The European Commission has formally called on France to revise its sick leave and paid leave regulations. Is a Labor Code reform coming in 2025?

On June 18, 2025, the European Commission issued a formal notice to France, finding that its labor law is not compliant with European Directive 2003/88/EC.

The issue at hand: the absence of provisions allowing paid leave to be postponed when an employee falls ill during their vacation.

Currently, the French Labor Code does not provide for this possibility, whereas the Court of Justice of the European Union considers that an employee who is on sick leave during their paid leave should be able to use those days at a later time.

France now has a two-month deadline to take the necessary measures and amend its Labor Code. Failing that, the Commission could refer the case to the CJEU and initiate infringement proceedings, which could lead to a judgment with legal and financial consequences. This formal notice thus marks an important step, and a legislative reform is expected in the coming months to strengthen employees’ rights regarding paid leave.