Labor medal: rules, deadlines and rewards

Updated March 29, 2026 - The medal of honor for work may seem secondary, but it actually raises several useful topics for the employer: seniority, calendar, possible bonus, paid treatment and possible tax exemption depending on the amount paid.

The official Service-Public page recalls that the medal rewards seniority of service in the private sector. The main levels classically remain:

• ▸money after 20 years;
• ▸vermilion after 30 years;
• ▸gold after 35 years;
• ▸grand gold after 40 years.

In practice, there are two annual promotions:

• ▸promotion from January 1st;
• ▸promotion of July 14.

Requests must be submitted within the usual administrative deadlines set by Service-Public:

• ▸before October 15 for the January 1st promotion;
• ▸before May 1st for the July 14th promotion.

To articulate this with your HR policy, see also Social, payroll and remuneration, HR & payroll: employer obligations in 2026 and therapeutic part-time.

Service-Public is clear: the presentation of the medal does not automatically entitle you to a bonus. On the other hand, a sum of money or days off can be provided by:

• ▸the collective agreement;
• ▸a company agreement;
• ▸sometimes a use.

Possible gratification must be treated with caution:

• ▸check the conventional basis or usage;
• ▸determine the correct payroll treatment;
• ▸control the tax system if the amount paid remains lower than the monthly salary, a point recalled by Service-Public.

Hayot Expertise advice: the right reflex is not only to pay a bonus. This means first checking the applicable collective text and the correct payroll translation.

We help employers secure conventional bonuses, their payroll treatment and internal supporting documents.

Quick link: Secure your HR and payroll practices

In 2026, the long service award remains a seemingly simple subject, but which deserves rigorous HR and payroll reading if the company provides a bonus.

Contact: Do you want to check the payroll processing of a bonus or HR advantage? We can review your collective agreement, your uses and your settings. Make an appointment with Hayot Expertise

(Official sources: Service-Public.fr - medal of honor for work, Legifrance - decree n°84-591 of July 4, 1984)