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Work Hours Calculator in France

Harvest is a time tracking tool that simplifies managing work hours and invoicing for teams and freelancers, even accommodating split shifts or flexible schedules.

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How many hours did you work this week?

Enter your clock-in and clock-out times for each day. The calculator handles breaks, overtime, and weekly totals automatically.

Day Clock In Clock Out Break Hours
Total hours this week 0h
Regular hours (≤40) 0h
Overtime hours 0h
Average hours/day 0h
Total break time 0h

Track time automatically with Harvest

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

Understanding France's 35-Hour Workweek Standard

In France, the legal standard workweek is 35 hours, established by the "Loi Aubry" in 2000. This regulation aims to foster work-life balance and reduce unemployment by encouraging job sharing. Employees typically distribute these hours over five days, from Monday to Friday, with a common schedule of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, including an unpaid lunch break. Understanding this standard is crucial for both employers and employees to ensure compliance and maximize productivity.

Exceeding the 35-hour threshold means entering the realm of overtime, which has specific compensation rules. For instance, the first eight hours of overtime (hours 36 to 43) are compensated at 25% above the standard rate, while any additional hours (from the 44th hour onward) receive a 50% premium. This structured approach to overtime incentivizes efficient work while protecting employee rights.

Calculating Overtime and Compensatory Rest

Calculating overtime in France involves understanding both the legal and financial implications. According to French labor laws, any work beyond the 35-hour standard is considered overtime, with specific compensation rates. The first eight overtime hours are paid at a 25% premium, increasing to 50% for hours beyond that. This ensures employees are fairly compensated for their additional efforts.

Moreover, there is an annual overtime quota—generally 220 hours per employee. Exceeding this quota necessitates compensatory rest, known as "repos compensateur." For businesses with more than 20 employees, this rest period equals 100% of the overtime hours worked, ensuring employees receive adequate time off. Employers may also opt to offer time off in lieu of overtime pay, providing a flexible approach to managing work hours.

Managing Breaks and Rest Periods for Compliance

French labor law mandates specific rest periods to safeguard employee wellbeing. After a workday, employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest. Weekly, they must receive at least 35 consecutive hours of rest, typically incorporating a 24-hour break on Sunday along with the daily rest period. These regulations ensure employees have sufficient time to recuperate, reducing burnout and enhancing productivity.

When it comes to breaks during the workday, employees working more than six hours are entitled to a 20-minute break. This is particularly important for maintaining focus and efficiency throughout the day. For those working night shifts, defined as work between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM, additional compensation and reduced hours apply, reflecting the unique challenges of night work.

Tracking Work Hours with Harvest

For freelancers and teams needing to track work hours, Harvest offers a flexible solution. While it doesn't specifically include tools for French labor law compliance, its robust time tracking features are ideal for managing diverse schedules. With Harvest, users can utilize one-click start/stop timers or manually log hours, making it easy to track billable and non-billable hours across multiple projects.

Harvest's integration capabilities with platforms like Asana, Trello, and QuickBooks further enhance its utility for project management and billing. While specific compliance with French regulations isn't built-in, its ability to manage time effectively can help ensure you're working within legal limits. The 30-day free trial provides a risk-free opportunity to explore its features and see how it fits your needs.

Work Hours Tracking with Harvest

See how Harvest tracks work hours and manages billing, ideal for flexible schedules and multiple projects.

Screenshot of Harvest's work hours tracking and invoicing features.

Work Hours Calculator in France FAQs

  • In France, the legal working time for full-time employment is 35 hours per week. This standard, established by the "Loi Aubry" in 2000, promotes work-life balance. Employees typically work Monday to Friday, with standard office hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

  • Overtime pay in France is calculated based on hours worked beyond the 35-hour week. The first eight overtime hours are compensated at a 25% premium, with any additional hours beyond these paid at a 50% premium. This ensures fair compensation for extra hours worked.

  • Freelancers in France must comply with general tax and labor regulations, although they are not bound by the standard 35-hour workweek. They need to manage their time and income independently, often using tools like Harvest for project tracking and invoicing.

  • Yes, French labor laws require a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between workdays and a 20-minute break for workdays exceeding six hours. Harvest can help track work hours and breaks, although it does not specifically enforce compliance with French regulations.

  • A good work hours calculator should offer flexible time tracking, support for project management, and integration with other tools. Harvest meets these needs with its one-click timers, manual entries, and seamless integration with platforms like Asana and QuickBooks.

  • Harvest integrates with various platforms such as Asana, Trello, Jira, and QuickBooks, enhancing its project management capabilities. These integrations allow seamless time tracking and invoicing, improving workflow efficiency for teams and freelancers.

  • Harvest helps manage multiple projects through detailed time tracking and invoicing features. Users can track billable and non-billable hours, set flexible rates per project or person, and generate comprehensive reports, making it ideal for freelancers and teams handling diverse workloads.