🇫🇷 France · Employment & Labor
Hiring rules, employment contracts, payroll, social insurance, and EOR options.
Quick answer
French employment is highly regulated by the Code du travail: a 35-hour legal working week, the SMIC minimum wage, five weeks' paid leave, and structured dismissal rules. Most jobs are permanent (CDI); employee representatives (CSE) and collective agreements apply, and disputes go to the labour court (conseil de prud'hommes).
Employment relationships are governed by the Code du travail; social-security contributions are collected by URSSAF. Employers must declare each hire (DPAE) before the employee starts.
- The statutory working week is 35 hours; hours beyond it are treated as overtime.
- Written contracts (CDI permanent or CDD fixed-term) and a national minimum wage (SMIC) apply.
- Employers register and pay social contributions through URSSAF.
Step-by-step
- 1
Identify your contract type
Confirm whether you have a permanent contract (CDI) or a fixed-term one (CDD, only for defined cases); the CDI is the default form.
- 2
Know your pay and hours rights
You must receive at least the SMIC (or the higher collective-agreement minimum); the legal working week is 35 hours, with overtime and rest rules.
- 3
Understand leave entitlements
You accrue five weeks’ paid leave a year, plus public holidays and, under many agreements, RTT days for hours above 35.
- 4
Register for social security
You are covered by the general social-security scheme (health, pension, unemployment), with contributions on your payslip.
- 5
Know the dismissal procedure
Dismissal requires a real and serious cause and a set procedure (interview, notice, severance); economic and personal dismissals differ.
- 6
Resolve disputes at the prud'hommes
Raise issues with staff representatives (CSE) and, if unresolved, the labour court (conseil de prud'hommes).
Checklist
- Contract type identified (CDI / CDD)
- SMIC or collective-agreement minimum met
- 35-hour week + overtime/rest rules
- Five weeks' paid leave (+ RTT where applicable)
- Social-security coverage (health/pension/unemployment)
- Dismissal cause + procedure (notice/severance)
- Employee representation (CSE) where present
- Dispute route (conseil de prud'hommes)
Official authorities
- URSSAF
Collects social-security and family-benefit contributions.
- Ministère du Travail
Labour ministry — employment law and standards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the legal working week?
The legal duration is 35 hours a week; hours beyond that are overtime or offset by RTT days under many agreements.
What is the difference between a CDI and a CDD?
A CDI is an open-ended (permanent) contract, the default; a CDD is a fixed-term contract allowed only for specific, temporary situations.
How much paid leave do I get?
Employees accrue five weeks (30 working days) of paid annual leave per year.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Government of France — Office of the French Prime Minister — government policies, ministers, and key legislation
- France Public Services (Service-Public) — France's unified administrative services — residence permits, taxes, social security, civil records
- French General Tax Directorate (DGFiP) — French income tax, VAT, wealth tax filing; tax residency determination; French tax number (NIF) application