Explained: What does RTT mean in France?

This acronym is one you often hear over holiday periods as people talk about their time off work. Pronounced ‘air-tay-tay’, you can easily mistake it in a conversation, but it is a good one to understand.

What does it stand for?

RTT stands for Réduction du Temps de Travail, which literally means ‘working-time reduction’. In simple terms, when the French talk about RTT, they are referring to what we might call time off in lieu or compensatory time.

Does it apply to me?

RTT applies to a person in full-time employment with a fixed number of working hours per week, who regularly works more than the number of hours they are contracted to do. 

The concept arose in 2000 when the basis of a full-time job in France was reduced from 39 hours a week to 35 hours. 

Consequently, if you are contracted to work 35 hours a week but you actually work 37 hours, then you are entitled to have those two extra hours as time off at a later date. 

Generally speaking, those with a part-time job cannot benefit from RTT, although a few companies do have an agreement in place for part-time workers.

Read more: What is France’s workplace ‘right to disconnect’?

Not quite that simple

From the outset, RTT was not automatic: a collective agreement had to be set up between employers and employees to determine RTT rights, plus when and how employees could take their time off in lieu. 

Also, some employers opted to continue with a 39-hour week and instead offer employees overtime for the ‘additional’ hours. 

Can RTT be taken at any time?

Even if you are entitled to time off in lieu, an employer can refuse certain dates if they feel your absence will harm the running of the business. 

They can also insist on RTT being taken regularly (for example half a day per fortnight) rather than allowing it to accumulate.

When do I need to take it?

The terms and conditions of RTT are set out in a collective agreement specific to each company. 

This agreement determines the reference period during which RTT days must be taken. This often runs from January 1 to December 31 of the same year. 

Most employees therefore have until the end of 2025 to use up their current stock of RTT. 

If this period comes to an end, and there are still RTT days to be taken, it is worth checking the provisions of the collective agreement. 

This may authorise the deferral, payment or investment of RTT days in a time savings account, if your company offers this facility.

Note that since August 2022, the government has included a provision in the amended finance law enabling employees to ask their employer to buy back RTT days acquired between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2025. 

If the employer accepts this request, the employee works instead of taking a day off, and receives increased remuneration in return. The scheme applies to all companies, whatever their size.

Where do I find out more?

On the government website service-public.fr, a search for RTT brings up lots of practical information links including special circumstances.