Partial or technical unemployment (partial activity): steps taken by the employer

Verified 01 January 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Labor

In the event of recourse to partial activity within a company, employees affected by a loss of salary are compensated (also called short-time work or technical unemployment) by the employer. The employee's employment contract is suspended and the employee no longer works. How can the employer set up the partial activity? We're taking a look at the regulations.

To deal with a decrease in activity in the company, the employer may resort to partial activity in the following cases:

  • Economic conditions
  • Supply difficulties
  • Sinister or exceptional weather
  • Company transformation, restructuring or modernization
  • Any other circumstances of an exceptional nature.

It can take several forms:

  • Decrease in weekly working hours
  • Temporary closure of all or part of the establishment.

The employer may collect for its employees a partial activity allowance up to:

  • 1,000 hours per year per employee whatever the professional branch
  • 100 hours per year per employee if the partial activity is due to the modernization of the company's facilities and buildings.

In the event of a reduction or suspension of company activity, only certain employees may benefit from short-time work.

Employees concerned

An employee with an employment contract under French law (DTA: titleContent, FIXED-TERM CONTRACT: titleContent in particular) is entitled to short-time work, whether:

  • Full or part-time
  • In a flat rate agreement in hours or days over the year
  • Traveler, Representative and Placer (VRP)
  • Employee employed in France by a foreign company without an establishment in France
  • Paid by stamp
  • Temporary employee on a mission contract following the suspension, cancelation or termination of a signed contract of provision
  • On permanent contracts within the framework of the payroll
  • Senior management in the event of total closure the company or part of it (closure of a workshop or a company department for example)
  • Paid-for-the-job homeworker
  • Freelance journalist.

Excluded employees

The following employees do not benefit short-time work:

  • Employees whose reduction or suspension of activity is caused by a collective labor dispute (e.g. strike)
  • Employees with an employment contract under French law who work abroad
  • Expatriate employees with a contract under local law.

In the companies of 50 or more employees, the employer shall consult for opinion, on Social and Economic Committee (ESC) prior to its application for an administrative authorization for partial activity.

The consultation covers the following topics:

  • Reasons for partial activity
  • Occupational categories and activities concerned
  • Level and criteria for the implementation of schedule reductions
  • Planned training actions or any other commitment made by the employer.

The EESC shall be informed at the end of each authorization period of the conditions under which the partial activity has been implemented.

Please note

In the event of a claim or exceptional circumstances, the employer has a period of 2 months to consult and address the EESC opinion in support of its request for prior authorization.

The procedure varies according to the exceptional nature of the request, in case of disasters or bad weather:

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Exceptional circumstances

The employer must send an application for authorization of partial activity to the DDETS: titleContent.

The employer must address its request within 30 days of the placement of its employees in partial activity.

The request is made on the internet:

Request for prior authorization and partial activity compensation

The application must specify the following:

  • Reason for the use of partial activity
  • Expected period of sub-activity
  • Detailed circumstances and economic situation at the origin of the request
  • Number of employees concerned.

It must be accompanied by the prior opinion of CSE: titleContent.

In the event of a claim or exceptional circumstances, the employer has a period of 2 months to consult and address the EESC opinion in support of its request for prior authorization.

The administration has a response time of 15 calendar days upon receipt of the application for authorization. An acknowledgement of receipt of the DDETS: titleContent or DDETSPP: titleContent specify the time limit beyond which failure to reply shall be deemed to constitute authorization.

When the request is denied, the decision shall specify the reasons for the refusal.

The progress of the investigation of the case can be monitored on the Internet.

Once the administrative authorization has been obtained, the employer can reduce or suspend his activity and put his employees on technical unemployment. It is this authorization that enables it to obtain reimbursement of the compensation paid to employees.

Claims and bad weather

The employer must send an application for authorization of partial activity to the DDETS: titleContent.

The employer must address his request within 30 days of the placement of its employees in partial activity.

The request is made on the internet:

Request for prior authorization and partial activity compensation

The application must specify the following:

  • Reason for the use of partial activity
  • Expected period of sub-activity
  • Detailed circumstances and economic situation at the origin of the request
  • Number of employees concerned.

It must be accompanied by the prior opinion of CSE: titleContent.

In the event of a claim or exceptional circumstances, the employer has a period of 2 months to consult and address the EESC opinion in support of its request for prior authorization.

The administration has a response time of 15 calendar days upon receipt of the application for authorization. An acknowledgement of receipt of the DDETS: titleContent or DDETSPP: titleContent specify the time limit beyond which failure to reply shall be deemed to constitute authorization.

When the request is denied, the decision shall specify the reasons for the refusal.

The progress of the investigation of the case can be monitored on the Internet.

Once the administrative authorization has been obtained, the employer can reduce or suspend his activity and put his employees on technical unemployment. It is this authorization that enables it to obtain reimbursement of the compensation paid to employees.

Other Reason

Prior to partial activation, the employer must send a prior request for authorization of partial activity to the DDETS: titleContent establishment of the establishment.

