Working Days and Hours 2026 - France
For France in 2026, this Monday-to-Friday planning calendar gives 252 days and 1,764 hours at 7 hours per day, after the included public holidays. It assumes those holidays are not worked and excludes personal leave and company closures.
Sandtime.io editorial team ·
Complete guide to working hours, public holidays, and annual leave in France for 2026
Monthly working days and hours 2026
For France in 2026, this Monday-to-Friday planning calendar gives 252 days and 1,764 hours at 7 hours per day, after the included public holidays. It assumes those holidays are not worked and excludes personal leave and company closures.
Monday-Friday; included holidays not worked; daily hours stated in the guide; no personal leave or company closures deducted.
The calendar uses the eleven national French public holidays. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories have additional dates. Other than the special rules for 1 May, a public holiday may be worked; check the applicable agreement and the solidarity day before treating every date as time off.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Planned working days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 21 | 147 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 20 | 140 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 21 | 147 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 17 | 119 | 4 |
| June 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 22 | 154 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 21 | 147 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| November 2026 | 20 | 140 | 1 |
| December 2026 | 22 | 154 | 1 |
| Total | 252 | 1,764 | 9 |
The accessible table contains the same figures.
Working hours in January 2026
In January 2026, the calendar gives 21 working days and 147 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in February 2026
In February 2026, the calendar gives 20 working days and 140 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in March 2026
In March 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in April 2026
In April 2026, the calendar gives 21 working days and 147 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in May 2026
In May 2026, the calendar gives 17 working days and 119 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 4 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in June 2026
In June 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in July 2026
In July 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in August 2026
In August 2026, the calendar gives 21 working days and 147 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in September 2026
In September 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in October 2026
In October 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in November 2026
In November 2026, the calendar gives 20 working days and 140 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in December 2026
In December 2026, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Plan hours for your working week
The calculator starts with work from Monday to Friday. Choose the days and daily hours that match your schedule. The result shows hours available after holidays; legal working-time limits depend on the rules for your workplace.
Planning weekdays: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 7 hours/day. Included holidays are assumed not worked; leave and company closures are not deducted.
1,764 hours
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Planned working days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 21 | 147 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 20 | 140 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 21 | 147 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 17 | 119 | 4 |
| June 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 22 | 154 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 21 | 147 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| November 2026 | 20 | 140 | 1 |
| December 2026 | 22 | 154 | 1 |
| Total | 252 | 1,764 | 9 |
The calendar uses the eleven national French public holidays. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories have additional dates. Other than the special rules for 1 May, a public holiday may be worked; check the applicable agreement and the solidarity day before treating every date as time off.
How to read the working-hour totals
The calendar uses the eleven national French public holidays. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories have additional dates. Other than the special rules for 1 May, a public holiday may be worked; check the applicable agreement and the solidarity day before treating every date as time off.
Count the selected working weekdays, subtract the included holidays that fall on those days, then multiply the remaining days by daily hours. Each holiday date is counted once. A holiday on a day you already exclude does not reduce the total again. Legal reductions and official substitute days follow their own rules.
Local working-calendar questions and examples
Why is the French calendar total different from 1607 hours?
For the general full-time private-sector case, Service Public lists legal reference durations of 35 hours a week, 151.67 a month and 1607 a year. Our table counts calendar weekdays at seven hours before personal leave. It does not calculate the employee’s annualized arrangement, RTT, solidarity day or payroll monthly basis.
Are all eleven French public holidays automatically days off?
No. May 1 has a special compulsory-rest rule, with exceptions for activities that cannot stop. For other holidays, the applicable agreement or employer arrangements matter. Alsace-Moselle also has additional holidays. The calculator assumes the listed national dates are not worked; check that assumption against the workplace calendar.
How should May 2026 and bridge days be planned in France?
May includes May 1, May 8, Ascension on May 14 and Whit Monday on May 25. If all four are non-working, the 21-weekday baseline becomes 17 days, or 119 hours at seven hours per day. Friday May 15 is not itself a national holiday. A bridge closure and the solidarity day need separate employer decisions.
Must the French solidarity day always be Whit Monday?
No. Service Public describes several arrangements: working a previously non-working holiday other than May 1, using an RTT day, or another arrangement for previously unworked hours. Whit Monday is an example, not the only date. Check the applicable arrangement before deducting May 25, 2026 as unavailable project time.
