In France, there are several sectors of activity in which employees can receive bonuses. But one in particular, which brings together 1.6 million employees, rewards loyalty…
Holiday bonus, Christmas bonus, target bonus… In the business world, there are several ways to earn a little money in addition to your salary. And, while people will now have to work longer before retiring, some fields also reward longevity.
Indeed, in France, an employee can obtain the long service medal. It is a purely honorary distinction, accompanied by a diploma, and it depends on two main criteria: length of service and the submission of an application file. The medal is awarded in stages, which correspond to a length of service in the private sector, in France or abroad for a French company. Thus, there are no less than 4: Silver medal (20 years of service), Vermeil medal (30 years), Gold medal (35 years) and finally the Grand Gold Medal (40 years of service).
But, be careful, the medal is not awarded automatically. It is up to the employee or their employer to take the step. Nothing very complicated, the request is made to the prefecture (or the Labor Directorate, depending on the department) of the employee’s place of residence. The file must be complete and submitted using Cerfa form n°11796. Once the request has been validated by the prefecture, a prefectural decree is published. It is after this publication that the medals and diplomas are issued. The metal medal itself must often be purchased by the recipient or their employer…
In terms of remuneration, the practice is not a legal obligation but some employers do it and this depends in particular on the collective agreement for the sector of activity. Thus, many collective agreements in the metallurgy provide for the payment of a bonus, the amount of which is often indexed to the hourly minimum wage (for example, 60 times the hourly minimum wage for the silver medal, 200 times for the large gold).
This therefore potentially concerns a lot of people since, according to industry data, the new national collective agreement for the metallurgy industry, which came into force in 2024, covers a very large number of employees in France: around 1.6 million employees, spread across more than 42,000 companies. This sector, which brings together industries such as aeronautics, automobiles, steel, electronics and mechanics, is one of the largest professional branches in France.
