Millions of employees in France will receive a salary bonus this summer. For some it is even increased.
The summer holidays are fast approaching and with them their share of expenses. The cost is even more difficult to bear for people with low incomes. The same goes for those who have dependent children. Accommodation, shopping, transport… Everything is expensive and a helping hand is often more than welcome.
Fortunately, millions of workers will be able to benefit from a significant salary increase this year. Enough to replenish their budget for this summer. Others may even use this money to cover traditional end-of-year expenses that arise from the start of the school year, such as school supplies, end-of-year celebrations, or even gas and electricity bills. which are likely to increase due to cooler temperatures.
The bonus that millions of employees will soon receive is the vacation bonus. This bonus, paid by the employer to its employees when they go on summer vacation, is not provided for by the Labor Code. However, it can be set by a collective agreement, a company agreement, a unilateral decision by the employer, or the employment contract. If the vacation bonus is not obligatory for companies, it becomes obligatory when it is provided for by one of these systems.
This year, the vacation bonus will be higher for millions of employees. Indeed, workers who benefited from a salary increase in 2024 will see their vacation bonus, often calculated from salary, automatically increase. The increase will not be dizzying but equivalent to the salary increase granted, unless the company has decided to match the bonus.
The amount of the vacation bonus varies depending on the employees’ collective agreements. For example, in the Syntec agreement, which brings together many professions in France, the amount paid to employees is equivalent to 10% of the total amount of paid vacation compensation in the company. In construction, the calculation is more complex: the bonus corresponds to 30% of the compensation paid for 24 days of paid leave. Concretely, for an employee paid 2000 euros net per month, the bonus will amount to around 880 euros.
Please note, it is important not to confuse the vacation bonus with paid vacation compensation. These are intended to compensate for the loss of salary suffered by the employee when he takes paid leave, so that he receives his usual salary. The vacation bonus, for its part, can be paid in addition to the paid vacation compensation. It also differs from holiday vouchers awarded by certain companies, which are payment vouchers used to finance holiday-related expenses.
