November 11 in France: work and pay on the holiday

November 11, 2026 is a legal public holiday in France and falls on this Wednesday, but that does not mean everyone is excused from work. In the private sector, time off mainly depends on the collective agreement, another applicable agreement, or the employer’s decision. Working that day does not guarantee double pay either: outside May 1, a premium applies only when a specific rule provides for it.

The answers below concern French law and French employment relationships only. They should not be applied to contracts governed by the laws of the United States, the United Kingdom, or any other country.

First, identify your employment status

The safest way to find the answer is to separate four situations:

• employee of a private company: check the collective agreement, company agreements, and the employer’s instructions;
• public-sector employee: check the roster and the rules of the relevant administration;
• employee or apprentice under 18: as a rule, they do not work on legal public holidays, although sector-specific exceptions exist;
• domestic employee hired directly by an individual: separate rules apply, including to pay.

Service-Public confirms that the 1918 Armistice on November 11, 2026 is a legal public holiday. Holiday status alone, however, does not determine whether a business closes, an employee has the day off, or premium pay applies.

Private sector: you may be required to work

Among France’s legal public holidays, only May 1 is mandatorily non-working for all employees, apart from activities that cannot be interrupted. November 11 may therefore be worked.

The date is non-working when this is established by a collective bargaining agreement, sector agreement, or company or establishment agreement. If none applies, the employer decides. A closed shop therefore does not prove that an entire occupational group was granted leave; similarly, an open company does not reveal the terms of every employee’s contract.

If the holiday is not worked, employees do not have to make up the hours lost because of it. If it falls on a day when someone does not normally work, it does not automatically create an additional day off, unless a more favorable collective provision applies.

Private-sector pay: paid leave is not double pay

For employees with at least three months’ service in the company, a non-working public holiday cannot result in lost pay. This also covers seasonal workers who have accumulated at least three months under successive or non-successive contracts with the same company. Special rules affect intermittent and temporary workers and people working from their own homes, while collective agreements or company practice may provide better terms.

If you work on November 11, the law does not by itself require double pay. Business France explains that there is no mandatory statutory premium for working a public holiday other than May 1. Collective agreements may nevertheless provide a premium, compensatory rest, or another benefit.

Use the Digital Labor Code to find information tied to your collective agreement. Also check your contract, company agreement, internal notice, and payslip.

Workers under 18 have specific protection

Employees and apprentices under 18 generally may not work on legal public holidays. Exceptions exist in sectors listed by French rules, including hotels, food businesses, flower retail, and entertainment.

When a young worker covered by an exception works on the holiday, they must receive weekly rest of at least 36 consecutive hours. The worker’s age and actual activity must therefore be checked before concluding that a roster is permitted.

Public employees depend on service requirements

In the public service, a holiday is non-working when service requirements allow. Services whose activity cannot be interrupted, such as hospitals, may include November 11 in the normal roster.

Under the Service-Public rules for public employees, a holiday that is normally not worked is paid like an ordinary working day. When the date is normally worked, pay may remain at the usual level or include a premium, depending on the administration. There is no single bonus covering the entire public service.

As a general rule, a non-working holiday cannot be made up. Particular compensation arrangements exist in the hospital public service and depend on the employee’s rest pattern. The roster, employment framework, and administration’s rules are decisive.

Domestic employment follows separate rules

For a domestic employee hired directly by an individual, work on November 11 carries a 10% pay premium. If the employer decides that no work will take place on a day normally worked, pay is maintained when the employee worked on the last working day before and the first working day after the holiday. A previously authorized absence can also preserve that entitlement.

If the holiday falls on a day not normally worked, no additional payment is due. These conditions appear in the guidance on paying a domestic employee. This direct employment relationship should not be confused with employment by a home-services company, which may be governed by another collective agreement.

How to check your position today

Start with the roster communicated by your employer. Then identify the collective agreement, find its *jours fériés* clause, and compare it with the company agreement and your contract. Public employees should consult their administration; domestic employees should review their contract and the sector-specific rule.

Opening hours for shops, museums, and transportation do not follow automatically from employment law. They may vary by establishment and operator and should be checked directly through the responsible official channel. If there is a disagreement about your roster or pay, retain the documents recording your hours and the instructions you received.