If you qualify for France’s social security, you will receive maternity leave, or congé maternité, from l’Assurance Maladie. It is required by law, not a personal decision, to take maternity leave from work. To receive compensation for your loss of salary, you must stop all work activity. Your work contract is suspended and only in special circumstances can you be dismissed by your employer. The company must provide you with the same, or similar, job when you return from maternity leave. Do you own your own business? Contact the regime you are registered with to see what benefits it offers you.
The amount of paid weeks of maternity leave depends on your situation:
- 16 weeks if this is your first or second child,
- 26 weeks if this is your third child,
- 34 weeks if you are expecting twins, or
- 46 weeks if you are expecting triplets or more.
Premature births do not change the date of returning to work. Maternity leave will still be based on the official due date, not the actual due date. Maternity leave is delayed for babies born late. In this case, the end of maternity leave will be calculated from the actual date of birth instead of the official due date.
If there are complications or health problems, you can have an additional 14 days of maternity leave before birth, or four weeks after birth. If the baby must stay in the hospital after birth, you may return to work and take maternity leave when your baby is ready to go home.
This excerpt comes from my book Pregnant in France – the ultimate source of information for English-speakers. Learn what to expect while also learning pregnancy-related French vocabulary.
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Additional Information
Congé Maternité by l’Assurance Maladie (French)
Ma Maternité PDF by l’Assurance Maladie (French)
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