"My mates at uni get two weeks off in late October, while my CFA timetable says 'company' all week long. Am I entitled to a holiday or not?" The question comes up every September — and the answer fits in a single sentence: you do have leave, but it is no longer school holidays.
In short: a work-study student is a fully-fledged employee. They accrue 2.5 working days (jours ouvrables) of paid leave per month worked, i.e. 30 working days (5 weeks) per year, exactly like their colleagues (article L. 3141-3 of the French Labour Code). The CFA's school holidays are not leave: during the weeks with no classes, the apprentice is expected at the company, unless they book time off. Two specific entitlements are added on top: the additional exam revision leave of 5 working days, paid, to be taken in the month preceding the exams (article L. 6222-35), and, for those under 21, the option of obtaining up to 30 working days of leave — with any days not accrued simply being unpaid (article L. 3141-8). An employer can refuse a date, never the right to leave.
Is a work-study student entitled to school holidays?
No, and that's the first shock of the new academic year. By signing an apprenticeship contract or a professionalisation contract, you become an employee of the company. Your reference calendar is no longer the education authority's, but your employer's.
In practical terms, this means that:
- during class weeks, you are at the CFA or training organisation;
- during the so-called "in-company" weeks, you work, even if it's the October, Christmas or February break;
- during CFA closures (the summer break in particular), you are at the company, unless you have booked leave or the company is closed.
The Ministry of Labour and the service-public.fr portal spell it out in black and white: "Apprentices are entitled to paid leave under the same conditions as the company's other employees." There is no provision granting entitlement to school holidays.
This is also what explains the main misunderstanding in September: many young people plan their year around 36 weeks of "attendance", when in fact they are signing up for 12 full months, paid leave included.
"The time devoted by the apprentice to the training provided in apprentice training centres is included in working hours." — article L. 6222-24 of the French Labour Code
In other words, your CFA weeks count as actual working time: they generate paid leave, they don't use it up.
How many days of paid leave does an apprentice accrue in 2026?
The rule is the ordinary one: 2.5 working days (ouvrables) per month of actual work, up to a limit of 30 working days per year, i.e. 5 weeks.
Watch the vocabulary — it's a constant source of errors:
| Concept | Definition | A full week = |
|---|---|---|
| Ouvrables days | Monday to Saturday (all except Sunday and public holidays) | 6 days |
| Ouvrés days | Days actually worked in the company (often Monday–Friday) | 5 days |
A company that counts in jours ouvrés will grant you 25 working days: it's the same entitlement, simply expressed differently. So don't cry foul if your payslip shows 2.08 days per month — that's the conversion into ouvrés (25 / 12).
The reference period, the detail that changes everything
Historically, the reference period runs from 1 June to 31 May. More and more companies, through collective agreements, align it with the calendar year (1 January – 31 December). Check the exact wording on your payslip or in your collective bargaining agreement.
For a contract starting in September 2026, with a June–May reference period, by 31 May 2027 you will have accrued roughly 22.5 working days (9 months × 2.5). Hence a common reality: in the first year, you don't yet have your full 5 weeks.
Following the changes introduced by the Act of 22 April 2024 transposing European law, periods of sick leave (including non-occupational illness) also generate paid leave — a useful point to know if you were off sick during the year.
The specific case of under-21s
Article L. 3141-8 of the French Labour Code provides for a little-known right: an employee under 21 on 30 April of the previous year can ask to take 30 working days of leave, even if they have not accrued that many days. The essential nuance: the additional days are unpaid.
For a 19-year-old apprentice hired in September, this makes it possible, for example, to take two weeks off in August without having "enough" days in the bank — accepting a drop in pay for the month concerned. Something to plan for if your budget is tight: better to have set money aside beforehand. Many work-study students keep a simple monthly budget in a monthly accounts notebook so they aren't caught out by a reduced pay month.
Exam revision leave: 5 days that are often forgotten
This is the most overlooked entitlement — and the most valuable. Article L. 6222-35 of the French Labour Code provides that apprentices are entitled, for the direct preparation of their exams, to an additional 5 working days of leave.
Its features:
- it is added to the 30 days of paid leave: it doesn't eat into them;
- it is paid at the normal rate;
- it is taken in the month preceding the exams;
- during these 5 days, the apprentice has the right to attend the preparation classes offered by the CFA;
- the employer cannot refuse it as long as the request is consistent with the exam timetable.
This leave applies to the apprenticeship contract. Under a professionalisation contract, there is no equivalent statutory provision: revision time has to be negotiated with the employer or based on an industry-wide agreement. Check your collective agreement before assuming you're entitled to it.
In practice, those five days are worthless if they're booked at random. The students who get the most out of them work in revision blocks planned well in advance, with a single summary medium — a pad of A5 index cards remains unbeatable for condensing an entire syllabus into manageable objects. Also identify your high-weighting exams: that's where those days should go first.
