France: Employees are Required to Obtain New Official Sick Leave Certificates

To combat sick leave fraud, a decree dated 28 June 2025 stipulates that when sick leave certificates are not delivered electronically but in paper format, doctors must use an approved form on a new secure paper.

The obligation to use this secure form applies to sick leave prescribed or renewed on or after 1 July 2025. A grace period will apply in July and August 2025 to allow all doctors time to order these new forms. Starting September 2025, any non-compliant sick leave certificates will be rejected by the Health Insurance Fund.

For context, employees in France are entitled to payment of all or part of their salary during sick leave. The amount to be paid by the company will vary depending on the employee’s length of tenure and the terms of the Labour Code and/or applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, this obligation only applies if the employee has obtained a sick leave certificate and is entitled to sickness state benefits.

Key Action Points for Human Resources and In-House Counsel

Inform your employees that they should ensure they provide the company with the new sick leave certificate. This is also a good opportunity to encourage them to prefer the use of the electronically delivered sick leave certificate if their doctor is equipped to deliver such certificates.