France Maternity and Parental Leave: An Employer’s Guide

Maternity leave policies let employees readjust and bond with their new child rather than immediately returning to an email inbox and calendar of meetings. Many countries mandate protected leave, and France is no exception. If you hire employees based in France, you need to understand your obligations to preserve your workers’ rights and maintain compliance.

Maternity leave policies vary by country, and France has a highly structured system that combines statutory leave with social security benefits and strong worker protections. France maternity leave is a complex regulatory hurdle for employers, especially for those managing employees across multiple countries with differing standards.

To understand how French law impacts your obligations as an employer, you must understand maternity policies in France, and how the country approaches parental benefits.

How long is maternity leave in France?

Maternity leave (congé maternité) is a mandated leave entitlement for employees who are pregnant or have recently given birth. Under French law, pregnant employees are entitled to at least 16 weeks of statutory maternity leave. Eligible employees generally receive daily maternity allowances from the French social security system during the leave.

Employees may be entitled to a longer leave, depending on the circumstances of the pregnancy and birth:

• Single child pregnancy. 16 weeks (six weeks pre-delivery date + 10 weeks post-birth)
• Twins. 34 weeks (12 weeks pre-delivery date + 22 weeks post-birth)
• Triplets or more. 46 weeks (24 weeks pre-delivery date + 22 weeks post-birth)
• Pregnancy complications. Up to 22 weeks (additional two weeks pre-delivery date + four weeks post-birth)
• Third or subsequent child. 26 weeks (eight weeks before the expected delivery date + 18 weeks after birth)

While employees can waive part of their mandatory leave, they’re required under French law to stop working for at least eight weeks (including six weeks post birth).

How maternity leave differs from paternity and parental leave

Maternity leave in France is reserved for the birth parent only, but the country has separate mandates in place for paternity and general parental leave. Each category of leave has different regulations regarding duration, pay, and eligibility. This can complicate your obligations as an employer; it’s important to understand the differences and never conflate them in order to stay compliant.

Paternity leave (congé paternité)

Paternity leave and childcare leave applies to the child’s father and, in certain circumstances, the spouse, civil partner, or partner living with the birth mother. It includes a certain number of paternity leave days, which employees can take at any time within six months after the birth, along with three mandatory days of employer-paid leave immediately following the birth. Employers must pay employees their regular salary during the three days of birth leave.

Leave duration is as follows:

• One child. 28 days (25 calendar days of paternity leave + three days of birth leave)
• Multiple children. 35 days (32 calendar days of paternity leave + three days of birth leave)

These entitlements can apply to the biological non-birth parent or anyone who is married to or in a civil partnership with the birth parent.

Parental leave (congé parental d'éducation)

In France, either parent may take parental leave after maternity, paternity, or adoption leave. The initial period can last up to one year and may be renewed under certain conditions. The leave itself is generally unpaid by the employer, although eligible employees may receive a government benefit known as PreParE.

Additional birth leave (congé de naissance)

France introduced supplementary birth leave in 2026, allowing each parent to take one or two months of compensated leave. Parents can take the leave at the same time or alternate their periods of leave. It applies to children born or adopted from January 1, 2026, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements. The leave became available starting July 1, 2026. Parents must use it after paternity or maternity leave has concluded, but no more than nine months after the birth or adoption.

Additional birth leave is paid, but it’s funded by France’s social security system rather than employers. The leave is compensated at 70% of the employee’s salary during the first month and 60% during the second, subject to the applicable Social Security ceiling.

How maternity leave pay works in France

Statutory leave entitlements are an important compliance concern for global employers, particularly when it comes to compensation and payroll and tax requirements.

When an employee based in France takes maternity, paternity, or adoptive leave, their employment contract is suspended and they don’t receive their regular salary. Instead, they receive daily allowances administered by CPAM. The amount is based on the employee’s average salary, but cannot be less than €11.12 or more than €104.02 per day.

While employers aren’t required under French law to pay employee salaries during maternity leave, there are situations where you may be required to provide supplemental compensation.

For example, about 98% of French employees work under collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), which are often negotiated at the industry level and extended by the French government to cover larger economic sectors. Some CBAs (known locally as a convention collective de travail), such as SYNTEC and the Metallurgy Agreement, mandate supplemental maternity leave pay (or “top-ups”) so that parents may continue to receive 100% of their regular earnings. You need to know which CBA applies to each French employee (if any) and follow the applicable terms, which may require certain payroll reporting requirements.

Additionally, many companies offer additional maternity pay benefits to their employees, but this comes down to internal policies, as it isn’t required by law.

Employer obligations during maternity leave

French maternity leave policies come with employer obligations, which include more than just approving time-off requests.

These responsibilities include:

• Job protection and reinstatement. You’re not permitted to dismiss an employee during maternity leave (for any reason) or the 10 weeks following (except in non-related cases of gross employee misconduct or company closure), and you must reinstate the employee upon return with the same or a similar role with equivalent pay.
• Benefits and employment rights. You must continue to apply employee benefits (including old-age pension and life, death, and disability insurance) while meeting employment requirements during maternity leave, and failure to comply can result in fines of up to €1,500 plus damages to the employee.
• Notice and documentation requirements. You must file a salary certificate (attestation de salaire) with CPAM stating the employee’s salary so they may receive the appropriate daily allowance.

Hire employees compliantly in France with Pebl

Recruiting and managing employees in France requires strong compliance frameworks. Seemingly small errors during payroll or contract management can result in hefty fines. This goes for maternity leave and every aspect of employment law.

As your organization expands into new regions, your administrative burden increases, since you now have to contend with unique, and often conflicting, regulatory requirements and employer obligations. Establishing new entities in every country where you operate quickly becomes impractical.

Pebl acts as an Employer of Record, so you can hire and manage a multinational workforce without setting up local entities. You get the regulatory support you need to handle critical tasks such as employment contract management, payroll processing, and statutory leave administration in more than 185 countries.

Contact Pebl today to request a demo and learn more.

FAQ

What is the paid maternity leave policy in France?

Employers generally aren’t required to pay an employee’s regular salary during statutory maternity leave. Typically, employees are awarded daily allowances funded by France’s social security structures, including CPAM and URSSAF. However, employers may be required to supplement employees’ paid leave under internal policies or collective bargaining agreements.

Is maternity leave mandatory in France?

Yes, France’s maternity leave policy requires birth parents to take time off work. Pregnant employees must take a minimum of eight weeks off, including at least six weeks postpartum. As an employer, if you don’t allow your employee to take mandatory maternity leave, you may be fined up to €1,500 and be required to pay damages to the affected worker.

How much is maternity pay in France in 2026?

Birth parents receive daily allowances. The amount is their basic daily wage, minus a flat rate of 21% deducted by CPAM. Allowances are paid out every two weeks and cannot be less than €11.12 or exceed €104.02.

Does maternity leave count towards annual leave accrual?

Yes. Maternity leave is considered effective “working time,” which means they’ll continue to accrue paid leave (not including public holidays) during this period.