Can a four-day French schedule be calculated as 80% of this monthly table?
Only a date-by-date calculation reflects the actual holiday pattern. Four seven-hour days mean twenty-eight scheduled hours in an ordinary full week, but a Monday holiday affects Monday-Friday and Tuesday-Friday schedules differently. Select the actual weekdays in the calculator. Contractual part-time hours and payroll rules remain separate from this calendar estimate.
A planning total is not a universal legal annual requirement. Contracts, collective agreements, regions, sectors and actual working schedules can change the result. Record personal leave and company closures separately, and check the country’s working-time rules before using a calendar for payroll.
Working hours 2027: plan the next year
The calendar uses the eleven national French public holidays. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories have additional dates. Other than the special rules for 1 May, a public holiday may be worked; check the applicable agreement and the solidarity day before treating every date as time off.
For France in 2027, this Monday-to-Friday planning calendar gives 254 days and 1,778 hours at 7 hours per day, after the included public holidays. It assumes those holidays are not worked and excludes personal leave and company closures.
With the same working days and daily hours, the 2027 preview differs from 2026 by 14 hours. The calendars may cover different holidays; check their scope before using the comparison for a budget.
Confirmed holiday dates in the 2027 preview
- - New Year’s Day
- - Easter Monday
- - Labour Day
- - Ascension Day
- - Victory Day
- - Whit Monday
- - Bastille Day
- - Assumption Day
- - All Saints' Day
- - Armistice Day
- - Christmas Day
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Planned working days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | 20 | 140 | 1 |
| February 2027 | 20 | 140 | 0 |
| March 2027 | 22 | 154 | 1 |
| April 2027 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| May 2027 | 19 | 133 | 2 |
| June 2027 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| July 2027 | 21 | 147 | 1 |
| August 2027 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| September 2027 | 22 | 154 | 0 |
| October 2027 | 21 | 147 | 0 |
| November 2027 | 20 | 140 | 2 |
| December 2027 | 23 | 161 | 0 |
| Total | 254 | 1,778 | 7 |
The accessible table contains the same figures.
Working hours in January 2027
In January 2027, the calendar gives 20 working days and 140 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in February 2027
In February 2027, the calendar gives 20 working days and 140 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in March 2027
In March 2027, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in April 2027
In April 2027, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in May 2027
In May 2027, the calendar gives 19 working days and 133 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 2 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in June 2027
In June 2027, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in July 2027
In July 2027, the calendar gives 21 working days and 147 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 1 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in August 2027
In August 2027, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in September 2027
In September 2027, the calendar gives 22 working days and 154 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in October 2027
In October 2027, the calendar gives 21 working days and 147 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in November 2027
In November 2027, the calendar gives 20 working days and 140 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 2 included holidays on working weekdays.
Working hours in December 2027
In December 2027, the calendar gives 23 working days and 161 hours for the selected schedule, after deducting 0 included holidays on working weekdays.
Which months have the most and least working hours in 2026?
The 2026 calendar for France has a highest monthly total of 154 hours (March, June, July, September, October, December). The lowest is 119 hours (May). The difference is 35 hours per full-time person before leave, absences and company closures.
Compare delivery commitments by available hours, not by the number of months. Two equally priced monthly retainers can require different staffing when one month has fewer working days. Keep the calendar assumptions fixed, then adjust for each person’s schedule and approved leave before promising project capacity.
From October’s hours to a realistic project budget
Illustrative example for October 2026: start with 154 hours, reserve 14 hours for two scheduled days of approved leave and 21 hours for internal work. That leaves 119 hours for project allocation. It is a planning budget, not a promise that every remaining hour is billable or a record of hours actually worked.
Before the month begins, assign capacity to projects. During the month, keep actual project hours separately. At close, compare planned capacity with recorded work and approved absences; explain the differences before preparing client reports. A national calendar cannot replace either the employee’s schedule or the project record.
