Employee reclassification leave
Verified 27 April 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The employer who intends to dismiss for economic reasons in a company of 1,000 or more employees must propose a reclassification leave. This leave allows the employee to benefit from the help of an accompanying cell job search procedures. It allows the installation of training actions or Validation of Experience (VAE) funded by the employer. This leave is paid by the employer. We present you the information to know.
The offer of redeployment leave to the employee depends on the number of employees in the company.
However, in the event of recovery or bankruptcy, the reclassification leave shall not be not proposed.
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General case
Company of 1,000 or more employees
Reclassification leave is offered to any employee whose dismissal for economic reasons is envisaged in a company, a establishment or a group of undertakings with 1 000 employees or more.
No conditions (age, seniority, number of redundancies, etc.) are required.
Company with less than 1,000 employees
The employer may propose the reclassification leave in the framework of the job protection plan (PES).
Company in administration or liquidation
The company in reorganization or liquidation is not concerned by the obligation to propose reclassification leave.
The professional security contract (CSP) must then be offered to the employee.
The employer shall inform any employee who may be dismissed for economic reasons from the conditions for setting up the reclassification leave (purpose of leave, aid for reclassification, status and remuneration).
This information shall be transmitted:
- During the interview prior to the economic dismissal of the employeewhere the dismissal concerns fewer than 10 employees over a period of 30 days
- After the last meeting of Social and Economic Committee (ESC), where the employer is not obliged to summon the employees to that interview prior to dismissal. The information may be communicated by means of a display or by the delivery of an information document.
A template document is available to inform the employee of the conditions of the reclassification leave:
The employer must propose to the employee the benefit of the reclassification leave in the termination letter.
Sample letters of economic dismissal with proposed reclassification leave are available:
Template Letter - Economic Termination Letter with Prior Interview - Reclassification Leave
Template Letter - Letter of Economic Termination Without Prior Maintenance - Reclassification Leave
The employee has a period of 8 calendar days, from notification the letter of termination, in response to the proposed reclassification leave.
There's no not mandatory legal procedure for the response to the employer. In order to avoid everything dispute, however, it is preferable to do so by letter RAR: titleContent or hand-delivered letter against discharge.
THEno response within this period shall apply refusal of employee.
If the employee accepts the reclassification leave, this one starts at the end of the 8-day response period.
In the absence of a reply or in the event of refusal of the reclassification leave, the notice of dismissal starts from 1re presentation of the letter RAR.
Please note
If the employer does not offer this leave, the employee may refer the matter to the labor court to obtain compensation.
The leave allows the employee to benefit from the help of an accompanying cell to facilitate job search procedures.
The services of this support unit shall be performed by one of the following persons:
- External provider chosen by the employer (after information and consultation of the CSE: titleContent)
- Employees of the company designated by the employer.
When the employee accepts the reclassification leave, the latter begins with an assessment and orientation interview. The employer then presents the employee with a document formalizing the leave. After signing this document, the employee benefits from the actions aimed at reclassification.
1Assessment and orientation interview
The assessment and orientation interview organized by the accompanying cell has the purpose of defining with the employee a professional reclassification project and to determine the conditions for its implementation.
At the end of the interview, the support unit provides the employer and the employee with a document specifying the content and duration of the actions necessary to promote the reclassification.
Please note
The support unit informs the employee of the possibility of benefiting from a skills assessment when the assessment and orientation interview did not allow the definition of a professional project. This assessment is carried out by a recognized organization and is intended solely for the purpose of determining the professional reclassification project. It is formalized by the signature of a agreement between the employer, the service provider and the employee.
2Presentation to the employee of the document formalizing the leave
After the assessment and guidance interview or the skills assessment, the employer shall provide the employee with a document detailing the content of the reclassification leave.
This document recalls in particular the obligation made to the employee of go to the summonses of the accompanying cell, the commitments of the employee and the rupture conditions of leave.
The employee has a period of 8 calendar days, from the date of delivery of that document, for the sign.
THEno signature at the end of this period shall denial of leave. In this case, the employer notified to the employee at the end of the reclassification leave by letter RAR: titleContent . If the notice is suspended, the date of submission of this letter shall determine the end of the suspension of the notice. At the end of the notice period, the contract is terminated.
3Support for employees during leave and training activities
The employee benefits from the aid of a support unit for job search procedures andtraining actions intended to promote professional reclassification.
The employee can benefit from a validation of the acquired experience (VAE).
The employee participates in the actions organized by the support unit.
FYI
The employer finances all these actions.
