Sabbatical leave for employees in the private sector
Verified 17 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Sabbatical leave is leave for personal convenience. The employee can benefit from it if he meets several conditions. The employer is not obliged to grant sabbatical leave to the employee who requests it. During sabbatical leave, the employee's employment contract is suspended and the employee is not paid. We present you the information to know.
Employees wishing to take sabbatical leave must meet all of the following conditions.
Seniority in the company
The employee must have a seniority of at least 36 months (3 years) in the company.
The length of service taken into account may be considered over several periods of non-consecutive work in the company.
However, a collective agreement or company collective agreement may provide for a shorter period of service.
The applicable collective agreement is the one to which the main activity of the company falls.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its number Siret :
Years of work
The employee must have performed at least 6 years of professional activity.
Waiting period between 2 holidays
The employee must comply with a waiting period.
The employee must not have benefited in the company, on the date of departure on leave, during the 6 previous years :
- Either one Work Transition Project (TPP) of a duration of at least 6 months
- Either one leave for creation or resumption of company
- Either from a previous sabbatical.
The employee must inform the employer of his wish to take at least a sabbatical 3 months before the planned departure date.
The conditions for applying for sabbatical leave are laid down in collective agreement or by company collective agreement or by branch agreement.
The applicable collective agreement is the one to which the main activity of the company falls.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its number Siret :
Finding your collective agreement
The employee must send his request to the employer by any means that can justify the date of the request for leave (letter or registered email, for example).
The length of leave varies from 6 months minimum à 11 months maximum.
However, a collective agreement or a company collective agreement may provide for different durations.
The applicable collective agreement is the one to which the main activity of the company falls.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its number Siret :
The employer shall inform the employee of:
- Either of his agreement on the departure date chosen by the employee
- Either the postponement of that date
- Either the refusal to grant him leave.
In the absence of a response from the employer within 30 days sabbatical leave shall be granted from the date of submission of the application.
The agreement, postponement or refusal of the employer is subject to conditions.
They vary depending on the size of the company:
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Company with less than 300 employees
Employer's agreement
The employer informs the employee of his agreement on the chosen departure date, by any means that can justify the date of his response (letter or registered email, for example).
The leave begins on the date requested by the employee.
Deferral of leave
The employer may postpone the leave:
- Either, during 9 months at most, from the date of the employee's request, to limit the number of employees absent due to sabbatical leave
- Either to limit the number of employees absent simultaneously because of sabbatical leave and leave for creation or resumption of company.
The employer informs the employee of the postponement of the chosen departure date, by any means that can justify the date of his response (letter or registered email, for example).
Refusal to grant leave
The employer may refuse to grant the leave for one of the following 2 reasons:
- Either the employee does not meet the conditions for entitlement to leave (insufficient seniority, request to leave within too short a period)
- Either the employer estimates, after notice of the social and economic committee (CSE), that leaving on leave will have adverse consequences for the smooth running of the company.
The employer's refusal to grant sabbatical leave is notified to the employee by any means that can justify the date of his response (letter or registered email, for example).
The employee may challenge the employer's refusal in the 15 days from the date of notification to labor court council.
Company of 300 or more employees
Employer's agreement
The employer informs the employee of his agreement on the chosen departure date, by any means that can justify the date of his response (letter or registered email, for example).
The leave begins on the date requested by the employee.
Deferral of leave
The employer may postpone the leave:
- Either, during 6 months at most, from the date of the employee's request, to limit the number of employees absent due to sabbatical leave
- Either to limit the number of employees absent simultaneously because of sabbatical leave and leave for creation or resumption of company.
The employer informs the employee of the postponement of the chosen departure date, by any means that can justify the date of his response (letter or registered email, for example).
Refusal to grant leave
The employer may refuse to grant the leave if the employee does not meet the conditions for entitlement (insufficient seniority, request for leave within too short a period).
The employer's refusal to grant sabbatical leave is notified to the employee by any means that can justify the date of his response (e.g. registered letter or e-mail).
The employee may challenge the employer's refusal in the 15 days as from the notification to the labor court.
Employment contract
During the sabbatical period, the employment contract shall be suspended.
Remuneration
Sabbatical leave is not paid.
However, it may be in the event of treaty provisions or usage in the company.
FYI
The employee who has in his company a time savings account (CET) may, with the employer's consent, use the entitlements accrued in this account to earn income for a portion of the sabbatical leave.
Carry-over of Paid Leave
If the sabbatical leave is not paid, the employee may finance it with part of his or her paid leave.
Leave will then be taken and paid upon departure on sabbatical leave.
The conditions for this postponement shall be laid down by collective agreement or company collective agreement.
In the absence of an applicable agreement or agreement, the employee may carry over the annual leave earned from the 5e week of paid leave until departure on sabbatical leave.
Such paid leave may be accumulated during 6 years maximum.
Example :
An employee, entitled to 5 weeks of paid leave per year, decides to postpone his 5 for 6 yearse week off:
- It then accumulates 36 working days leave at the end of the six years of professional activity.
- His compensatory leave allowance of 36 working days not taken is then paid when he leaves on sabbatical leave.
During the sabbatical leave, the employee may pursue another professional activity, whether employed or not, or set up his company.
However, it must respect the obligations of loyalty and non-competition vis-à-vis his employer.
The employer is not obliged to re-employ the employee before the scheduled end of his sabbatical leave.
However, an early return to the company remains possible with the employer's agreement.
After a sabbatical, the employee returns to his previous job or a similar job in the company.
He receives remuneration at least equivalent to that which he received at the time of departure on leave.
The employee has the right to a professional interview with his employer devoted to his prospects for professional development.
The employee can request the activation of his Personal Training Account (PTA) and benefit from professional development consulting (CEP).
FYI
During his sabbatical leave, the employee did not acquire seniority or entitlement to paid leave.
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Administrative information by telephone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
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The informants who answer you belong to the ministry responsible for labor.
Conditions, employer's response, situation during sabbatical leave, end of leave (public policy)
Conditions, employee's request, employer's response, duration, situation during sabbatical leave (scope of collective bargaining)
Conditions, employee's request, duration, situation during sabbatical leave (supplementary provisions)
Carry-over of paid leave (supplementary provisions)
Employer's response (public policy)
Employee's request, employer's response (supplementary provisions)
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