The minimum duration of paid leave is four weeks per year in Europe compared to five weeks in France. The highest administrative court has also limited to three years the retroactivity of compensation due to employees who have been ill and lost leave as a result since December 1, 2009.
Employers' organizations had strongly protested against the acquisition ofpaid leave during absences due to illness, and were alarmed by the amount of sums that companies could have had to pay retroactively. “An absurdity has finally been corrected” said Medef President Patrick Martin.