Number of days worked in 2026: the right calculation

Updated March 2026 - Are you preparing a budget, a schedule or a TJM calculation? The number of days worked in 2026 is central data for any manager, HR manager or freelancer. However, this figure is the subject of much confusion. Calendar days, working days, working days, public holidays, paid leave, RTT: each term corresponds to a différent reality. A basic error distorts your payroll forecasts, your cash flow and your production capacity.

See also: Understanding a payslip, Payroll outsourcing and Treasury management.

Quick answer: in mainland France, 2026 has 252 theoretical working days on a Monday to Friday basis, after deduction of the 9 public holidays falling on weekdays. This gross figure must then be adjusted according to paid leave, any RTT and planned absences.

In Metropolitan France, the year 2026 has 261 weekdays (Monday to Friday). To obtain the number of days actually workable, you must subtract the legal holidays which fall on a weekday. Article L3133-1 of the Labor Code establishes the list of 11 public holidays. In 2026, 9 of them fall on an open day:

Two days holidays fall on the weekend and do not reduce the number of working days: Saturday August 15, 2026 (Assumption) and Sunday November 1, 2026 (All Saints' Day).

Basic result#

• 261 working days before withdrawal of public holidays;
• 252 theoretical working days after removal of the 9 public holidays falling on weekdays;
• then, depending on the case, paid leave, RTT, bridges or absences must be subtracted.

Note Alsace-Moselle: the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle benefit from 2 additional public holidays. In 2026, Good Friday falls on Friday April 3 (open day). The theoretical number of working days is therefore 251 days.

The confusion between these two notions is the first source of error in the calculation of days worked 2026.

working days serve as a référence for the calculation of paid leave: an employee acquires 2.5 working days per month of actual work, or 30 working days (5 weeks) over the entire year. Business days correspond to days when the business is open.

The figure of 252 days is a theoretical starting point. To obtain the actual number of days of presence, several successive reductions must be applied.

Example for an executive with a days package#

1. Base working days 2026: 261 days
2. Minus public holidays during the week: -9 days
3. Less paid leave (5 weeks = 25 working days): -25 days
4. Less RTT (according to convention, often 10 to 12 days): -10 days
5. Less solidarity day: -1 day

Total: approximately 208 days of effective presence.

Case of the independent: billable days#

An independent must be even more rigorous. From the 252 theoretical days, remove leave, training days, professional monitoring and non-billable days (administration, prospecting). Typical result: 130 to 150 billable days per year. It is this figure which should serve as the basis for your TJM calculation.

Not all employees are automatically entitled to a paid day off for each holiday. Common law only guarantees May 1st (Labor Day, article L3133-4 of the Labor Code) as a compulsory non-working and paid holiday. In practice, most companies close all 11 legal holidays, but it is essential to check the applicable contractual provisions.

For an HR budget#

Start from the theoretical 252 days, remove paid leave, possible RTT, solidarity day and a reasonable assumption of absences. A conservative assumption is often between 200 and 210 days of effective presence per employee.

For a team schedule#

The gross figure of 252 days worked can serve as a starting point, but it must be adjusted for each employee according to their status, their accrued leave and the specific constraints of your sector.

Hayot Expertise Advice: to manage a business, always use an explicit calculation: chosen basis, holidays removed, leave, RTT and presence hypothesis. The number alone is not enough.

<details> <summary>How many working days in 2026 for a full-time employee?</summary>

A full-time employee benefiting from 5 weeks of paid leave theoretically works 227 days in 2026 (252 days less 25 days of leave). This figure decreases if the employee benefits from RTT or seniority leave.

</details> <details> <summary>Is solidarity day compulsory in 2026?</summary>

Yes. The day of solidarity towards the elderly and disabled remains compulsory in 2026. It corresponds to one day of unpaid work (7 hours for full time). It is often positioned on Pentecost Monday (May 25, 2026), but the employer can set it for another date.

</details> <details> <summary>How many days of paid leave per year in 2026?</summary>

The legal minimum is 5 weeks, or 30 working days or 25 working days. Some collective agreements provide for additional leave (seniority, children, family events).

</details> <details> <summary>How to calculate the number of days worked for part-time work?</summary>

For a part-time employee, apply a proportional coefficient. For example, an employee working 3 days a week will have approximately 3/5 x 252 = 151 theoretical working days, less holidays falling on their usual working days.

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CTA: Make your HR, payroll and 2026 budget assumptions more reliable

(Official sources: Service-Public.fr on public holidays and the difference in working days, Labor Code articles L3133-1 and L3133-4)