Procedure · Work and leaving a job

Mutually agreed termination (rupture conventionnelle): asking, signing and getting approval

A mutually agreed termination ends a permanent contract by agreement, with a payment at least equal to the statutory redundancy payment and entitlement to unemployment benefit. Here are the steps in order, the deadlines that run (withdrawal, approval) and what changed for unemployment benefit on 1 September 2026.

At a glance

Who: An employee on a permanent contract (CDI) and their employer, when both agree to end it. Not possible on a fixed-term contract, in temporary work, in an apprenticeship or during a trial period.
When: At any time, even during sick leave, provided neither side forces it on the other.
Where: With your employer (meeting, signed agreement), then an online approval request on TéléRC.
Cost: Free. You receive a specific termination payment, and the site's tool calculates its minimum.
How long: 15 calendar days to withdraw, then 15 working days for the review: the contract ends at the earliest the day after approval.

TéléRC: online approval request (service-public.gouv.fr)

Step by step

Prepare your request. Before raising it, work out the minimum payment you are entitled to with the site's tool, and check your collective agreement, which may provide more. Think about unemployment benefit: a mutually agreed termination entitles you to it, but the maximum benefit period is shorter for contracts ending since 1 September 2026.
Ask for a meeting in writing. No form is required, but a letter (template below) dates your request. The employer is free to say no: neither of you can impose a mutually agreed termination.
Negotiate at the meeting(s). At least one meeting is compulsory, and the agreement can be signed at that meeting. You can be accompanied by another employee of the company or, if there are no staff representatives, by an employee adviser (conseiller du salarié): tell the employer before the meeting. This is where the payment amount and the contract end date are set.
Sign the agreement and keep your copy. The form, filled in on TéléRC, is printed in 3 copies, signed and dated by hand by you and the employer with the words lu et approuvé (read and approved). It states the payment, the end of the withdrawal period and the termination date. The employer must give you your copy: without it, the employment tribunal can cancel the termination.
Let the 15-day withdrawal period pass. The period starts the day after signing and lasts 15 calendar days; if it ends on a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or non-working day, it is extended to the next working day. During this time, either side can change their mind without giving a reason, by recorded-delivery letter or by a letter handed over against a signed receipt.
File the approval request on TéléRC. From the day after the withdrawal period ends, you or the employer send the request through the TéléRC online service; the paper form (cerfa no. 14598) is only accepted exceptionally, if the online service cannot be used. The administration has 15 working days from the day after receipt: without a reply, the termination is approved. For a protected employee, it takes authorisation from the labour inspector instead, outside TéléRC.
Keep working until the end date. While the request is being reviewed, you work as normal; there is no notice period. The contract ends on the date set in the agreement, at the earliest the day after approval, and the employer then gives you your employment certificate, final settlement receipt and France Travail certificate.
Register with France Travail. You can register from the day after your contract ends. If your payment is above the statutory redundancy payment, the extra part delays the start of your benefit (specific deferral, up to 150 days), followed by the paid leave deferral (up to 30 days) and a 7-day waiting period.

Documents to prepare

Your employment contract and your payslips for the last 12 months (to work out the payment)
The name of your collective agreement (it may provide a higher payment)
Your meeting request letter and proof that you sent it
Your copy of the signed agreement, with the end date of the withdrawal period
After the termination: your France Travail certificate and your employment certificate

Pitfalls to avoid

Do not sign under pressure: a termination that was forced on you, or signed in a context of harassment, can be cancelled by the employment tribunal if you go to it within 12 months of approval.
The payment cannot be lower than the statutory redundancy payment, or the one in your collective agreement if it applies: check the calculation before signing.
The end date cannot fall before the day after approval: count both deadlines before promising a start date to a new employer.
Since 1 September 2026, unemployment benefit after a mutually agreed termination lasts at most 456 days (15 months) under 55 and 624 days (20.5 months) from 55 in mainland France (age when the contract ends): what counts is the contract end date set in the agreement, not the signing date.
Sick leave during the procedure does not push back the contract end date set in the agreement.

Letter requesting a meeting about a mutually agreed termination (in French)

[Prénom Nom]
[Adresse]
[Téléphone] – [Adresse e-mail]

[Nom de l'entreprise]
À l'attention de [Prénom Nom du destinataire], [fonction]
[Adresse de l'entreprise]

[Ville], le [date]

Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (ou remise en main propre contre décharge)

Objet : demande d'entretien en vue d'une éventuelle rupture conventionnelle

Madame, Monsieur,

Salarié(e) de l'entreprise depuis le [date d'embauche] au poste de [intitulé du poste], je sollicite un entretien afin d'envisager avec vous une rupture conventionnelle de mon contrat de travail à durée indéterminée et d'en convenir ensemble des conditions, notamment la date de fin du contrat et le montant de l'indemnité spécifique de rupture.

Pourriez-vous me proposer un rendez-vous à la date qui vous conviendra ? [Facultatif : Je vous informe que je serai assisté(e) lors de cet entretien par [Prénom Nom], [salarié(e) de l'entreprise / conseiller du salarié].]

Je reste joignable aux coordonnées indiquées ci-dessus.

Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

[Signature]

Letter requesting a meeting about a mutually agreed termination (in French): replace each part in square brackets, proofread, date and sign. The letter is in French because it goes to a French employer or administration.

Every letter template

What Nego does for you

Write your meeting request and prepare your arguments to negotiate the payment
Work out the minimum payment with the mutually agreed termination tool
Estimate your unemployment benefit and its maximum length after the termination
Count the deadlines (withdrawal, approval) to set a realistic end date

Nego follows the checked steps on this page, does the calculations with the site's tools and drafts your letters. It does not replace the administration: the procedure is completed on the official service.

