This is not always true. I am a French software programmer, with the cadre status. I have 9 days of RTT. With the 25 paid holidays, I have almost 7 weeks of holidays / year (34 days).
As a cadre, I am not paid by the hour: I am paid to attain results ("you leave when your work is done"). If I can do it in 35 hours, great. If I need to work more, so be it. I often work 40-50 hours, but it's a choice. And I have relatively flexible hours, as long as the job is done.
Now, while the actual number of hours worked varies, and nobody keeps count of those hours... my employment contract still specifies that I am supposed to work 37,5 hours / week. Which is more than 35 hours. Which means I get 9 RTTs / year to "compensate" for working 2.5 hours more than I should (I work a lot more in reality).
Some cadres have contracts that specify they should work 39 hours / week, and they get 18 RTTs / year to compensate. Regardless of the actual hours worked.
Some companies have contracts that specify their cadres work 35 hours / week, and they get no RTTs... Even though they often work a lot more than that.
FWIW, I had 9 RTTs in my current and in my previous company. Both around 100-150 people.
Oh, I'm very late. Thanks for the information, I really thought it was not legally possible to have RTT as a cadre (a quick Google search proved me wrong and, as I see, you too).
So I guess, that's because there was a negotiation with your employer to work on a 37.5h per week basis and get 37.5 - 35 of compensating RTTs (hence the name, by the way).
I remember being paid on a 35h per week basis as a cadre a few years ago. I guess this is what led me to a broken conclusion.
You are not late, it's me who decided to comment 11 days after you posted ;)
I think it definitely depends on the company. Maybe I was "lucky" with my first two companies? (both SSIIs, with around 100-150 employees).
I got offered a job at a smaller company (a "PME" with less than 20 employees), and it did not include any RTTs... Which is one of the reasons I declined (since the compensation was not better anyway...). I think small companies have a special status re: RTTs, and do not need to give them.
As a cadre, I am not paid by the hour: I am paid to attain results ("you leave when your work is done"). If I can do it in 35 hours, great. If I need to work more, so be it. I often work 40-50 hours, but it's a choice. And I have relatively flexible hours, as long as the job is done.
Now, while the actual number of hours worked varies, and nobody keeps count of those hours... my employment contract still specifies that I am supposed to work 37,5 hours / week. Which is more than 35 hours. Which means I get 9 RTTs / year to "compensate" for working 2.5 hours more than I should (I work a lot more in reality).
Some cadres have contracts that specify they should work 39 hours / week, and they get 18 RTTs / year to compensate. Regardless of the actual hours worked.
Some companies have contracts that specify their cadres work 35 hours / week, and they get no RTTs... Even though they often work a lot more than that.
FWIW, I had 9 RTTs in my current and in my previous company. Both around 100-150 people.
(note: we should have 10 RTTs, but we lost one day due to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journ%C3%A9e_de_solidarit%C3%A9... )