The reform of unemployment benefits after an individual rupture conventionnelle takes a decisive step. This Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the deputies of the Assemblée nationale approved in second reading the bill transposing the amendment to the unemployment insurance agreement, which aims to shorten the maximum duration of unemployment benefits paid after a rupture conventionnelle individuelle. The text received 186 votes in favor and 60 against. A solemn vote remains scheduled for June 2, 2026—a formal step that precedes the president’s signature and then publication in the Journal officiel. The effective entry into force is targeted for September 2026.
The road to that vote was not a smooth ride. After being rejected in the first reading on April 16 due to insufficient mobilization by the governing majority, the text returned to the chamber on May 26. This time, the government had carefully lined up its ranks, scheduling the vote right after the questions to the government session—the moment when the chamber is traditionally at its fullest. On the Senate side, the majority there had already endorsed the text without changes on April 1, honoring the wishes of the signatory organizations: the CFDT, CFTC and FO on the union side, and Medef, CPME and U2P on the employer side.
In practical terms, for employees under 55, the maximum indemnity period after a mutual termination will be reduced from 18 to 15 months. The reform also introduces a senior pathway, with an indemnity period set at 20.5 months for those over 55. Until now, these durations did not vary by the reason for termination but only by age, whether it was a dismissal or an amicable departure.
That means three fewer months of replacement income for anyone under 55, a gap that matters for those who were counting on that period to retrain or to pick their next role.
The government's central argument hinges on figures from the Institute of Public Policy (IPP). According to Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou, about 40% of mutually agreed terminations effectively replace resignations, which typically do not qualify for unemployment benefits. Beneficiaries, often more highly skilled and better compensated than the average job seeker, would still remain out of work longer than those who lose their jobs under other kinds of termination.
The reform is expected to generate savings of 600 to 800 million euros and to drive 12,000 to 15,000 additional job re-entries each year, according to the government. The left, which had secured the measure's rejection in April, questions these figures and says the savings come at the expense of the unemployed. It also notes that public authorities have withdrawn more than 12 billion euros from the Unedic regime between 2023 and 2026, partly explaining the regime’s current deficits.
The scale of the program explains the urgency felt by the government. According to Dares, the number of mutual terminations rose from nearly 317,000 in 2013 to more than 526,000 in 2023, before easing slightly to around 521,000 in 2024. The cost to Unédic is estimated at €9.4 billion per year.
Note that the conventional termination severance remains subject to a legal floor set by the Labour Code: at least 1/4 of the gross monthly salary per year of service for the first ten years, then 1/3 beyond that. This protection is not being called into question by the reform.
The next step is therefore the solemn vote on June 2, 2026 in the National Assembly. If, as expected, it confirms the May 26 decision, the bill will be sent to the President for promulgation. Once published in the Official Journal, the law is expected to take effect in practice from September 2026. Employees planning a negotiated departure in the coming months will therefore want to monitor the rule changes directly on the France Travail site or on Service-Public.fr.
This reform directly affects all employees on permanent contracts who are considering a negotiated exit, as well as HR teams and employers who rely on it regularly. For those under 55, shaving three months off their compensation isn’t negligible when a retraining or career transition project needs time. It’s wiser to plan ahead and, if the plan is solid, not to delay too long before starting the process, knowing that the current rules (18 months) stay in place until the law comes into effect, expected in September 2026.