Understand billable utilization · Plan project staffing with the free capacity template · Use approved timesheets for client billing
2026 versus 2027: compare the hours month by month
An unchanged annual total can hide a different monthly workload. Compare matching months before reusing a staffing or delivery budget for 2027. This table uses the same daily hours and weekday assumptions in both years; regional and employer-specific calendars still need their own adjustments.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change in hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 147 | 140 | -7 |
| February | 140 | 140 | 0 |
| March | 154 | 154 | 0 |
| April | 147 | 154 | 7 |
| May | 119 | 133 | 14 |
| June | 154 | 154 | 0 |
| July | 154 | 147 | -7 |
| August | 147 | 154 | 7 |
| September | 154 | 154 | 0 |
| October | 154 | 147 | -7 |
| November | 140 | 140 | 0 |
| December | 154 | 161 | 7 |
| Total | 1,764 | 1,778 | 14 |
See the assumptions and confirmed dates for 2027 · Calculate a different period or working week
Free templates for planning and recording hours
Download editable spreadsheets or printable PDFs without registration. Keep calendar capacity, leave and actual time records separate.
Monthly timesheet
Record actual hours separately from the calendar’s planned total.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Work schedule
Turn monthly capacity into a team schedule and record company days off.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Vacation and leave tracker
Account for personal leave before assigning work to a project.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Time off in lieu tracker
Keep a record of granted compensating leave and its remaining balance.
Download Excel · Download PDFFrom the calendar to reliable time records
A calendar tells you how many hours can be planned. A time record tells you which project used them. Review the actual hours before reporting or billing.
Working Hours and Leave in France 2026
Working week used in calculations
Monday to Friday. Edit working weekdays in the calculator; legal limits and actual schedules are separate.
- 7 hours per day
- 5 days per week
- 35 hours per week
Under the Labour Code (Code du travail, Art. L3121-27), the legal working week is 35 hours. The maximum is 48 hours in any single week or an average of 44 hours over 12 consecutive weeks.
Annual Leave Entitlement
25 days
Five weeks: 30 jours ouvrables on the statutory six-day counting basis, or 25 jours ouvrés for an equivalent five-day calculation. RTT depends on the working-time arrangement.
Monthly Averages
- 21.0 working days/month
- 147.0 working hours/month
How many RTT days are there in France in 2026?
RTT days (réduction du temps de travail) compensate full-time employees whose working time exceeds the 35-hour legal week. There is no national number: a collective or company agreement sets how many RTT days an employee earns. Service-Public gives the example of an employee working 39 hours a week, who earns 4 hours of RTT a week, or half a day.
Employees on a forfait jours contract work at most 218 days a year and do not earn RTT as such. They get additional rest days instead, and for 2026 Service-Public puts that number at 9: the days left from 365 after 104 weekend days, 25 days of paid leave, 9 public holidays on weekdays and the 218 working days.
Public Holidays in France 2026
The stated calendar for France lists 11 holidays in 2026, with 9 falling on weekdays. See full public holidays list
The calendar uses the eleven national French public holidays. Alsace-Moselle and overseas territories have additional dates. Other than the special rules for 1 May, a public holiday may be worked; check the applicable agreement and the solidarity day before treating every date as time off.
Understanding Holiday Types
Different countries use different terminology for non-working days. Here is what each term means for workforce planning.
Public Holidays
Public holidays listed in the country’s calendar. Check the country guide for the rules on time off, holiday pay and regional differences.
Federal Holidays
Holidays listed in a federal calendar. Check which government offices and employers the calendar covers before applying it to a private workplace.
Bank Holidays
Days when banks and financial institutions are closed. In the UK, this term is synonymous with public holidays. Important for payroll processing and payment schedules.
Observances
Notable dates that are not official days off. Examples include Earth Day or Mother’s Day. These do not affect work schedules unless an employer chooses to recognize them.
| Date | Day | Holiday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year’s Day (Jour de l'An) | |
| Mon, Apr 6 | Monday | Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) | |
| Fri, May 1 | Friday | Labour Day (Fête du Travail) | |
| Fri, May 8 | Friday | Victory Day (Victoire 1945) | |
| Thu, May 14 | Thursday | Ascension Day (Ascension) | |
| Mon, May 25 | Monday | Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) | |
| Tue, Jul 14 | Tuesday | Bastille Day (Fête Nationale) | |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Saturday | Assumption Day (Assomption) | Weekend |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Sunday | All Saints' Day (Toussaint) | Weekend |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Wednesday | Armistice Day (Armistice) | |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day (Noël) |
Turn working days into tracked hours
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