Can an employee be absent to participate in an election campaign?

Everything employee shall be granted time off to take part in an election campaign provided that he is a candidate for a parliamentary or local mandate.

No seniority requirements of the employee is not required.

This right is granted to the employee candidate in the following elections:

• Municipal elections
• Departmental and regional elections
• European elections
• Elections to the council of a district of the city of Paris or the communes of Lyon and Marseille 
• Elections to the council of the metropolis of Lyon 
• Elections to the Corsican Assembly
• Assembly elections in Guyana, Martinique and Mayotte
• Elections to the National Assembly
• Senate
• Senate elections.

The maximum period of absence of an employee participating in any election campaign is 20 working days.

The employee must notify his employer at least 24 hours before the start of each absence (written or oral).

The employer cannot refuse the employee's request for absence.

Each absence must be at least equivalent to half a full day.

If the employee request, the duration of his absences during his participation in an election campaign may be counted against his paid leave, within the limit of his acquired rights on the date of 1^er ballot.

If these days of absence are not counted against paid leave, they are not paid.

In this case, these unpaid days may be recovered, in agreement with the employer.

An employee who participates in an election campaign and who is not on paid leave during the campaign is not paid during these absences.

If he is on paid leave during the campaign, he receives his vacation pay during these absences.

The days of absence, paid or unpaidfor participation in an election campaign shall be treated as a period of actual work.

The days of absence, paid or unpaidfor participation in an election campaign shall be treated as a period of actual work.