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France Severance Pay Calculator (Indemnité de Licenciement)

Calculate your end-of-service benefits for France.

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About France Benefits

France severance pay (indemnité de licenciement).

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What is Severance Pay (Indemnité) in France?

Severance pay in French law (indemnité de licenciement) is mandatory for employees terminated by their employer in France.

The amount is calculated based on years of service and salary, with minimum legal requirements.

Additional contractual severance may be offered beyond legal minimums.

Eligibility: You must have at least 8 months of uninterrupted seniority with the same employer on a permanent contract (CDI). Severance pay is due when dismissal is for personal reasons or economic reasons (licenciement économique). It is generally not due for dismissal for gross or serious misconduct (faute grave or faute lourde), unless your collective agreement or contract provides otherwise.

Reference salary: The gross salary used for the calculation is the one most favorable to you—either the monthly average of your last 12 months before termination (or the average of all months if you were employed less than 12 months), or one-third of your total salary over the last 3 months. Annual or exceptional bonuses are included proportionally. This ensures the calculation reflects your actual earnings.

Collective agreements (conventions collectives) often provide severance pay above the legal minimum. Many sectors have negotiated higher rates (e.g. 1/3 or 1/2 month per year from the first year). Check your convention collective and employment contract to see if you are entitled to more than the statutory minimum. The French government also offers an official severance pay simulator (service-public.fr) to calculate the exact amount based on your situation.

France Severance Pay Calculation

Formula

25% of gross monthly salary per year (first 10 years), 33.33% per year after 10 years

  • Minimum 8 months of uninterrupted seniority with the same employer (CDI) required for eligibility
  • Legal minimum: 1/4 month (25%) of gross salary per year for first 10 years of service
  • After 10 years: 1/3 month (33.33%) of gross salary per year for each additional year
  • Reference salary: the higher of (a) average of last 12 months gross pay, or (b) one-third of salary over last 3 months; bonuses included proportionally
  • Not due for dismissal for gross misconduct (faute grave) or serious misconduct (faute lourde), unless contract or collective agreement provides otherwise
  • Collective agreements (convention collective) often provide higher severance than the legal minimum—check your sector agreement
  • Official government simulator available at service-public.fr for an exact calculation based on your situation

Gratuity Calculation Examples

Example: France Severance (5 Years Service)

Basic Salary: € 3,000/month

Years of Service: 5 years

Calculation:

Gross €3,000/month. First 10 years: 25% × 5 years = 1.25 months. Severance = €3,000 × 1.25 = €3,750 minimum.

Example: France Severance (12 Years Service)

Basic Salary: € 4,000/month

Years of Service: 12 years

Calculation:

Gross €4,000/month. First 10 years: 25% × 10 = 2.5 months (€10,000). After 10: 33.33% × 2 = 0.67 months (€2,667). Total minimum ≈ €12,667.

Example: France Severance (15 Years Service)

Basic Salary: € 3,500/month

Years of Service: 15 years

Calculation:

Gross €3,500/month. First 10 years: 25% × 10 = 2.5 months (€8,750). After 10: 33.33% × 5 ≈ 1.67 months (€5,833). Total minimum ≈ €14,583.

Tips & Best Practices

📋 Know Legal Minimums

Familiarize yourself with French labor law regarding severance pay minimums.

💰 Check Contractual Benefits

Some employers offer enhanced severance packages beyond legal requirements.

📄 Check Your Convention Collective

Your sector's collective agreement (convention collective) may grant higher severance than the legal minimum—check with HR or your union.

🔢 Use the Official Simulator

For an exact amount, use the French government severance pay simulator at service-public.fr; it applies the correct reference salary and rules.

Why Use Our Calculator?

Legal Minimum Estimate

Get an instant estimate of your French severance pay (indemnité de licenciement) based on the statutory formula: 25% per year (first 10 years) and 33.33% per year after.

Plan Your Exit

Use the calculator before negotiating a rupture conventionnelle or facing redundancy—know your legal floor so you can compare with any offer.

Reference Salary Reminder

The actual amount uses the higher of your last 12 months' average or one-third of the last 3 months; our result is an estimate—confirm with HR or the official simulator.

