asks the employer not to make it, or is exempted from it:

The employee makes his notice

The employee receives a notice payment corresponding to his usual salary.

The employee asks the employer not to give notice

If the employer agrees, the employee does not work. He does not receive compensation for notice.

The employee is exempted from notice by the employer

The employee does not work. The employer pays him a compensatory notice allowance equal to the salary he would have received if he had worked during that period.

The employee accepts a CSP

The entitlement to the compensation for notice varies according to seniority of the employee :

The employee has less than 1 year of seniority

The employee receives a compensatory notice allowance.

The amount of the allowance corresponds to the salary that the employee should have received during his notice if he had refused the CSP.

The employee has 1 year of seniority or more

The employee does not receive compensation for notice.

The employment contract is terminated at the end of the 21-day cooling-off period calendars the employee has to accept the CSP.

The employer pays France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) the equivalent of the notice allowance that the employee would have received if he had refused the CSP.

Please note

If the notice period is longer than 3 months, the employer pays the employee the portion of the notice indemnity exceeding the 3rd months from the end of his employment contract.

The employee accepts a reclassification leave

The reclassification leave is taken during notice. The employee is exempted from notice.

If the duration of the reclassification leave exceeds the period of notice, the date of termination of the notice shall be postponed until the end of the leave.

The compensation of the employee during the redeployment leave is different during the notice period and after the end of the notice period:

During the period of notice

The employer pays the employee a compensatory notice allowance equal to the salary he would have received if he had worked during that period.

After the end of the notice

The employee receives a monthly allowance during this period. Its amount is at least equal to 65% of the average gross remuneration for the last 12 months preceding the notification of dismissal.

Allocation cannot be less than €1,549.58, or 85% of Smic: titleContent.

When the employee has worked part-time as part of a parental education leave, of a caregiver leave, of a parental attendance leave or a family solidarity leave during the last 12 months prior to the commencement of the reclassification leave, his remuneration shall be calculated on the basis of a full time.

The allowance is exempt from social contributions. It is, however, subject to social levies (to the CSG at a rate of 6.20% and CRDS at a rate of 0.5%).

Each month, the employer provides the employee with a report card specifying the amount and method of calculating this allowance.

Yes, the employee shall receive a Compensatory leave with pay if he has any earned paid leave left that he has not been able to take.

Yes, the employee may receive a Return to Employment Assistance (RHE) Allowance or a Professional Security Allowance (ASP).

However, he must fulfill the conditions set by France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi), in particular the minimum period of work and the nature of the last job held, to benefit from it.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For information on labor law (e.g. amount of severance pay)

    Administrative information by phone - Allô Service Public

    • accès

      For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.

      Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.

      He does not respond questions on unemployment compensation and approaches to the France Labor (formerly Pôle emploi), the public servants or contract workers of the fcivil service, the amount or payment of contributions social, wage or employer.

    • horaires
      • Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15

    • Request a call

      coût Service Free
    • service

      The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of labor.

  • For information on unemployment benefits and procedures, contact France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)

    France Job seekers - 3949

    By phone 

    39.49

    • To update your situation, report a change of situation, inform you of a payment: automated service 7 days a week, 24 hours a day - Free service + price call
    • To be put in contact with an advisor to register, inquire, modify an appointment: service accessible at the times set by each agency France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) - Free service + price call

    From foreigner: + 33 1 77 86 39 49

    By mail

    Access via the contact form