If you're preparing a BTS, a bachelor's degree or a professional qualification, cross-reference this leave with the official exam calendar published by your académie, and compare it with what we set out in our article on the BTS 2026 results.
How do you book leave as a work-study student?
This is where tension arises, because three calendars overlap: the company's, the CFA's, and your own.
Rule no. 1: only book leave during "company" weeks
You cannot book paid leave during a class week. Since training time is actual working time, being absent from the CFA while telling yourself "I'm on holiday" amounts to an unjustified absence, which may be reported to your employer and the OPCO, with a risk of a deduction from your pay.
Rule no. 2: the employer sets the dates, not the principle
An employer can refuse a date for operational reasons (workload, a colleague's leave, a peak activity period). They cannot refuse to let you take your leave. The law also requires that at least 12 consecutive working days be granted between 1 May and 31 October (the main leave period), unless otherwise agreed.
Rule no. 3: plan ahead for the annual shutdown
Many small and medium-sized firms close for two or three weeks in August. In that case, taking leave is compulsory: if you don't have enough accrued days, the uncovered period may be unpaid (unless you invoke article L. 3141-8 for under-21s). Ask the question in your very first month: it's a major budgeting factor for the year.
The checklist for a solid leave request
- Get the CFA's final work-study calendar (class dates, exam dates).
- Identify the "bookable" company weeks.
- Request in writing (email or HR tool), with reasonable notice — often 1 month.
- Keep the employer's written reply.
- Check the balance on the following month's payslip.
A very simple but hugely effective tip: copy out the dual CFA/company calendar by hand in a 2026 2027 weekly planner, using two colours. Date clashes jump out at a glance, and your leave request gets prepared three months ahead instead of three days.
Leave, public holidays and absences: what counts and what doesn't
| Situation | Status | Impact on paid leave |
|---|---|---|
| Class week at the CFA | Actual working time | Generates leave |
| Public holiday not worked in the company | Not worked, paid | Does not use up leave |
| Revision leave (5 days) | Specific paid leave | Added to the 30 days |
| Sick leave | Suspension of the contract | Generates leave since the Act of 22 April 2024 |
| Unjustified absence from the CFA | Misconduct | Possible deduction from pay |
| Company's annual shutdown | Imposed leave | Uses up accrued days |
Two useful clarifications:
- Public holidays follow the company's arrangements, not the school's. If your company works on Whit Monday, you work.
- In the event of termination or the end of the contract, leave accrued but not taken gives rise to compensatory payment in lieu of paid leave, paid along with the final settlement. Never leave without checking that line: it's a right, not a goodwill gesture. We set out the overall procedure in our guide to terminating an apprenticeship contract.
What should you do if your employer systematically refuses your leave?
An occasional, reasoned refusal is lawful. Systematic refusal is not: the employer has an obligation to allow employees to take their leave. The case law of the Cour de cassation is consistent on this point.
The steps to follow, in order:
- Restate your request in writing, proposing two alternative periods. Putting it in writing changes everything: it creates a record.
- Alert your CFA contact or your course coordinator. The CFA is the natural mediator in this relationship, and it knows the company.
- Request a three-way meeting (apprentice, workplace mentor, CFA) to set out the year's calendar.
- Refer the matter to the apprenticeship mediator at the relevant chamber (CCI, chamber of trades, chamber of agriculture), a free remedy provided for by article L. 6222-39.
- As a last resort, refer the matter to the labour inspectorate (DREETS).
A strong case rests on dated evidence: requests sent, replies received, successive schedules. A lever arch file or a simple dedicated folder is enough to keep contracts, amendments, payslips and correspondence — and it's also what will save you when the time comes to check your final settlement.
What is a day of leave worth on your payslip?
Two calculation methods coexist, and the employer must apply whichever is more favourable:
- the salary maintenance rule: you receive what you would have earned had you worked;
- the one-tenth rule: the paid leave allowance equals 1/10th of the gross pay received over the reference period.
For a work-study student whose salary rises during the year (a birthday or moving into the second year, both of which change the applicable percentage of the SMIC), the one-tenth rule may be more advantageous. Check your payslip, and test your theoretical pay using the site's pay simulator.
Getting an overall grasp of your rights as a student employee also saves an enormous amount of time: a practical guide to employment law in a recent edition remains the most worthwhile purchase of the year for a work-study student, especially when discussing your contract, your leave and the end of your placement.
Key takeaways
- 5 weeks of paid leave, accrued at a rate of 2.5 working days per month — like any employee.
- School holidays no longer exist: weeks without classes are spent at the company.
- An extra 5 working days of revision leave for apprentices, paid, in the month preceding the exams.
- Under-21s can obtain up to 30 working days, with any days not accrued being unpaid.
- The employer controls the dates, never the right to leave — and systematic refusal can be challenged.
Before signing your next contract, ask about the annual shutdown calendar right from the interview: it's an excellent indicator of how the company manages its work-study students. And if you're still looking, our work-study vacancies and our financial aid dossier will help you get to grips with the two subjects that really matter: time and money.