Parental leave for employees in the private sector
Verified 15 June 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Can you stop working to take care of a dependent child whose health requires a sustained presence and compelling care? What are the consequences for your employment contract? How long is the leave? We present you the information you need to know about parental leave.
You can take parental leave if your dependent child has a illness, disability or accident of a particular severity.
This is the case if the health of your dependent child requires a sustained presence and compelling care.
A child is considered to be a dependent when the employee effective and permanent load.
The child must respond to the 3 following conditions:
- Under 20 years of age
- Do not receive a gross monthly salary greater than €1,144.21
- Not receiving a housing allowance or a family benefit in a personal capacity
No seniority requirements are required.
You must apply for parental leave with your employer at least 10 days before the desired leave start date.
You can send him a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (LRAR) or hand-deliver your request against discharge.
You must attach to your application a medical certificate which attests to the following:
- Particular severity of illness, accident or disability
- Need for a sustained presence with the child and compelling care
Whenever you wish to take one or more days off, you must inform your employer at least 48 hours in advance.
In case of extension leave beyond the period stipulated in the medical certificate, you must notify your employer under the same conditions as for your initial request.
No, this is a right that the employer cannot deny or defer.
Initial Leave
Leave is granted for a maximum period of 310 working days by child and by illness, accident or disability.
You use this 310-day reserve according to your needs and within the maximum limit of 3 years.
The medical certificate must specify the expected duration of your child's treatment.
The duration of the leave is equal to the duration of the salary.
The leave can be taken in one or more times.
You can, with the agreement of your employer, convert the leave into period of part-time employment or the split by half day.
Whenever you want to take half a day, a day or several days off, you must inform your employer at least 48 hours in advance.
However, no warning period is required in the event of a sudden deterioration in your child's health or a crisis situation requiring your presence without delay.
Renewal of leave
You can benefit from another parental leave (either 620 days in total) at the end of the initial 3-year period.
You can also benefit from another parental leave (either 620 days in total) if you have used the 310-day reserve before the end of the 3 years of the initial leave.
The renewal of leave is possible in one of the following cases:
- Either in case of relapse or recurrence of your child's pathology
- Either when the severity of your child's pathology still requires a sustained presence and restrictive care
Please note
Since the February 5, 2024, the renewal of parental leave is no longer subject to the explicit agreement of the Caf: titleContent or MSA: titleContent (if you depend on the farm plan). You only need to attach a new medical certificate from the doctor who follows your child to your employer.
No, during your leave, your employment contract is suspended.
You no longer receive your salary.
However, you may collect, subject to conditions, the daily allowance for parental presence (AJPP) .
You must apply to the Caf: titleContent or MSA: titleContent (if you depend on the farm plan).
Please note
If you take half-day parental leave, the PPIA amount is changed accordingly.
You may not be dismissed during your parental leave, or during periods worked if the leave is split or taken part-time.
Nor may the employer dismiss an employee during the 10 weeks after the end of parental leave.
However, your employer may terminate your contract in the event of gross misconduct or inability to maintain your contract for any reason other than parental leave.
General scenario
At the end of your leave, you must return to your previous or similar job with at least equivalent remuneration.
All of your benefits earned before the start of the leave are retained.
Your absence during your leave is fully taken into account in the calculation of your seniority benefits.
For the calculation of the training hours that feed the Personal Training Account (PTA), each period of absence during your leave is fully taken into account.
Significant decrease in resources
You can interrupt your leave before the expected time in case of a significant decrease in the resources of your household.
You must then inform your employer by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (LRAR) at least 1 month before the date of your takeover.
All of your benefits earned before the start of the leave are retained.
Your absence during your leave is fully taken into account in the calculation of your seniority benefits.
For the calculation of the training hours that feed the Personal Training Account (PTA), each period of absence during your leave is fully taken into account.
Death of child
You can interrupt your leave before the expected term in the event of the child's death.
You must then inform your employer by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (LRAR) at least 1 month before the date of your takeover.
All of your benefits earned before the start of the leave are retained.
Your absence during your leave is fully taken into account in the calculation of your seniority benefits.
For the calculation of the training hours that feed the Personal Training Account (PTA), each period of absence during your leave is fully taken into account.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by telephone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.
He does not respond questions concerning unemployment compensation and the approach to the France Labor (formerly Job center), public servants or contract workers of the fCivil Service, the amount or payment of contributions social, wage or employer.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15Horaires exceptionnels le mardi 30 juin de 08h30 à 11h00
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service Free
The informants who answer you belong to the ministry responsible for labor.
Beneficiaries, duration, renewal, employee's situation, end of leave
Request for leave
Amount and payment