Reclassification Leave

Verified 01 January 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, shall propose a reclassification leave. This leave allows the employee to benefit from the help of an accompanying cell to facilitate 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 liquidation or receivership, reclassification leave is not offered.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Company of 1,000 or more employees

Reclassification leave is available to any employee whose dismissal for economic reasons is envisaged in a company or a 1,000 or more employees.

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) even if the company has less than 1,000 employees.

Company in administration or liquidation

The company in reorganization or liquidation is not affected by the obligation to propose reclassification leave.

The professional security contract must then be offered to the employee.

The employer must inform any employee who may be dismissed for economic reasons of the conditions for setting up the redeployment leave (redeployment aid, status and remuneration).

This information shall be transmitted:

A template document is available to inform the employee of the conditions of the reclassification leave:

Document provided by the employer to the employee informing him of the conditions of the reclassification leave

The employer must offer the employee 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 of the termination letter, to respond.

There's no not of the legal procedure imposed 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, it begins 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 registered letter.

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
  • Employees of the company designated by the employer.

When the employee accepts the reclassification leave, it 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.

1 - Assessment and Orientation Interview

Reclassification leave starts with a assessment and orientation interview organized by the accompanying cell.

The purpose of this interview is to define 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.

2 - Presentation 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 redeployment leave by registered letter with AR: titleContent.

3 - Accompaniment of the employee during the leave and training actions

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 employer finances all these actions.

The employee participates in the actions organized by the support unit.

The duration of the redeployment leave shall be determined by the employer after consultation with the ESC. The duration varies depending on the results of the assessment and orientation interview or the skills assessment.

This duration is included 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 undergoes a training or VAE: titleContent, the duration of the redeployment leave may not be less than the duration of those actions, up to a maximum of 12 months.

Reclassification leave begins during the advance notice, that the employee is exempted from execution. 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 salary of the employee varies according to the length of the reclassification leave.

During the period of leave corresponding to the notice, the employer shall pay the regular salary of the employee.

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 6.20% and CRDS at a rate of 0.5%).

The employer shall submit a monthly newsletter specifying the amount and the calculation method of that remuneration.

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.

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. This carry-over must be included within the limit of the duration of the periods of work carried out during the leave.

Redeployment leave may be suspended in the event of sick leave, maternity leave or paid 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 and 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 can 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.

The employee can also obtain payment of compensatory leave with pay when he has not taken all his 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 registered letter with AR: 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 by registered letter with AR: titleContent.

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 registered letter with AR: titleContent or hand-delivered letter against discharge.

It specifies the date of hiring to the employer and the date of submission of the registered letter sets the end of the redeployment 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:

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.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region