Leaving the company: what happens to your employee savings

According to service-public.fr and economie.gouv.fr, your Employee Savings Plan (PEE) does not disappear when you leave the company: you can keep it, under certain conditions. You can no longer make new contributions, except for the final profit-sharing or employee shareholding payment. Termination of the employment contract is also a valid reason for early withdrawal from the PEE, and the request can then be made at any time.

The Perco and the collective company PER follow different rules: their sums remain blocked until retirement, and the termination of the contract does not open a separate release in the public service lists.

This page covers the PEE (Company Savings Plan), PERCO (Collective Retirement Savings Plan), and PER (Company Retirement Savings Plan) at the time of departure. It does not address the detailed conditions for maintaining the PEE, the procedure for transferring funds to a new employer's plan, or the fate of funds not claimed by a former employee: the pages relating to the PEE that have been consulted do not provide this information. The social security contribution rate should be verified with the official source.

What you receive upon departure

When you leave the company, you will receive a summary statement of all the money and securities saved or transferred. Keep it.

PEE: retained, but closed to contributions

According to the French government's public service website, the 5-year lock-in period begins from each payment. Therefore, a PEE (employee savings plan) funded in 2022 and 2024 has two availability dates.

The termination of the employment contract opens a new avenue for resolution.

For the Employee Savings Plan (PEE), the French government's public service website lists termination of employment contract as a valid reason for early withdrawal. The general rule is that a request must be made within 6 months of the event. However, in the case of termination of employment contract, the request can be made at any time.

The required supporting document is a certificate of employment or a statement from the employer confirming the termination date of the contract. Funds withdrawn early are exempt from income tax.

For a company director, the public service list includes other events related to their business: the end of their corporate mandate, the cessation of activity for sole proprietors, and the loss of status as a collaborating spouse or partner. Details of these cases and deadlines are provided on our page about early release of funds.

Profit-sharing and participation after departure

If you are eligible for the profit-sharing agreement after you leave, the company must continue to inform you of your rights. For employee participation, the government website (service-public.fr) stipulates the same obligation to provide information when you are eligible after your departure.

Collective company retirement savings plans (PERCO and PER)

Regarding the PERCO (Company Retirement Savings Plan), the French government's public service website indicates that new PERCO plans can no longer be set up in companies since October 1, 2020, and that existing plans can continue to accept new participants. It also indicates that a PERCO can be converted into a company-wide PER (Retirement Savings Plan). The conditions and deadlines for this conversion are not detailed here; they are covered on our page about PERCOs and company-wide PERs.

In summary: if your savings are in a PEE (Employee Savings Plan), termination of employment is among the permitted reasons for withdrawal. If they are in a PERCO (Collective Retirement Savings Plan) or a PER collectif (Group Retirement Savings Plan), it is not included in the lists.

If you retire

Retirees and pre-retirees can keep their PEE. If they had contributed to it before their departure, they can continue their contributions up to a limit of 25% of the sum of the pensions they receive, without matching contributions from the company.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Thomas, an executive, left his company on June 30, 2026 to join another employer. His employee savings plan (PEE) contains two voluntary contributions: €5,000 on March 15, 2022 and €3,000 on April 10, 2024, for a total of €8,000 in contributions (earnings not taken into account).

Issue. Upon his departure, what sums are still frozen, and what changes with the termination of his contract?

Strategy. Apply two public service rules: 5 years of blocking from each payment, and early release possible at any time in the event of termination of the employment contract.

Result.

As of June 30, 2026, €8,000 in payments are still frozen.. Without a specific reason, the first payment would be available on March 15, 2027, and the second on April 10, 2029. Termination of the employment contract allows the employee to request the release of these funds at any time, with a certificate of employment or a statement from the employer. The funds released are exempt from income tax; social security contributions are levied on the portion of the plan's income.

Thomas can no longer contribute to this PEE with new voluntary payments, except for the last profit-sharing or participation bonus.

This profile is fictitious. The dates and amounts are hypothetical: two voluntary contributions, no other contributions. The durations are expressed in years, months, then days (258 days and 1,015 days between June 30, 2026, and the availability dates). The calculation does not take into account earnings or social security contributions. The figures illustrate the mechanism and do not predict your individual circumstances.

What changes depending on your situation

• The type of plan : PEE, Perco or collective company PER do not have the same exit rules.
• The dates of your payments Some funds may already be available.
• The nature of the departure : termination of contract, end of corporate mandate, retirement or cessation of activity do not have the same consequences.
• Your new employer : the presence of a Perco at his home conditions the payments into the old one.
• The settlement of your plan and the documents your manager requests.

The rule depends on your situation and must be examined on a case-by-case basis. No results are guaranteed.