Frequently Asked Questions

French severance pay has legal minimums: 1/4 month salary per year for first 10 years, and 1/3 month salary per year after 10 years. Additional contractual severance may apply.
In France, the legal minimum formula for severance pay (indemnité de licenciement) is: 1/4 of monthly gross salary per year of service for the first 10 years, and 1/3 of monthly gross salary per year for each year after 10. So: (salary ÷ 4 × years up to 10) + (salary ÷ 3 × years after 10). Contractual formulas may be more generous.
In France, severance pay depends on: (1) years of service—more years mean higher legal minimum; (2) gross salary—the calculation is based on your gross monthly pay; (3) whether you have contractual severance—many employers offer more than the legal minimum. The type of termination (e.g. economic layoff vs. other) can also affect entitlement.
In France, the legal minimum is 1/4 month salary per year (first 10 years) and 1/3 month per year after 10. So 5 years at €3,000/month = €3,750 minimum; 15 years = (10 × €750) + (5 × €1,000) = €12,500 minimum. Many employers pay above the legal minimum under collective agreements or company policy.
To calculate French severance: (1) Take your gross monthly salary. (2) For the first 10 years of service: multiply (salary ÷ 4) × years. (3) For years after 10: add (salary ÷ 3) × additional years. (4) Add both parts. Use our calculator for an estimate; your employer will apply the exact legal or contractual formula.
The French legal severance package formula is: first 10 years = 1/4 month gross salary per year; after 10 years = 1/3 month gross salary per year. So total minimum = (salary × 0.25 × years up to 10) + (salary × 0.333… × years after 10). Your contract or collective agreement may specify a higher package.
In France, severance pay is calculated on gross salary and years of service. Legal minimum: 1/4 month per year for the first 10 years, 1/3 month per year after 10. Example: 12 years at €4,000/month = (10 × €1,000) + (2 × €1,333) ≈ €12,666 minimum. Contractual or collective agreements may add more.
To work out your French severance: (1) Gross monthly salary ÷ 4 × years of service (capped at 10). (2) Plus salary ÷ 3 × any years beyond 10. (3) Sum both. Check your contract and collective agreement for any higher amount. Our calculator can give you an estimate based on these rules.
In France, severance is not expressed as '2 weeks per year.' The legal minimum is 1/4 month salary per year (first 10 years) and 1/3 month per year after 10—roughly 3 to 4+ weeks' pay per year depending on the period. Some countries use '2 weeks per year'; French law uses monthly fractions. Check your contract for any different rule.
In France, a reasonable minimum is the legal floor: 1/4 month per year (first 10) and 1/3 month per year after 10. Many collective agreements and contracts provide more—e.g. 1/3 or 1/2 month per year from the start. What is 'reasonable' depends on your sector, seniority, and contract; compare with legal minimum and your agreement.
You should get at least the French legal minimum: 1/4 month gross salary per year for the first 10 years and 1/3 month per year after 10. You may be entitled to more under your employment contract, collective agreement (convention collective), or company policy. Ask HR for a written calculation and compare with the legal formula.
A good severance settlement in France meets or exceeds the legal minimum (1/4 month per year for first 10 years, 1/3 after 10) and may include extra months of pay, continued benefits, or a non-compete payment. Sector norms and your seniority matter. Use our calculator to estimate the minimum, then compare with what your employer offers.
Your French severance will be at least: (gross monthly salary ÷ 4) × years of service (first 10) + (gross monthly salary ÷ 3) × years after 10. Your employer may pay more under contract or collective agreement. Use our calculator with your salary and years of service for an estimate; get the final figure from HR.
In France, you can negotiate severance pay when signing a termination agreement (rupture conventionnelle) or in some dismissal situations. The employer must respect the legal minimum, but you can try to obtain more—e.g. extra months, bonus, or benefits. Negotiation is common in mutual agreements; in contested dismissals, legal advice can help.
Whether 12 weeks of severance is 'good' depends on your salary and years of service. In France, entitlement is expressed in months (1/4 month per year for first 10, 1/3 after 10). 12 weeks is about 3 months' pay—for 10 years at the legal minimum you would get 2.5 months, so 3 months can be reasonable or better depending on your situation and contract.