The decree limiting the duration of work stoppages to one month for an initial prescription and to two months for an extension was published on Saturday June 13 in the Official Journal.
“The ceilings (…) are set at thirty-one days for a first prescription and sixty-two days for an extension,” indicates the decree. These ceilings come into force on September 1, barring exceptions due to the patient’s state of health, and apply to the various health professionals required to prescribe work stoppages (doctors, midwives, dental surgeons).
Minirevolution
This limiting measure was decided in the Social Security financing law for 2026. In its initial project, the government wanted to be able to set this limit by decree, at 15 days for a first work stoppage prescribed by a city doctor and 30 days in hospital.
But the deputies voted for the duration to be one month in both cases, and for this duration to be enshrined in the law and not left to the executive.
This provision is, however, a mini-revolution: no maximum duration of sick leave has been provided for in France until today, although recommendations exist for certain pathologies, with indicative durations. Insured persons also remain subject to a ceiling of 360 days of daily allowances over three years.
High absenteeism rate
The rate of absenteeism among employees in the private sector has remained at a high level since the Covid crisis, a sharp increase particularly marked among executives, with longer absences often linked to mental health, according to a study published Tuesday June 9 by the Malakoff Humanis mutual insurance company.
According to this study, nearly one in three private sector employees has been arrested at least once in 2025. The absenteeism rate stands at 4.3%, an increase of 25.5% compared to 2019. Long absences (more than 60 days) have increased by almost 5% in one year. If those under 30 are arrested often, for short periods (12.4 days on average), employees over 55 are arrested less often but for longer periods (nearly 40 days on average).
As a result, daily allowances paid by Social Security have increased more sharply since the health crisis. “It costs Social Security 18 billion euros and it increases by a billion euros per year, so the stakes are considerable,” said the Minister of Labor and Solidarity Jean-Pierre Farandou in April.
While the 23rd Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QVCT) Week is being held from June 15 to 19, the Mental Health and QVCT Barometer recently published by Qualisocial and produced by Ipsos indicated that 22% of workers are in poor mental health.
Another decree, also published on Saturday June 13 in the Official Journal, sets the maximum duration of payment of daily allowances in the context of a work accident or occupational illness at four years from 2027.