The request is made on the internet:

Request for prior authorization and partial activity compensation

The request must be accompanied by the prior opinion of CSE: titleContent.

The administration has a response time of 15 calendar days upon receipt of the application for authorization. An acknowledgement of receipt of the DDETS: titleContent specify the time limit beyond which failure to reply shall be deemed to constitute authorization.

When the request is refused, the decision shall specify the reasons for the refusal.

The progress of the investigation of the case can be monitored on the Internet.

Once the administrative authorization has been obtained, the employer can reduce or suspend his activity and put his employees on technical unemployment. It is this authorization that enables it to obtain reimbursement of the compensation paid to employees.

Please note

An employer with at least 50 establishments in several departments may submit a single application for all its establishments.

The employer must propose commitments on employment and vocational training in his application for authorization.

The procedure varies depending on whether the authorization is requested for the 1re less than or more than 3 months after a previous period of partial activity:

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The employer requests partial activity for the first time

The employer undertakes to keep employees employed during the period of partial activity.

It must also comply with the conditions for authorization of partial activity.

New application less than 3 years after a previous period of partial activity

The employer must make commitments to employees if he makes a new prior request for authorization of partial activity.

This obligation applies if he has already placed his employees in partial activity during the 36 months preceding the date of filing of his new application.

Those commitments, mentioned in its application for authorization, may include the following:

  • Retention of employees in employment for up to twice the period of authorization
  • Specific training measures for employees placed in partial activity
  • Actions on forward-looking management of jobs and skills (GPEC)
  • Actions to restore the company's economic situation.

The Dreets: titleContent sets these commitments, which are notified in the authorization decision and ensures that the commitments entered into by the employer are respected.

Please note

In the event of non-compliance, the employer may be required to reimburse the amounts received under the partial activity allowance.

New application more than 3 years after a previous period of partial activity

The employer undertakes to keep employees employed during the period of partial activity.

It must also comply with the conditions for authorization of partial activity.

The authorization of partial activity may be granted for a period of 3 months. It may be renewed up to 6 monthswhether consecutive or not, over a period of 12 months consecutive.

The employer must pay the employee an indemnity corresponding to 60% of his gross salary per hour unemployed, or about to 72% net hourly wage.

Such compensation may not or be inferior à €9.52, or be superior to a ceiling of €32.45 per non-working hour.

The allowance is paid by the employer on the usual date of payment of salary.

The employer must indicate on the employee's pay slip (or in an attached document) the number of hours compensated, the rates applied and the amounts paid.

A collective agreement or arrangement and a unilateral decision by the employer may provide for additional compensation.

FYI  

In the event of a backup, recovery or liquidation The judicial service and payment agency (ASP) pays the sum directly to the employee by decision of the prefect.

Please note

Employees in apprenticeship contract or professionalization whose remuneration is less than Smic: titleContent also receive a partial hourly activity allowance. Its amount is equal to the percentage of the minimum wage or treaty provisions which are applicable to them.

The partial activity allowance paid varies according to the sector of activity on which the company depends:

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General case

If the employer has obtained administrative authorization, he may file a claim for compensation which allows him to obtain the monthly reimbursement of remuneration paid to the employees concerned.

The employer may receive the partial activity allowance up to a maximum of ceiling of 1,000 hours per year per employee.

The allowance shall be fixed at 36% gross hourly earnings.

It is to:

  • €8.46 minimum
  • €19.47 maximum.

Payment is made by the Payment and Services Agency (ASP), which acts on behalf of the State.

Warning  

In the event of fraud or misrepresentation, the employer shall be liable to up to 2 years' imprisonment and €30,000 of a fine.

Transformation, restructuring or modernization of facilities

The employer may receive the partial activity allowance up to 100 hours per year per employee.

The allowance shall be fixed at 36% gross hourly earnings.

It shall be equal to:

  • €8.46 minimum
  • €19.47 maximum.

Payment is made by the Payment and Services Agency (ASP), which acts on behalf of the State.

Warning  

In the event of fraud or misrepresentation, the employer shall be liable to up to 2 years' imprisonment and €30,000 of a fine.

Each month, to obtain reimbursement of the allowances, the employer must send an online claim for compensation for the partial activity allowance:

Request for prior authorization and partial activity compensation

The employer must make its application within 6 months following the end of the period covered by the partial activity authorization.

The payment is made by the Payment and Services Agency (ASP) which acts on behalf of the State.

Warning  

In the event of fraud or misrepresentation, the employer shall be liable to up to 2 years' imprisonment and €30,000 of a fine.

Request for prior authorization and partial activity compensation

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For information

    Departmental Directorate in charge of employment, labor and solidarity (DDETS or DDETS-PP)

  • Service desk of the Payment and Services Agency (ASP)

    For any difficulties encountered with your “Partial Activity” account

    By phone

    0800 70 58 00

    Tableau - contact information service assistance

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    By email

    Technical support: contact-ap@asp-public.fr

    by specifying your Siret, the name of your establishment, your name, first name, telephone number.