Leave for family reasons

Both parents, if both of them are employed, are entitled to leave for family reasons of 2 days per year, per child under 15.

If your child's state of health is such that you are required to be present, the physician in charge of their care will issue you a medical certificate entitling you to leave for family reasons.

There are three sheets to the medical certificate. One must be sent to your employer, another to the health insurance fund, and you need to retain the third.

The medical certificate must attest to:

• the reason for your child's health condition,
• the fact that one of the parents is required to be present at all times,
• the length of time for which the parents will need to be present.

You must notify your employer on the same day on which you take leave.

The medical certificate, bearing the registration number of the child and the parent in question, must be submitted on the third day at the latest.

Extension, if approved by the Social Security Medical Board

In the event of a serious illness or an exceptionally serious impairment – for example, if the child is suffering from a type of cancer, or an illness requiring more than a 2-week stay in hospital – the leave may be extended, if it is approved by the Social Security Medical Board (Contrôle médical de la sécurité sociale).

In this case, the parent must present a medical report to the Social Security Medical Board, attesting to the child's state of health.

Leave for family reasons is similar to sick leave (inability to work due to illness). The employer will pay the benefit due from the health insurance fund to the employee in the form of an advance. The health insurance fund will then reimburse the employer accordingly.