Sick Pay for Micro-Entrepreneurs
“Off-sick” doesn’t mean your business has to suffer too!
Owning your own sole trader business activity in France can feel as if your ‘on your own’ when faced with illness or accident, but did you know that micro-entrepreneurs, and other types of business owners, are entitled to sickness benefit (indemnités journalieres) provided you meet certain criteria?
For micro-entrepreneurs you have to have been paying in for at least a year, have an annual income of over certain thresholds (usually over 3 862 €) and be up to date with your social security contributions (cotisations).
To see what your minimum turnover has to be to qualify for each day rate, on a sliding scale see: https://www.ameli.fr/assure/remboursements/indemnites-journalieres/arret-maladie-artisans-commercants
While you’re certainly not going to be able to dine out on the money, it can mean the difference between getting by and not surviving.
So, what do you need to do?
The procedure is relatively simple, but time is of the essence as you must get a certificate (arrêt de travail) from your GP and send it to your main CPAM WITHIN 48 HOURS.
So how much will you get?
The rate is based on 1/730 of your income (revenu d'activité) which means (following some complex calculations that most of us don’t understand) a daily rate of between 5,29 € and 54,43 €
Take note!
sickness benefit is not available for the first three days (délai de carence) if your ‘arret’ is for more than seven days in total
it is payable for up to one year over a period of three years
if you suffer a long-term illness (affection de longue durée) then the period of entitlement may be extended to three years
you must follow the rules; which may include not leaving the house between certain hours (usually open to negotiation with your GP or doctor if you need to collect kids from school for example) and bear in mind that failure to comply can lead to a fine, so check the rules and times with your doctor
You will also find information and support by joining the Federation Nationale des Auto-entrepreneurs et Micro-entrepreneurs, see: www.federation-auto-entrepreneur.fr
Note to the reader: As ever, I’ve done my utmost to give you the facts and clear explanations prior to publication, but you’ll need to keep an eye on updates as they become available by checking the links provided.
Jenny Smith EI, French Wordsmith, offers comprehensive administrative, translation and support services for English-speaking people in France on just about anything you can think of – from business and building to health, home, residence and schooling. Go to www.frenchwordsmith.fr for full details of her services.
