Salary: this boost that your boss cannot refuse you as Christmas approaches

With the end-of-year holidays, your budget may take a hit. Fortunately, you can request a salary deposit from your employer, a payment they cannot refuse you. But be careful, your request must be made according to the rules.

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Gifts, Christmas trees, decorations and sometimes trips… The magic of the holidays is expensive, and for many, December means a tight budget. But to avoid ending up in the red, there is a solution that you may not have thought of: L’salary advance payment. According to a study by Stairwage, a specialist in corporate deposit management, published on November 21, 52% of French people have never heard of this system. However, the promise is attractive: since you can receive part of your salary before the end of the monthonly for days already worked. If certain workers, such as intermittent workers, do not have access to it, all employees on fixed-term or permanent contracts can benefit from it.

And your employer cannot refuse it to you if you request it: “The salary advance payment is a right registered in the Labor Codeand not a favor from your employer”underlines Xavier Berjot, lawyer specializing in social law. On the other hand, don’t rush: “The request for a deposit can only be madefrom the 15th of the monthunless more favorable provisions are provided for by the employer or your collective agreement.”

Let’s imagine that you wish to request a deposit for the month of December 2024, which has 31 days, and that you receive gross remuneration of 2,500 euros per month. You must first calculate your daily salaryhere equal to 80.65 euros (2,500 / 31). Then multiply this amount by the number of days actually worked. So, if you make your request on December 17, the maximum amount of your deposit will be 1,371.05 euros gross (80.65 x 17).

Not to be confused with salary advance

Last important point: make sure to do not confuse deposit and salary advance. Because if the deposit is necessarily granted to you, the salary advance relies exclusively on the goodwill of your employer. “It’s a kind of loan granted by your employer for the days of work that you have not yet worked,” explains Guillaume Gaudiot, labor law lawyer. Furthermore, this advance must be repaid each month, within the limit of 10% of your monthly net salary. A constraint which explains why employers are often hesitant to grant it: “It’s not a very advantageous method for them, in terms of cash flow or HR organization”he concedes. To easily complete your December budget, opt for the deposit, which guarantees you a positive response.