March 2026, France. Municipal elections are here: from boardroom to ballot box, how should the overlap between a political mandate and an employee’s work contract be managed?
From the start of the electoral campaign, the french candidate employee is entitled to a dedicated absence period of 20 working days, taken in minimum half-day increments, subject to notifying the employer.
Once elected, the balancing act begins. Exercising the mandate grants rights to authorized absences and a “credit of hours,” the volume of which varies according to the office held (municipal, departmental, regional). A ceiling remains: a maximum of 803 hours and 30 minutes per year.
Regarding remuneration, absences related to the campaign are not paid, but can be deducted from the employee’s paid absences (RTT*, rest days, etc.) at the employee’s request. For the exercise of the mandate, the same logic applies: there is no obligation to maintain salary, but the absence is treated as effective working time for seniority and paid leave purposes.
Parliamentary mandates follow a specific regime. An employee elected to the French Parliament (Assemblée Nationale or Sénat) may request the suspension of their employment contract until the expiry of their term, provided they have at least one year of seniority. At the end of the first term, they benefit – under certain conditions – from a right to reinstatement in their job or a similar position with equivalent pay.
And then? The elected employee may also request an annual interview dedicated to their status. This exchange allows for the conciliation of their duties, the recognition of skills acquired during the mandate, and information regarding their individual right to training as an elected official. At the end of the mandate, it helps identify developed skills to better leverage them, notably through the VAE** (Validation of Acquired Experience).
When politics enters the company, the challenge is not to take sides, but to stay the course. Anticipate absences, track exchanges, and secure decisions. In short, make this a matter of law, not of tension.
Our program does not change: Employment law, the whole law, and nothing but employment law.
*RTT (Réduction du Temps de Travail): Compensatory rest days granted to employees working more than the legal 35-hour week in France.**VAE (Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience): A formal French process allowing individuals to obtain a certification or degree based on professional and elective experience rather than traditional schooling.
