"They took €22 out of my pay for health insurance even though I'm already covered by my mother's plan." Every September, the same surprise shows up on work-study students' first payslip — when a waiver was sometimes possible, provided it was requested in time.
In short: every private-sector employer must offer group supplementary health cover (mutuelle) to its employees, apprentices and professionalisation contracts included, and fund at least 50% of it (Article L. 911-7 of the Social Security Code): enrolment is therefore compulsory in principle. Some waivers apply as of right (Article D. 911-2): solidarity health cover (C2S), an individual policy in force when you are hired (until its renewal date), or cover under a group plan, including as a dependant of a parent. Others only exist if the document that created the plan provides for them (Article R. 242-1-6): an apprentice on a contract of less than 12 months, a contract of 12 months or more with individual cover, or a premium of at least 10% of gross pay (€50.41 for an apprentice under 18 in year 1 earning €504.09). The waiver must be requested in writing, as soon as you are hired.
Must a work-study student join their company's health plan?
Yes as a rule, no in specific situations. The starting point is Article L. 911-7 of the Social Security Code, introduced by the Act of 14 June 2013: since 1 January 2016, every private company, whatever its size, must provide its employees with minimum group cover for healthcare costs and fund at least half of it.
A work-study student — apprentice or employee on a professionalisation contract — signs an employment contract: they are an employee. For apprenticeships, Article L. 6222-23 of the Labour Code is explicit:
"Apprentices benefit from the provisions applicable to all employees insofar as these are not contrary to those relating to their situation as young workers in training."
An employer who claims that "apprentices aren't entitled to it" is wrong. They must:
- give you the insurer's information notice;
- enrol you, or record your written waiver request;
- fund at least 50% of the employee's premium;
- comply with the minimum basket of care.
What must a group health plan cover at a minimum?
The minimum basket (Articles L. 911-7 and D. 911-1 of the Social Security Code) includes:
- the patient co-payment (ticket modérateur) on care reimbursed by the state health insurance, with a few exceptions;
- the daily hospital charge, with no time limit;
- prosthetic dental care and orthodontics up to at least 125% of the Social Security rate;
- an optical allowance of at least €100 (simple correction), €150 or €200 (complex corrections), in principle every two years.
Since group plans are in practice "responsible" contracts, they also give access to 100% Santé: certain glasses, dentures and hearing aids with nothing left to pay (ameli.fr).
How much does the health plan cost on a work-study wage?
The premium is usually a flat amount (or a percentage of the Social Security ceiling), not proportional to your pay: a 17-year-old apprentice and a senior manager often pay the same share.
Let's take an employee share of €20 a month (a purely illustrative figure) against apprentices' minimum wages since 1 June 2026:
| Situation | Minimum gross monthly wage | 10% threshold | Weight of a €20 employee share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice under 18, year 1 (27% of the SMIC) | €504.09 | €50.41 | ≈ 4.0% |
| Apprentice aged 18-20, year 1 (43%) | €802.82 | €80.28 | ≈ 2.5% |
| Apprentice aged 18-20, year 2 (51%) | €952.18 | €95.22 | ≈ 2.1% |
| Apprentice aged 21-25, year 1 (53%) | €989.52 | €98.95 | ≈ 2.0% |
| Apprentice aged 21-25, year 3 (78%) | €1,456.27 | €145.63 | ≈ 1.4% |
| Apprentice aged 26 and over (100%) | €1,867.02 | €186.70 | ≈ 1.1% |
The 10% rule therefore only kicks in with a very low wage and a high premium: typically an apprentice under 18 in year 1 whose share exceeds €50 a month. But even without a waiver, €20 a month adds up to €240 a year, a sum that weighs on a work-study budget.
Two points about your net pay:
- the apprentice's exemption from employee contributions (for contracts signed since 1 March 2025, limited to the part of the wage not exceeding 50% of the SMIC, i.e. €933.51 a month) does not remove the health plan share, which is still deducted: see our article on apprentices' net pay;
- the employer's share is added to your taxable pay. This usually makes no difference for an apprentice, whose wage is exempt from income tax up to the annual SMIC (€21,622 for 2025 income), but it does increase taxable income on a professionalisation contract.