The length of the redeployment leave shall be determined by the employer after consultation with the CSE: titleContent .
The duration varies depending on the results of the assessment and orientation interview or the skills assessment.
This duration is, in principle, understood between 4 and 12 months (or less than 4 months, with the employee's consent).
If the employee follows a vocational retraining, the duration of the reclassification leave may be extended up to 24 months.
If the employee follows a training or VAE: titleContent, the duration of the reclassification leave may not be less than duration of these actions, up to 12 months.
Reclassification leave begins during the advance notice, that the employee is exempted from performing. If the period of reclassification leave exceeds the period of notice, the date of termination of the notice shall be postponed until the end of the leave.
The employee's remuneration is paid by the employer and varies according to the length of the reclassification leave.
It differs according to whether the leave corresponds to the length of the notice period or exceeds it:
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During notice
During the period of leave corresponding to the notice, the employer shall pay the regular salary of the employee.
During the period exceeding the notice
During the period of the reclassification leave Exceeding the notice period, the employee shall receive a monthly allowance.
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.
Remuneration is calculated on a full-time basis if the employee has worked part-time during the last 12 months in the following situations:
- Parental Education Leave
- Caregiver Leave
- Parental Presence Leave
- Family solidarity leave.
The allowance is exempt from social contributions.
It is, however, subject to social levies (to the CSG at a rate of 6.2% and CRDS at a rate of 0.5%).
The employer shall submit a monthly pay slip specifying the amount and the calculation detail of that remuneration.
Please note
An employee on redeployment leave does not have the retention of an in-kind benefit (e.g. a company vehicle) over the period exceeding the notice period.
Yes, the reclassification leave shall then be suspended during each period of work performed by the employee.
The employee may work for any employer (except for an individual).
He signs, for each period of work, or one FIXED-TERM CONTRACT: titleContent renewable 1 time, i.e. a temporary employment contract.
Reclassification leave shall resume at the end of each period of work.
Please note
The employer may provide for a postponement of the planned end of the leave. The duration of the carry-over may not exceed the duration of the periods of work performed during the leave.
Redeployment leave may be suspended in the event of sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave or adoption. Taking paid leave also suspends the leave.
Disease
In the event of illness, the employee continues to receive the redeployment leave allowance after deduction of the daily allowances of the Social Security.
At the end of the sick leave, the employee is again entitled to the reclassification leave allowance, unless the end date of the leave has already been reached.
Maternity and paternity leave or adoption leave
During pregnancy, an employee may suspend redeployment leave when it is not completed by the time she takes maternity leave.
At the end of the maternity leave, she shall again be entitled to the reclassification leave for a period corresponding to the total duration of the leave minus the duration used before the maternity leave.
The same applies to adoption leave and paternity leave.
Paid leave
The employee may take the paid leave acquired before the start of the reclassification leave.
Days of paid leave may be granted to the employee during the redeployment leave. The information is then specified in the document, signed by the employer and the employee, which sets the conditions for the reclassification leave.
Please note
The employee does not acquire paid leave during the period of redeployment leave that exceeds the period of notice.
The redeployment leave may be terminated before the end of the period if the employee does not respect the commitments made or if he finds a job again.
Early termination for non-compliance
If the employee does not respect the commitments specified in the document he signed, the employer can end the reclassification leave.
The employer reminds the employee by letter RAR: titleContent or hand-delivered letter against discharge that he must follow the planned actions and follow up the summonses addressed to him.
If the employee does not respond to this letter within the time limit set, the employer will notified the end of reclassification leave per RAR letter.
Early termination in case of hiring
The redeployment leave ends if the employee finds a job before the scheduled end date.
The employee must inform the employer before hiring, by letter RAR: titleContent or hand-delivered letter against discharge.
It specifies the date of hiring to the employer and the date of submission of the letter RAR sets the end of the reclassification leave.
The employee receives a severance pay.
Please note
The period of reclassification leave exceeding the normal period of notice shall not be taken into account in determining seniority for the calculation of the termination indemnity.
It also receives a compensatory leave with pay, if he has not taken all the leave acquired on the date of termination of the contract.
The employer shall provide the employee with the following documents:
- Work Certificate
- France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) certificate
- Receipt for balance of any account.
Please note
When anemployee savings is set up in the company, the employer gives the employee, at the end of the employment contract, a summary of the amounts saved.
The employee who fulfills the conditions, including a minimum period of work, may benefit from the Return to Employment Assistance (RHE) allowance.
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The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of labor.
Employees concerned, duration, periods of work, remuneration
Proposal for reclassification leave
Operation of the reclassification leave