Payroll and Benefits Guide French Guiana

Annual Leave (vacation)

Employees in French Guiana are entitled to a statutory minimum of five weeks of paid annual leave per year, which equates to 30 working days

PTO carryover

French Guiana follows French labor law for statutory annual leave. Employees are entitled to paid annual leave (minimum ~5 weeks per year). Unused statutory leave is generally not automatically carried over beyond the legal reference unless both employer and employee agree to report (carry over) those days. Outside of specific exceptions (e.g., sickness/maternity under EU/France rules), a blanket “use-it-or-lose-it” policy that cancels accrued statutory annual leave is not lawful — leave must be taken when reasonably scheduled or otherwise resolved in accordance with French law.

Public Holidays

Holidays falling on the weekend are observed on the following working day(s).

Sick Leave

In French Guiana, sick leave follows French labor law, meaning employees are entitled to daily sickness benefits from social security starting on the fourth day of illness, as the first three days are an unpaid waiting period. Benefits generally amount to 50% of the employee’s average daily wage based on the previous three months’ salary, increasing to 66.66% after 30 days of continuous leave if the employee has at least three children

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave entitlements in French Guiana follow French national law, granting 16 weeks for the first two children—six weeks before the expected birth and 10 weeks afterward. In cases of multiple births or the third child onward, the entitlement increases. The leave is fully paid, with benefits funded by the social security system, and employers often manage the administrative process to ensure timely payment

Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to three days of immediate leave at the time of birth, followed by an additional 25 consecutive or non-consecutive days of paternity leave, extended to 32 days for multiple births. This leave is paid by social security and must be taken within six months of the child’s birth.

Parental Leave

Parental leave allows either parent to take up to one year off work to care for a child, renewable until the child’s third birthday. The leave may be taken full-time or part-time, and although unpaid by the employer, it can be supported by social security benefits such as PreParE. The employee’s job or an equivalent position must be guaranteed upon return.

Bereavement Leave

When a spouse, civil partner, cohabiting partner, parent (including in-laws), sibling, or similar close relative passes away, the employee is entitled to 3 working days of paid leave. In the event of the death of a child, the entitlement is 12 working days, which increases to 14 days if the child was under 25 years of age or was a parent themselves ensuring broader family protection

Childcare leave

Employees are entitled to leave to care for a sick child under age 16. The standard entitlement is up to 3 days per year per child. However, if the employee has three or more dependent children or the child is under one year old, this increases to 5 days per year per child. This leave is typically unpaid unless a more generous clause exists in a collective agreement or employer policy.

Marriage leave

Employees in French Guiana are entitled to 4 working days of paid leave for their marriage or civil union (PACS), as mandated by Articles L3142‑1 and L3142‑4 of the French Labour Code. These days are counted as working days, exclude Sundays and non-working public holidays, and cannot be deducted from statutory annual leave.