For your exact gross and net pay, use the pay simulator.
Which health plan waivers apply to work-study students in 2026?
There are two families of waivers, and mixing them up is the source of most mistakes.
Waivers as of right, valid even if the agreement does not mention them
Article D. 911-2 of the Social Security Code lets employees opt out, on their own initiative, in three cases:
- You receive solidarity health cover (C2S): waiver until your entitlement ends. Depending on household resources, the C2S is free or costs less than €1 a day per person (ameli.fr).
- You have an individual health policy when you are hired: waiver only until that policy's renewal date; after that, enrolment is compulsory unless another ground applies.
- You are already covered, including as a dependant, by a group scheme: a parent's or spouse's compulsory group company plan, a public-sector scheme with employer contribution, a parent's self-employed "Madelin" contract, the Alsace-Moselle local scheme or the electricity and gas industries scheme.
Fixed-term and temporary contracts whose cover would last 3 months or less also open a waiver with a health allowance (versement santé, Articles L. 911-7-1 and D. 911-6 to D. 911-8), but a work-study contract lasts at least 6 months.
Waivers that depend on the plan's founding document
Article R. 242-1-6 lists other waivers, which only apply if the document that set up the plan (sector or company agreement, staff referendum, unilateral employer decision) provides for them. Yet these are the ones that name apprentices explicitly:
- apprentice or employee on a fixed-term contract of less than 12 months: waiver possible even without other cover;
- apprentice or employee on a fixed-term contract of 12 months or more: waiver possible provided you give written proof of individual cover taken out elsewhere;
- apprentice or part-time employee whose premium would be at least 10% of gross pay;
- employee already present when the plan was introduced by unilateral decision with an employee contribution (Article 11 of the Évin Act), a case that does not concern new hires.
Consequences: an apprenticeship on a permanent contract is not covered by the duration-based cases, and a full-time professionalisation contract cannot rely on the 10% rule.
"In all cases, the employer must be able to produce the waiver request of the employees concerned. This request includes a statement that the employee was informed beforehand by the employer of the consequences of their choice." — Article R. 242-1-6 of the Social Security Code
| Waiver ground | Legal basis | Must the founding document provide for it? | Proof and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solidarity health cover (C2S) | D. 911-2 | No (as of right) | Certificate; until entitlement ends |
| Individual policy in force at hiring | D. 911-2 | No (as of right) | Certificate; until the policy's renewal date |
| Dependant on a group plan (parent, spouse) | D. 911-2 | No (as of right) | Certificate from the insurer |
| Apprentice or fixed-term contract under 12 months | R. 242-1-6 | Yes | No other cover required |
| Apprentice or fixed-term contract of 12 months or more | R. 242-1-6 | Yes | Proof of individual cover |
| Apprentice or part-time, premium ≥ 10% of gross pay | R. 242-1-6 | Yes | Premium compared with gross pay |
Does your parents' health plan exempt you?
It all depends on the type of contract your parents have — and the old advice "check that children's cover is compulsory" is out of date.
- Your parents are covered by their employer's group plan (or another scheme listed in Article D. 911-2) and you are on it as a dependant: waiver as of right. Since the update of the Social Security Official Bulletin (BOSS) of 19 April 2024, following a Court of Cassation ruling of 7 June 2023, it does not matter whether your cover there is compulsory or optional. Ask for a certificate in your name.
- Your parents have an individual policy: it is not group cover, so it is not a "dependant" ground. At best, if it was in force when you were hired, the individual-policy waiver runs until its renewal date. Beyond that, another ground is needed (for example an apprenticeship of 12 months or more with individual cover, if the founding document provides for it and HR accepts this proof).
Also check the age limit for children's cover, set by each contract.
When and how should you request the waiver?
The timing trap
For waivers as of right, Article D. 911-5 is strict: the request is made when you are hired or, if later, on the date the plan is set up or the date the C2S or other group cover takes effect. Let the hiring date pass and you are enrolled, until a new event of this kind (for example becoming a dependant on a spouse's plan). For waivers provided by the founding document, that document sets the timing; failing that, the BOSS accepts a request at any time. The safest approach: act on the day you sign.