Going further

Mutual termination pay Unemployment benefit simulator Untaken holiday pay Mutual termination Unemployment benefit Final pay settlement Redundancy pay

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer refuse a mutually agreed termination?

Yes. It requires both sides to agree: neither you nor the employer can impose it. If they refuse, your options are resigning (with no unemployment benefit in principle) or staying in your job.

How long does the procedure take?

Allow 15 calendar days for withdrawal from the day after signing, then 15 working days for the review from the day after the request is received. The contract ends on the date in the agreement, at the earliest the day after approval. Service-public has a simulator for these deadlines.

What payment will I receive?

At least the statutory redundancy payment, or the one in your collective agreement if it provides one, whatever your length of service. Anything above that is negotiable. The site's tool calculates this minimum from your length of service and your salary.

Am I entitled to unemployment benefit after a mutually agreed termination?

Yes, if you meet the conditions, in particular on time worked. For a contract ending since 1 September 2026, benefit lasts at most 456 days (15 months) under 55 and 624 days (20.5 months) from 55 in mainland France (other durations apply in the overseas departments); from 55, you can ask France Travail to extend it. The part of your payment above the statutory redundancy payment delays the first payment.

Can I sign a mutually agreed termination while on sick leave?

Yes. But the sick leave does not push back the contract end date set in the agreement.

Can a mutually agreed termination be challenged afterwards?

Yes, before the employment tribunal, within 12 months of approval or refusal. If your consent was not freely given (pressure, harassment), the termination can be cancelled and you can obtain the compensation for an unfair dismissal.

Official sources

Rules checked on 27 October 2026 against the sources above. This page explains the procedure; it replaces neither the administration nor legal advice.

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Mutually agreed termination (rupture conventionnelle): asking, signing and getting approval

At a glance

Who

An employee on a permanent contract (CDI) and their employer, when both agree to end it. Not possible on a fixed-term contract, in temporary work, in an apprenticeship or during a trial period.

When

At any time, even during sick leave, provided neither side forces it on the other.

Where

With your employer (meeting, signed agreement), then an online approval request on TéléRC.

Cost

Free. You receive a specific termination payment, and the site's tool calculates its minimum.

How long

15 calendar days to withdraw, then 15 working days for the review: the contract ends at the earliest the day after approval.

Step by step

Prepare your request. Before raising it, work out the minimum payment you are entitled to with the site's tool, and check your collective agreement, which may provide more. Think about unemployment benefit: a mutually agreed termination entitles you to it, but the maximum benefit period is shorter for contracts ending since 1 September 2026.

Ask for a meeting in writing. No form is required, but a letter (template below) dates your request. The employer is free to say no: neither of you can impose a mutually agreed termination.

Negotiate at the meeting(s). At least one meeting is compulsory, and the agreement can be signed at that meeting. You can be accompanied by another employee of the company or, if there are no staff representatives, by an employee adviser (conseiller du salarié): tell the employer before the meeting. This is where the payment amount and the contract end date are set.

Sign the agreement and keep your copy. The form, filled in on TéléRC, is printed in 3 copies, signed and dated by hand by you and the employer with the words lu et approuvé (read and approved). It states the payment, the end of the withdrawal period and the termination date. The employer must give you your copy: without it, the employment tribunal can cancel the termination.

Let the 15-day withdrawal period pass. The period starts the day after signing and lasts 15 calendar days; if it ends on a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or non-working day, it is extended to the next working day. During this time, either side can change their mind without giving a reason, by recorded-delivery letter or by a letter handed over against a signed receipt.

File the approval request on TéléRC. From the day after the withdrawal period ends, you or the employer send the request through the TéléRC online service; the paper form (cerfa no. 14598) is only accepted exceptionally, if the online service cannot be used. The administration has 15 working days from the day after receipt: without a reply, the termination is approved. For a protected employee, it takes authorisation from the labour inspector instead, outside TéléRC.

Keep working until the end date. While the request is being reviewed, you work as normal; there is no notice period. The contract ends on the date set in the agreement, at the earliest the day after approval, and the employer then gives you your employment certificate, final settlement receipt and France Travail certificate.

Register with France Travail. You can register from the day after your contract ends. If your payment is above the statutory redundancy payment, the extra part delays the start of your benefit (specific deferral, up to 150 days), followed by the paid leave deferral (up to 30 days) and a 7-day waiting period.

Documents to prepare

Your employment contract and your payslips for the last 12 months (to work out the payment)

The name of your collective agreement (it may provide a higher payment)

Your meeting request letter and proof that you sent it

Your copy of the signed agreement, with the end date of the withdrawal period

After the termination: your France Travail certificate and your employment certificate

Pitfalls to avoid

Do not sign under pressure: a termination that was forced on you, or signed in a context of harassment, can be cancelled by the employment tribunal if you go to it within 12 months of approval.

The payment cannot be lower than the statutory redundancy payment, or the one in your collective agreement if it applies: check the calculation before signing.

The end date cannot fall before the day after approval: count both deadlines before promising a start date to a new employer.

Since 1 September 2026, unemployment benefit after a mutually agreed termination lasts at most 456 days (15 months) under 55 and 624 days (20.5 months) from 55 in mainland France (age when the contract ends): what counts is the contract end date set in the agreement, not the signing date.

Sick leave during the procedure does not push back the contract end date set in the agreement.