Source date: 2026-04-29
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Private sector leave
Can an employee carry over unused vacation days to the following year? Published on April 30, 2026 - Updated on May 26, 2026 - Service Public / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Employees in the private sector accrue paid leave entitlements progressively over a reference period. The number of days accrued is proportional to the actual working time performed during this period. Leave must be taken before the end of the leave-taking period set within the company. Service Public reminds you of the rules regarding taking leave.
Anyone holding an employment contract, including specific contracts (such as apprenticeship or professionalization contracts), is entitled to paid leave each year. Leave is accrued at a rate of 2.5 working days per month of effective work.
Paid leave entitlements are determined over a so-called "reference" or "accrual" period. This period may be set by a company or establishment agreement or, failing that, by a collective bargaining agreement or branch agreement.
If this reference period is not defined, it starts on June 1st each year and ends on May 31st of the following year. Leave must be taken before May 31st of the following year.
If you have accrued leave for the reference period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, you must use up your leave before May 31, 2026.
The leave-taking period must include at least the period from May 1st to October 31st. A portion of at least 12 consecutive working days (if you have accrued more than 12 days) must be taken during this period.
Can an employee carry over unused vacation days to the following year? If your working hours fall under the general case, you may, with your employer's agreement, benefit from carrying over accrued but unused leave from the leave-taking period. However, the employer is not obliged to accept the carry-over if it is not customary in the company (unless the employer initiated the request).
Paid leave cannot be paid out if it is not taken or if there is no termination of the contract. It can be transferred to a time savings account if the company offers this option.
If you are on annualized working hours or on sick leave, there are specific rules.
If you were unable to take your leave during the scheduled period due to an external constraint (sick leave, maternity or adoption leave), you are entitled to carry over these days.
An employee is entitled to paid leave from the start of their employment, regardless of seniority. However, they must respect the leave-taking period applied in their organization. The employer may refuse the requested dates, and the employee must then take their leave at another time. Furthermore, the employer may require the employee to take leave days in the event of a temporary company closure. The employer may also impose leave on the employee even without a company closure, as regulations provide that, in the absence of an agreement, the employer sets the order and dates of departure.
Special arrangements apply to professions with discontinuous work covered by a paid leave fund (construction and public works companies, transport or entertainment companies, etc.), as well as for employees with particular working conditions: traveling sales representatives (VRP), concierges, domestic workers, childminders, etc.
Legal texts and references
See also
- Paid leave for employees in the private sector Service Public
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Source: Service-Public professionals