Public holidays in France, 2021

How France public holidays work in 2021

France recognises eleven jours fériés under article L3133-1 of the Code du travail. Only 1 May, the Fête du Travail, is mandatorily paid; the other ten are paid only if the collective agreement or employer policy says so, although in practice most employers do honour them. The list mixes civic dates (Bastille Day, 11 November Armistice, 8 May VE Day) with Catholic dates inherited from the 1905 separation of church and state (Easter Monday, Ascension, Pentecost, Assumption, All Saints, Christmas). Alsace and Moselle, governed under local Concordat law since 1801, additionally observe Good Friday and Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December.

Working days in France

French law uses two distinct terms. Jour ouvrable is any day except Sunday and public holidays, so Saturday counts; jour ouvré is the actual business day, typically Monday to Friday. Statutory leave under article L3141-3 is counted in jours ouvrables at 2.5 days per month worked, giving 30 days a year, which converts to 25 jours ouvrés. Notice periods in commercial contracts and the Code de procédure civile distinguish the two carefully. Bank settlement runs on TARGET2 for euro transactions and on the Banque de France domestic calendar for cheques and direct debits, which mirrors the eleven national jours fériés.

For people planning cross-border meetings, the practical move is to overlay France's calendar with the calendars of the other countries on your team. A week that looks completely clear from your end might be a national holiday on theirs. The compare tool above pairs two country calendars and highlights the overlapping closures, so you can spot the weeks where almost no one is at their desk before you put a launch on the board.