After an operation, sick leave may be prescribed if the health condition temporarily prevents the employee from working. It is not automatic: the doctor takes into account the procedure, the recovery process, the job, commuting, the possibility of teleworking, and the risks associated with returning to work too soon.
The reference guide for recovery times : The reference guide for recovery times cross-references French and foreign sources on downtime duration, with the original citation for each. Consult the reference guide.
This guide applies to private sector employees on ordinary sick leave. The rules differ for work-related accidents, occupational illnesses, civil servants, self-employed individuals, and job seekers. The amounts and conditions presented are those verified on July 16, 2026.
Are you a private sector employee preparing for sick leave after surgery? This guide outlines the procedures for submitting your claim, the conditions for compensation, and the questions to ask your employer. It covers standard sick leave in France.
Quick answer
In France, for a private-sector employee on ordinary sick leave, a period of leave following surgery is not automatic. The doctor prescribes it and adjusts the duration according to the employee's health and job requirements. Inform your employer immediately and ensure that the necessary documents are sent to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund). Benefits depend on the employee's existing entitlements; additional benefits may be provided by the employer, the collective bargaining agreement, or supplementary insurance. An estimate does not constitute a decision by the CPAM.
| Situation | What to check | Interlocutor or source |
|---|---|---|
| Initial shutdown after the operation | Its medical justification, the prescriber and the start date. | Surgeon, physician at the facility or attending physician. |
| Transmission of the stop | Submitting online or on paper and the remaining documents to be sent according to the applicable deadlines. | Prescribing professional, CPAM and employer. |
| Income estimate during the break | The rights to compensation and any additional benefits, according to the conditions applicable in France. | CPAM, payroll service and collective agreement. |
| Resumption still impossible | The need for a reassessment and the rules for prescribing an extension. | The doctor who initiated the sick leave or the attending physician, subject to the exceptions provided for. |
F.A.Q
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Estimate your daily allowances
This estimate depends on the information entered. It does not constitute a compensation decision from your fund nor a commitment from your employer.
Indicative estimate for ordinary sick leave for a private sector employee starting from July 1, 2026. The calculation is done entirely in your browser: nothing is transmitted or recorded.
Add together the last 3 gross salaries before the break and divide by 3. The amount is shown on your payslips.
The actual duration is determined by the doctor, never by an estimate.
Guidelines applied (verified on August 13, 2026 on ameli.fr, for sick leave starting on or after July 1, 2026): compensation = 50% of the basic daily wage (average of the last 3 gross months ÷ 91,25); monthly salary taken into account capped at €2,613.83; maximum compensation €42,97 gross/day; 3 uncompensated waiting days; 6,7% CSG-CRDS deduction; maximum of 360 compensation payments over 3 years. This estimate is not a final decision: only the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) calculates your actual entitlements, subject to eligibility requirements (notably 150 hours worked in the last 3 months). Your collective agreement or your employer may supplement these amounts (salary maintenance): contact your HR department for more information.
Sick leave after surgery: the answer in brief
After surgery, sick leave is neither automatic nor determined solely by the name of the procedure. It is prescribed by the surgeon, a physician at the hospital, or the patient's primary care physician when the patient's health and the actual demands of their job make a return to work temporarily impossible. Before being discharged, ask who will provide the sick leave certificate, its start date, and the contact information to use if an extension needs to be discussed. The employee must inform their employer immediately and send the required forms to the Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) if they have not already been submitted online. Daily allowances then depend on the employee's eligibility and the processing of their claim; the collective bargaining agreement or supplementary insurance may provide additional benefits. The duration of sick leave should be reassessed based on wound healing, pain, travel, driving, manual handling, and any possible workplace adjustments. To prepare for the necessary steps before admission, consult our pre-surgery preparation checklist.
Who prescribes sick leave after surgery?
The surgeon or a physician at the facility can prescribe the initial sick leave upon discharge if they deem it medically justified. The patient's primary care physician can also prescribe it after an evaluation. The important thing is that the prescribing physician confirms the patient's inability to work and has the necessary information about the surgery and the patient's employment.
Before your discharge, ask who will issue the document and how to contact the department again. Do not assume that the sick leave will be automatically included in your file. If no sick leave has been scheduled but returning to work seems impossible, consult a doctor promptly with your surgical report and a detailed description of your job.
How long should I take off work after an operation?
There is no single, universally applicable duration for all tasks or professions. The French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) publishes guidelines for certain movements, but specifies that these must be adapted. Sitting, driving, handling, carrying equipment, or working atypical hours do not all require the same level of physical capacity.
The duration also takes into account complications, pain, healing, and associated illnesses. Therefore, a reference timeframe is neither a guaranteed minimum nor a mandatory return-to-activity date. To organize non-medical aspects, consult the home recovery checklist , initially following the team's instructions.
From September 1, 2026, the initial prescription will be limited to thirty-one days and each extension to sixty-two days. These are administrative limits per prescription, not a total duration imposed for recovery. A new prescription may be issued if the patient's health condition warrants it, following a medical reassessment.
Submit the sick leave certificate to the health insurance fund within forty-eight hours and notify the employer without delay.
Once parts 1 and 2 have been electronically transmitted to your health insurance fund, you must still send part 3 to your employer. If the sick leave certificate has not been electronically transmitted, the process also involves your health insurance fund. The French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) provides details on the documents to send and the 48-hour deadline ( employee procedures, ameli.fr ).
If the ruling is transmitted online
The professional sends the required documents to the social security office electronically. The employee also notifies their employer without delay and submits the required copy within the timeframe stipulated by the applicable collective bargaining agreement or company agreement; otherwise, it is customary to submit it within forty-eight hours. Adherence to the forty-eight-hour deadline is also a condition of the statutory employer supplement.
