Key Points
France caps initial sick leave at 31 days, extensions at 62 days starting September 1.
Doctors can exceed limits with written medical justification for patient health.
Rising absenteeism and 18 billion euro annual healthcare costs drove the reform.
More frequent doctor visits expected as patients need renewals instead of extended prescriptions.
France’s government published decree 2026-498 on June 13, imposing the first-ever caps on sick leave duration. Starting September 1, doctors can prescribe a maximum of 31 days for an initial sick leave and 62 days for extensions. The move targets rising healthcare spending, which reached 18 billion euros annually and increases by 1 billion euros per year.
New Limits on Medical Prescriptions
The decree sets fixed ceilings for sick leave prescriptions across all healthcare providers. Doctors, midwives, and dentists must follow the 31-day initial cap and 62-day extension limit. Exceptions exist when a patient’s health requires longer absences, provided the doctor documents the medical justification. These rules apply to all workers in the general social security system.
Why Parliament Changed the Government’s Plan
The government initially proposed shorter limits of 15 days for primary care and 30 days for hospital care. Parliament voted to raise these to 31 and 62 days respectively and locked the limits into law rather than leaving them to executive discretion. The final version entered the 2026 social security finance law, adopted in December 2025.
How This Affects Workers and Healthcare
Before this decree, no maximum duration existed for sick leave, though recommendations applied to specific conditions. Workers remain subject to a separate 360-day limit on daily benefits over three years. The reform is expected to increase medical visits, as patients must return to doctors for renewal rather than receiving extended prescriptions upfront. Health officials argue this enables better patient monitoring and care.
Rising Absenteeism Drove the Change
Private sector absenteeism has remained elevated since the COVID-19 crisis, with longer absences and mental health issues driving the trend, particularly among managers. The decree applies differently to public sector employees depending on their status. Permanent civil servants follow separate statutory rules, while contract workers in the public sector fall under the new general limits.
Final Thoughts
France’s new sick leave caps take effect September 1, reducing prescribing flexibility and requiring more frequent doctor visits. The measure aims to curb rising healthcare costs while improving patient care through closer medical oversight.
FAQs
Yes. Doctors can exceed the 31 or 62-day limits if they document medical justification based on the patient’s specific health condition.
September 1, 2026. The decree was published June 13 in the official journal, allowing employers and healthcare providers adequate preparation time.
It applies to general social security system workers. Permanent civil servants follow separate statutory rules; public sector contract workers fall under the new limits.
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
About Author
Huzaifa Zahoor
Co FounderHuzaifa Zahoor is the engineer who built Meyka. He has spent years writing Python, training AI models, and building data pipelines specifically for financial markets. His technical articles have reached over 30,000 readers on Medium, so he knows how to make complex things easy to follow. If this article touches on how the tools work, he is the person who actually built them.
What brings you to Meyka?
Pick what interests you most and we will get you started.
I'm here to read news
Find more articles like this one
I'm here to research stocks
Ask Meyka Analyst about any stock
I'm here to track my Portfolio
Get daily updates and alerts (coming March 2026)