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Medal of Honor of Labor

Verified 29 October 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The Labor Medal is an honorary award. It aims to reward the seniority of an employee's services, the quality of his initiatives taken in the exercise of his profession or its efforts to acquire a better qualification. The employee can make the request himself.

Data subjects

The employees or retired workers may, subject to conditions, obtain the medal of honor for the work.

Employee

The employee duty to have worked:

  • in France (for French or foreigners employers)
  • or abroad at a French employer.

Exceptionally, employees residing or working abroad for foreign companies may be awarded the Medal of Honor of Work if their professional activities have particularly contributed to the good reputation of France.

There is no nationality requirement.

Warning  

an employee who is eligible for another type of medal (e.g. the agricultural medal of honor) cannot obtain the labor medal of honor.

The Medal of Honor for Work may be awarded posthumously an employee who is in any of the following situations:

  • He had the number of years of seniority required at the time of his death.
  • He was the victim of a fatal accident in the exercise of his profession. He was awarded the Grand Gold Medal posthumously, with no terms of service.

In the 2 cases, the request must be made within 5 years according to the date of death.

Retired

The retired worker duty to have worked:

  • in France (for French or foreigners employers)
  • or abroad at a French employer.

Exceptionally, pensioners who have resided or worked abroad for foreign companies may be awarded the Medal of Honor of Work if their professional activities have particularly contributed to the good reputation of France.

There is no nationality requirement.

In principle, certain categories of persons are not eligible for the Medal of Honor for Work. These include judges and civil servants. There are for them specific honors.

Seniority calculation

The labor medal consists of 4 steps. They depend on the length of service provided:

  • Silver medal: 20 years
  • Vermeil medal: 30 years
  • Gold Medal: 35 years
  • Great gold medal: 40 years

The services taken into account for the calculation of seniority may have been provided to an unlimited number of employers.

Periods of unemployment do not count.

Some periods of absence are considered to be periods of work. These are:

Please note

years spent in the public sector are not considered for this medal. An exception exists for pensioners who are no longer eligible for a seniority award the public body in which they worked.

However, the following persons may obtain the medal without having the required seniority:

The approach varies according to the employee's place of residence.

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In the Pas-de-Calais

The employee must apply online using the following online service:

Request for medal of honor of work - Pas de Calais

The following supporting documents must be attached:

  • Photocopy of an ID (double-sided)
  • Photocopies of each employer's work certificates
    The work certificate can be replaced by a certificate drawn up by 2 witnesses and endorsed by the mayor of the municipality of residence, who will certify the reason why a certificate cannot be provided.
  • Recent certification by the last employer
  • For persons who have performed military (or similar) services, attestation of services performed under the national service or photocopy of the military booklet
  • For mutilated at work, photocopy of the statement of annuities

In Paris

Documents to be provided

The employee must file a file and attach the following documents:

  • Form cerfa no. 11796 completed, dated and signed
  • Photocopy of an ID (double-sided)
  • Photocopies of each employer's work certificates
    The work certificate can be replaced by a certificate drawn up by 2 witnesses and endorsed by the mayor of the municipality of residence, who will certify the reason why a certificate cannot be provided.
  • Recent certification by the last employer
  • For persons who have performed military (or similar) services, attestation of services performed under the national service or photocopy of the military booklet
  • For mutilated at work, photocopy of the statement of annuities

Sending folder

The file must be sent to the decorations department of the Prefecture of Paris.

Who shall I contact
  • Decorations Department of the Prefecture of Paris 

    By post (file submitted)

    Prefecture of the region of Île-de-France, Prefecture of Paris

    Office of the Prefect

    Cabinet Department

    Office of Protocol and Travel

    Decorations Section

    Honor Medals Pole

    5 Leblanc Street

    75911 PARIS cedex 15

    By phone or email (for more information)

    Telephone: 01 82 52 41 27, Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 4.30pm

    Email: pref-info-decorations@paris.gouv.fr

In another department

Depending on the employee's department of residence, the application shall be considered by one of the following bodies:

  • Departmental Directorate for Employment, Labor and Solidarity (DDETS or DDETS-PP, ex-Direct)
  • Prefecture
  • Sub-prefecture

You should consult the websites of these organizations, or contact at least one of them, to find out:

  • If the request must be made online or sent by mail
  • And, where the request may be made by mail, to which body it must be sent
Online

The following online service shall be used:

Application for the Medal of Honor of Labor

You must provide the following proof:

  • Photocopy of an ID (double-sided)
  • Photocopies of each employer's work certificates
    The work certificate can be replaced by a certificate drawn up by 2 witnesses and endorsed by the mayor of the municipality of residence, who will certify the reason why a certificate cannot be provided.
  • Recent certification by the last employer
  • For persons who have performed military (or similar) services, attestation of services performed under the national service or photocopy of the military booklet
  • For mutilated at work, photocopy of the statement of annuities
By mail

The employee must file a file with the following documents:

  • Form cerfa no. 11796 completed, dated and signed
  • Photocopy of an ID (double-sided)
  • Photocopies of each employer's work certificates
    The work certificate can be replaced by a certificate drawn up by 2 witnesses and endorsed by the mayor of the municipality of residence, who will certify the reason why a certificate cannot be provided.
  • Recent certification by the last employer
  • For persons who have performed military (or similar) services, attestation of services performed under the national service or photocopy of the military booklet
  • For mutilated at work, photocopy of the statement of annuities
Who shall I contact
Who shall I contact
Who shall I contact

Abroad

Documents to be provided

The employee must file a file and attach the following documents:

  • Form cerfa no. 11797 completed, dated and signed
  • Photocopy of an ID (double-sided)
  • Photocopies of each employer's work certificates
    The work certificate may be replaced by a certificate drawn up by 2 witnesses and endorsed by the municipality of the municipality of residence, which will indicate the reason why a certificate cannot be provided.
  • Recent certification by the last employer
  • For persons who have performed military (or similar) services, attestation of services performed under the national service or photocopy of the military booklet
  • For mutilated at work, photocopy of the statement of annuities

Sending folder

The file must be sent to the embassy.

Who shall I contact

Deadline for submission of the dossier

The medal is awarded by decree of the Minister of Labor or, on delegation, of the Prefect on the occasion of the 1er January and July 14 of each year.

The file must reach its addressee:

  • To get the medal on July 14, before the 1er May
  • To get the medal on the 1er January, before 15 October of the previous year

Please note

seniority is calculated on the date of 1er January or July 14, not the date the request was sent.

Deadline

The delay between the submission of the file and the presentation of the medal varies.

The person who receives the work honor medal (the medal holder) obtains a ribbon (or rosette) and a diploma recalling the services for which he is rewarded

A medal may be struck and engraved at the expense of the holder or his employer (if the latter agrees), by order sent to the Monnaie de Paris or to a private manufacturer.

Who shall I contact

Following the publication of the prefectural decree, a diploma is also awarded to the candidate.

The diploma is sent to the town hall of his residence, which is responsible for redistributing it.

In practice, the City Hall sends a letter to the holder of the medal, inviting him to come and collect his diploma.

Warning  

it is not possible to obtain a duplicate diploma.

Depending on what is set out in the collective agreement or company collective agreement, the employer may pay a sum of money to reward the services of the medal holder or grant one or more days off.

If the amount paid by the employer is less than the amount of a monthly salary, it is not included in the taxable salaried income.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • To help you in your efforts

    National Federation of Labor Decorates of France

    By email

    Access to contact form

FAQ