Managing employee leave and vacation entitlements in Reunion requires a clear understanding of local labor regulations, which largely mirror those of mainland France but with specific adaptations. Employers must ensure compliance with statutory minimums for annual leave, recognize official public holidays, and adhere to rules governing sick leave, parental leave, and other specific types of absence. Navigating these requirements is crucial for maintaining compliant and fair employment practices.
Ensuring accurate calculation and management of various leave types is essential for operational continuity and employee satisfaction. This includes understanding accrual rates for paid time off, the process for handling sick leave notifications and payments, and the specific conditions and durations for family-related leaves such as maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
Annual Vacation Leave
Employees in Reunion are entitled to paid annual leave based on time worked. The statutory minimum entitlement is 2.5 working days per month of actual work with the same employer, totaling 30 working days (equivalent to 5 weeks) per year for full-time employees. This entitlement is typically accrued over a reference period, usually from June 1st of the previous year to May 31st of the current year.
- Accrual: 2.5 working days per month worked.
- Maximum Statutory Entitlement: 30 working days (5 weeks) per year.
- Taking Leave: Employees generally request leave, and employers must respond. Leave dates are often set by collective agreements or employer policy, considering employee requests and business needs.
- Carry-Over: Generally, leave must be taken within a specific period after the accrual period ends. Carry-over rules can be complex and may be governed by collective agreements.
- Payment: Employees receive their normal salary during paid leave, or a calculation based on average earnings, whichever is more favorable.
Public Holidays
Reunion observes a number of public holidays each year. Employees are generally entitled to these days off with pay. If a public holiday falls on a day the employee would normally work, it is typically a paid day off. Some holidays may be mandatory paid days off, while others may depend on collective agreements.
Here are the anticipated public holidays for 2onia 25:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| April 21 | Easter Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 8 | Victory in Europe Day |
| May 29 | Ascension Day |
| June 9 | Whit Monday |
| July 14 | Bastille Day |
| August 15 | Assumption Day |
| November 1 | All Saints' Day |
| November 11 | Armistice Day |
| December 20 | Abolition of Slavery Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
Note: Some local or religious holidays may also be observed based on collective agreements or local custom.
Sick Leave
When an employee is unable to work due to illness or injury, they must notify their employer promptly and provide a medical certificate (arrêt de travail) within a specified timeframe, usually 48 hours.
- Notification: Employee must inform the employer as soon as possible.
- Medical Certificate: Required within 48 hours of the first day of absence.
- Payment:
- Social Security (Caisse Générale de Sécurité Sociale - CGSS) pays daily allowances (Indemnités Journalières - IJ) after a waiting period (usually 3 days).
- The employer may be required to supplement the CGSS payments, ensuring the employee receives a percentage of their normal salary. This employer supplementation is often subject to conditions, including employee seniority (e.g., 1 year of service) and the duration of the absence.
- Collective agreements often provide more favorable sick pay conditions than the statutory minimums.
Parental Leave
French labor law, applicable in Reunion, provides various types of leave related to childbirth and adoption.
Maternity Leave
- Duration: Typically 16 weeks for the first two children (6 weeks before the expected birth date, 10 weeks after). This is extended for the third child (26 weeks) or in case of multiple births (34 or 46 weeks).
- Payment: Paid by Social Security (CGSS) based on previous earnings. Employer supplementation may apply based on collective agreements or company policy.
Paternity and Welcome Child Leave
- Duration: 25 calendar days for a single birth, 32 calendar days for multiple births. This leave includes a mandatory 4-day period that must be taken immediately after the birth (following the 3 mandatory days of birth leave paid by the employer).
- Payment: Paid by Social Security (CGSS).
Adoption Leave
- Duration: 16 weeks for a single adoption (extended to 18 weeks if the family already has 2 or more children, or 22 weeks for multiple adoptions). This leave can be shared between the two parents.
- Payment: Paid by Social Security (CGSS).
Other Types of Leave
Beyond standard vacation and parental leave, employees may be entitled to other specific types of absence:
- Bereavement Leave: Short periods of paid leave are granted upon the death of a family member (spouse, child, parent, etc.). The duration varies depending on the relationship.
- Leave for Family Events: Paid leave may be granted for events such as marriage, civil partnership, or the announcement of a disability in a child.
- Study Leave (Congé Individuel de Formation - CIF, now part of the CPF transition professionnelle): Allows employees to take time off to undertake training, subject to eligibility criteria and employer authorization regarding absence scheduling.
- Sabbatical Leave: Employees meeting specific seniority requirements may request a period of extended unpaid leave for personal projects, subject to employer agreement.
- Leave for Creation/Takeover of a Business: Allows employees to take time off to start or acquire a business.
