Economic dismissal: letter of dismissal
Verified 05 June 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
To inform the employee of his dismissal for economic reasons, the employer must send him a letter of notification of dismissal. The employer must comply with a procedure, particularly as regards the time limits for sending the letter and the mandatory particulars thereof. We present you the information to know.
The employer sends the termination letter by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt.
The deadline for sending the letter of dismissal varies according to the number of employees dismissed for economic reasons over a period of 30 days:
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Individual dismissal
The employer must wait 7 working days minimum from the date of prior maintenance before sending the termination letter.
When the employee is a manager, the employer must wait 15 working days before sending the letter.
Warning
These time limits do not apply to economic dismissals carried out in the course of a turnaround or bankruptcy.
Between 2 and 9 employees made redundant
The employer must wait 7 working days minimum from the date of prior maintenance.
Warning
These time limits do not apply to economic dismissals carried out in the course of a turnaround or bankruptcy.
Dismissal of 10 or more employees
The regulations differ depending on the number of employees in the company:
Company with less than 50 employees
The letter of dismissal cannot not be sent within 30 days from the notification from the proposed dismissal to the Dreets.
Warning
This time limit does not apply not economic redundancies carried out in the course of a turnaround or bankruptcy.
Company of 50 or more employees
The termination letter is sent after validation orapproval from job protection plan (PES) by the Dreets: titleContent.
Please note
This period shall not apply not economic redundancies carried out in the course of a turnaround or bankruptcy.
The information that must be included in the letter of economic dismissal differs depending on the company's workforce or its situation:
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Company with less than 1000 employees or company in receivership or liquidation
The termination letter must include the following:
- Economic reasons (e.g. economic difficulties) and their impact on the employee's employment or employment contract (e.g. job termination)
- Prior efforts of training, adaptation and reclassification employee
- Possibility to benefit from a rehire priority for 1 year from the date of termination of the employment contract and the conditions for its implementation.
The employer signs the termination letter. He can delegate to another person belonging to the company to sign it.
A model letter of economic redundancy is available:
Template Letter - Final Letter of Economic Termination - CSP
If the dismissal for economic reasons is notified during the 21-day cooling-off period to join the professional security contract (CSP)while the employee has not yet given his answer, the employer:
- Recalls the end date of the reflection period
- Specifies, thatin case of refusal of the professional security contract, this letter constitutes the notification of the dismissal.
This is known as notification of dismissal as a precautionary measure.
A model letter of economic dismissal sent to protective title is available:
Template Letter - Letter of economic dismissal sent as a precautionary measure - CSP
Company of 1000 or more employees (excluding cases of receivership and liquidation)
The termination letter must include the following:
- Economic reasons (e.g. economic difficulties) and their impact on the employee's employment or employment contract (e.g. job termination)
- Prior efforts of training, adaptation and reclassification employee
- Possibility to benefit from a rehire priority for 1 year from the date of termination of the employment contract and the conditions for its implementation
- 8 days response time to accept the reclassification leave.
The employer signs the termination letter. He can delegate to another person belonging to the company to sign it.
Please note
Failure to respond within the 8-day time limit shall be considered as a refusal of the reclassification leave.
A model letter of economic redundancy may be used if fewer than 10 employees are made redundant:
Template Letter - Letter of Economic Termination with Prior Interview - Redeployment Leave
Another template letter can be used if more than 10 employees are made redundant:
Template Letter - Letter of Economic Termination Without Prior Maintenance - Redeployment Leave
The advance notice of dismissal begins to run from the 1re presentation to the employee of the registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt by the Post Office.
The employee can contest his economic dismissal in the 12 months which follow its notification.
The employee must enter the labor court council.
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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 cannot therefore provide information on their progress.
He does not respond questions concerning unemployment compensation and the approach to the France Labor (formerly Pôle emploi), public servants or contract workers of the fCivil Service, the amount or payment of contributions social, wage or employer.
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Content of the letter, notification and deadline for sending (less than 10 employees dismissed for economic reasons over 30 days)
Content of the letter, notification and deadline for sending (10 or more employees dismissed for economic reasons over 30 days)
Dispute of dismissal
Limitation of legal action
Proposed redeployment leave (companies of 1,000 or more employees)
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