Working Hours in France

The legal working week and day in France, how overtime is paid, which days are the weekend, normal office hours and the paid leave you are owed.

Working week 35 hours Working day 10 hours Overtime pay 1.25× Weekend days Sat–Sun Business hours 9am–6pm Annual leave 25 days

Working week in France

35 hours

The legal working week is 35 hours, and hours above that count as overtime. The absolute maximum is 48 hours in any week and 44 on average over 12 weeks.

Working day in France

10 hours

You can work at most 10 hours a day, or 12 under a collective agreement, with at least 11 hours’ rest between days and a 20-minute break after 6 hours.

Overtime pay in France

1.25×

The first 8 hours of overtime in a week are paid at 25% extra and further hours at 50%, unless a company agreement sets a different rate of at least 10%.

Weekend days in France

Sat–Sun

Saturday and Sunday are the weekend for offices. Sunday is the legal weekly rest day, so most shops close or open only in the morning, and some small shops close on Monday instead.

Business hours in France

9am–6pm

Offices usually work 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with an hour or more for lunch. Many small shops and banks close over lunch.

Annual leave in France

25 days

Employees earn 2.5 working days of paid leave a month, which is 5 weeks a year: 30 days counting Saturdays, or 25 days on a five-day week.

Checked 24 October 2026 against national labour laws and government sites. Laws change and this is a summary, not legal advice; check with the authority that applies to you.

Working days in France 2026

Business days and working hours by month, after weekends and holidays.

Minimum wage in France

The hourly and monthly minimum, in local money and US dollars.

French public holidays 2026

Every holiday with its date and long weekends.