If the ruling is drawn up on paper
The employee must send parts 1 and 2 to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) within 48 hours; they must then send part 3 to the employer within the applicable timeframe indicated above. Since July 2025, the secure paper form provided by the professional is mandatory; a scan or photocopy is not acceptable to the fund. Keep proof of sending and a copy for your records.
A delay may result in a penalty on benefits, particularly in the case of a subsequent late submission. If hospitalization or another serious circumstance prevented you from taking action, submit your claim immediately and explain the situation to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund). Your obligations to your employer may also be specified in your collective bargaining agreement.
Conditions for receiving daily allowances
For a leave of absence not exceeding six months, the employee must, in general, provide proof of either at least 150 hours of work during the preceding three months or 90 days, or a minimum level of contributions calculated based on the minimum wage (SMIC) during the preceding six months. Beyond this period, additional membership and activity requirements apply.
The CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) verifies these details using the salary certificate and your file. Seasonal work, multiple employers, recent unemployment, or a long-term absence are subject to specific procedures. Use the official website rather than an outdated simulator.
Calculation, ceiling and waiting period of daily allowances
Daily sickness benefits generally correspond to half of the basic daily wage calculated from the gross reference wages, within a regulatory limit. For sick leave beginning in July 2026 or later, the monthly salary used for calculation is capped at €2,613.83 gross, and the daily sickness benefit cannot exceed €42,97 gross per day.
These amounts may change depending on the minimum wage (SMIC) or regulations. Check them as of the date of the sick leave. Daily sickness benefits (IJ) do not necessarily replace the entire salary. They can be paid directly by the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) or to the employer in the case of subrogation.
In ordinary sick leave, the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) normally applies a three-day waiting period, and compensation begins on the fourth day. Exceptions exist, particularly for certain successive periods of sick leave related to a long-term illness or an extension following a very brief return to work. The collective bargaining agreement may provide for continued salary payment during all or part of this period.
The salary supplement paid by the employer
The statutory scheme provides for employer supplementary benefits under certain conditions: minimum length of service, justification of incapacity within forty-eight hours, affiliation with a scheme entitling the employee to daily allowances, and treatment received in France or the European Economic Area. Certain categories of employees are not covered by this statutory scheme.
For ordinary sick leave, the statutory waiting period for supplementary benefits begins after seven days of absence. A collective bargaining agreement, company agreement, or supplementary benefits plan may offer more favorable terms, reduce this waiting period, or provide for broader coverage. Consult your payslip, the applicable collective bargaining agreement, and the payroll department before estimating your income.
Subrogation means that the employer maintains your salary according to the applicable rules and receives your daily allowances (IJ) instead. It does not create additional compensation. Compare the dates and amounts shown on your CPAM statements and payslips.
The other half of the budget: daily allowances only compensate for part of the lost income and do not cover the cost of the procedure. What the national health insurance covers and what remains your responsibility is addressed separately, including excess fees and deductibles.
Extension: who can prescribe it?
The extension should, in principle, be prescribed by the doctor who initiated the initial discontinuation or by the treating physician. Exceptions are provided, notably for their replacement, a specialist consulted at the request of the treating physician, or an extension during hospitalization. If another doctor intervenes because the usual prescribers are unavailable, the reason must be stated.
The dates of the initial sick leave and the extension must be consecutive. Schedule a consultation if resuming work remains impossible, without waiting until the end of the document. A regular extension does not trigger a new waiting period from the French National Health Insurance Fund (CPAM). The duration remains an individualized medical decision.
Preparing for the return to work
The end of your sick leave does not mean that all activities are possible again. Talk to your doctor about the actual tasks involved in your job, any travel, and any limitations. Depending on your situation, a pre-return-to-work visit, workplace adjustments, a therapeutic part-time schedule, or contact with the occupational health and safety service can be discussed.
Our guide to the surgical process helps to place the reoperation within the overall follow-up care. If you are still preparing for the procedure, the pre-operative checklist reminds you of the professional documents to have ready in advance.
To organize convalescence at home during the recovery period, our post-operation equipment guides list the usual equipment (support, hygiene, comfort), to be confirmed by the healthcare team according to the procedure.
To situate your case in relation to the guidelines published by the Health Insurance, consult our table of reference durations of work stoppage per operation.
F.A.Q
Can a surgeon take sick leave?
Yes. Any doctor can prescribe sick leave, including the surgeon who operated on you: in fact, it's usually the surgeon who issues it upon discharge, for a duration appropriate to the procedure. Your primary care physician can then extend it if necessary.
Is it mandatory for the surgeon to prescribe the sick leave?
No. He can do so if he deems it justified, but the attending physician can also prescribe after evaluation. Clarify the arrangements before discharge.
Does a transaction automatically entitle the beneficiary to daily allowances?
No. You need a medically justified sick leave, to follow the procedures and to meet the administrative conditions for accessing benefits.
Can the duration be fixed according to the name of the operation?
No. The guidelines are indicative. The doctor adapts the duration to the procedure, the follow-up care, and the position held.
Verified sources
- Health insurance, daily allowances for employees on sick leave.
- Health insurance, prescribing sick leave.
- Health insurance guidelines following surgical procedures.
- Public Service, procedures for employees on sick leave.
- Public Service, Daily Allowance and Employer Supplement.
- Social Security Code, transmission of the notice of cessation.
- Labor Code, deadline for employer supplement.
Editorial note: This general information article was prepared using the listed sources and editorially reviewed on July 16, 2026. It does not constitute medical advice, nor personalized legal or social advice. Verify your situation with your local health insurance fund (CPAM), your employer, and qualified professionals.
