France Employer of Record

Hiring in France
French labor laws are complex and largely favor the employee over the employer. The French Labor Code, Code du Travail, regulates the length of the workweek, payment for overtime, vacation and personal leave, and termination of employment.
Unions are less popular in France compared with the rest of Europe, but French labor law provides an extensive institutional role for organized labor. In addition to the Labor Code, judicial precedent is important in French labor law.
Because of the complexity of employment laws in France, compliant employment contracts are an essential business need. As your employer of record and PEO in France, we can ensure that every contract, for every worker, meets all requirements. We can also provide you with guidance about cultural norms and hiring best practices and keep you up-to-date with employment regulations as they change
Employment contracts in France
- Minimum wage rates are adjusted annually, and the current monthly minimum wage is €1,539.42.
- Collective bargaining agreements often provide more generous compensation than the required minimum.
- Wages must be paid at least monthly, and a payslip must be provided.
- For employees required to work beyond the standard 35-hour workweek, overtime pay is generally 125% of the normal hourly wage for the first eight hours and 150% after that.
- Disobedience, violence or verbal abuse, theft, repeated unauthorized leave, inappropriate behavior in the workplace, sexual harassment, professional inadequacy or failure to achieve objectives
- Elimination or transformation of positions due to financial difficulties, restructuring in order to protect the company’s competitiveness, or closing the business
Employee benefits and paid leave in France
When negotiating terms of an employment contract with a candidate in France, here are some of the statutory benefits and paid leave requirements to keep in mind, as well as how an employer of record can support your company’s benefits strategy.
Maternity leave
Employees in France are required to take maternity leave. Maternity leave guidelines include:
- One child (with up to one child preexisting) grants the mother six weeks of prenatal leave, plus 10 weeks of postnatal leave.
- One child (with two or more children preexisting) grants the mother eight weeks of prenatal leave, plus 18 weeks of postnatal leave.
- Twins grant the mother 12 prenatal weeks and 22 postnatal weeks; triplets or more grant 24 prenatal weeks and 22 postnatal weeks.
- Medical complications will grant two additional prenatal weeks and four additional postnatal weeks.
Vacation
Employees in France are entitled to five weeks of annual leave, which is accrued at the rate of 2.5 days per month, from June 1 to May 31 of the following year. Collective bargaining agreements may grant additional days off.
At least 12 consecutive days of leave must be taken between May 1 and Oct. 31, and in most cases, unused leave may not be rolled over.
Holidays
Employees in France are only entitled to Labor Day as a paid holiday, and any employee required to work on Labor Day receives an extra day’s worth of pay. Whether other holidays are covered as paid leave is determined by the employer or a collective bargaining agreement.
France observes 11 national holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Easter Monday
- Labor Day
- Victory in Europe Day
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Bastille Day
- Assumption Day
- All Saints’ Day
- Armistice Day
- Christmas Day
Holidays do not move if they fall on weekends nor is time off granted.
Sick leave
When an employee is absent due to illness, this suspends the work contract and the employer’s obligation to fully compensate the employee. The Social Security Health System in France pays an employee on sick leave a daily benefit, and the employer is legally required only to make up the difference between that benefit and the employee’s normal compensation.
If sick leave lasts longer than 30 days, the employee must undergo a medical examination before returning to work.
Health coverage
Employers and employees pay contributions to the mandatory French health insurance system. French healthcare covers hospitals, physicians and long-term care, as well as prescription drugs. Patients are responsible for coinsurance, copayments and balances for physician charges that exceed covered fees. A large majority of French citizens, 95%, have supplemental insurance to help with out-of-pocket costs.
As your employer of record in France, we may be able to provide optional supplementary health coverage for professionals and their dependents at a more cost-effective rate.
Additional benefits
In addition to healthcare benefits, the employer and employee tax contributions fund benefits such as the national pension scheme and unemployment insurance.
Employer social costs will cover a large portion of employee benefits in France, but we can consult with you about supplemental coverage options, such as additional pension contributions or life insurance, if needed.
Employee onboarding with an employer of record in France
- Schedule a welcome call to discuss HR and employment information for France, as well as answer any questions
- Prepare a customized employment contract in English and in French (or other local language)
- Share the employment contract and benefits information with the new employee for signature and review
- Gather tax and banking information from the employee to set up payroll
- Provide a local point of contact to the employee to answer any questions regarding their employment, local HR or payroll
Partner with Safeguard Global as your France employer of record and PEO
With over a decade of service, we are the longest-serving employer of record and PEO provider in the international market. Organizations around the world rely on Global Employment Outsourcing (GEO) to expand and hire in over 179 countries around the world, quickly and compliantly.
We’ve seen just about every global employment circumstance imaginable—and with our extensive knowledge of local law and culture, we know what it takes to get employment right in France. We provide written contracts in the local language, salaries in the local currency and HR support in your employees’ time zone.
Additionally, as a global payroll provider we support payroll administration—including payments, filings and other calculations—in more than 150 countries and can accommodate the payroll outsourcing needs of any size organization.
Whether you’re looking to hire as part of a strategic expansion or to meet specific talent needs, our global solutions advisors can walk you through your international hiring options so you can make the right choice for your organization. Contact us today.
The information provided on or through this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Safeguard Global expressly disclaims any liability with respect to warranty or representation concerning the information contained herein, including the lost essence, interpretation, accuracy and/or completeness of the information in transit and language translation.
Related content
- Payroll in France
- Why employ in France?
- Global expansion: Entering the France market
- International employment contracts
- Legal entity or GEO?
- Thinking about international expansion?
- International salary benchmarking: A how-to guide
Let's talk about your employment needs in France
"*" indicates required fields
Learn more about Global Employment Outsourcing
Ready to employ in France?