A written request, with supporting documents
No waiver is automatic. Hand in a dated and signed request (in person against a receipt, by registered letter or by an email you keep) stating:
- your name, hiring date and type of contract;
- the exact ground and the legal basis relied on;
- that you were informed of the consequences of your choice;
- the corresponding certificate of cover.
Minimal template:
"I, the undersigned [Surname First name], apprentice at [Company] since [date], request a waiver of enrolment in the group health plan on the following ground: [ground], pursuant to [Article D. 911-2 of the Social Security Code / the document establishing the plan]. I acknowledge that my employer has informed me of the consequences of this choice. I enclose the corresponding certificate. Done at …, on …"
The founding document may require proof every year, particularly for cover as a dependant. If your situation changes (end of C2S, renewal date of the individual policy), you must be enrolled. A portable document scanner helps you keep a copy of every document.
Should you stay on your parents' plan or take the company's?
A waiver remains a choice. Four criteria help you decide:
- Cost: staying a dependant on your parents' plan often costs you nothing; at €20 a month, the company plan comes to €480 over two years.
- Employer funding: declining means giving up the employer's share (at least 50%), which is not paid to you as salary.
- Benefits: compare optical, dental and hospital cover line by line; a company plan sometimes beats an entry-level family policy.
- Portability: if enrolled, you keep the cover free of charge after your contract if its end entitles you to unemployment insurance (except gross misconduct), for the length of your last contract, up to 12 months (Article L. 911-8).
Holding two supplementary policies is allowed, but the second insurer only reimburses what remains to be paid: unless the benefits truly complement each other, you pay twice for a marginal gain.
Health plan, income protection, occupational health: what's the difference?
| Scheme | What it is | Compulsory? |
|---|---|---|
| Supplementary health cover | Reimbursement of healthcare costs beyond the state scheme | Yes for the employer, unless the employee obtains a waiver |
| Income protection (prévoyance) | Death, disability and incapacity cover | Compulsory for managerial staff; for others, depending on the collective or company agreement |
| Information and prevention check | Appointment with the occupational health and prevention service | Yes, organised and paid for by the employer |
For an apprentice, the check takes place within two months of hiring at the latest (Article R. 6222-40-1 of the Labour Code), and before starting the job if the apprentice is under 18 or works nights: see our article on the apprentice's medical check.
How to check your payslip
Three lines to check from the first month:
- The "complémentaire santé" or "frais de santé" line: if your waiver was accepted, it must not appear.
- The employer's share: at least 50% of the employee's premium; less is an irregularity.
- Adjustments: catching up one or two months is not necessarily an error, but it must be explained.
If in doubt, ask for the information notice. An archive binder saves you from chasing these papers. For other aids you can combine (housing, transport, equipment), see our financial aid page.
Four back-to-school habits
- Read the notice and ask for the founding document before signing the enrolment form.
- Ask your parents whether their plan is group or individual, with a certificate.
- Work out the premium / gross pay ratio: from 10%, check that the founding document provides for the waiver.
- File contract, notice, waiver request and payslips in one place.
A pocket diary helps you note deadlines: renewal of an individual policy, end of C2S entitlement, medical check.
What if the employer offers no health plan at all?
This is an irregularity, even in a very small business: the obligation in Article L. 911-7 has no headcount threshold.
- Ask in writing for the notice and the document setting up the plan.
- If there is no reply, contact the staff representatives; as an apprentice, you can also refer the matter to the apprenticeship mediator of the chambers of commerce and trades (Article L. 6222-39 of the Labour Code).
- As a last resort, alert the labour inspectorate; an employee deprived of cover can claim compensation before the employment tribunal.
In the meantime, check whether you are eligible for the C2S on ameli.fr or take out an individual policy. These rules apply to private employers: in the public sector, check with HR.
Still looking for a contract? Browse our work-study offers and our method to find a work-study company.