What you'll learn
- Country Introduction
- Tax Breakdown for Employers
- Statutory Leave Laws
- Minimum Wage and Working Hours
- Termination Process
- Additional Information
France is a country in western Europe, bordered by Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, and Andorra in continental Europe. The country has several territories across the world such as French Guiana, the French West Indies, and more. France is considered a developed country with the world's 7th-largest GDP, and 4th-highest aggregate household wealth. The country also performs well in international rankings of healthcare, education, and life expectancy.
Paid Leave and Statutory Leave
Parental Leave
Pregnant employees in France receive 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, 6 before the due date and the rest after the birth. If the child is the mother’s third or more, the leave is extended to 26 weeks. Employees who have worked at least 150 hours in the 90 days before their maternity leave are entitled to full pay of their average salary.
Fathers are entitled to 28 days of leave in addition to the 1 week of leave at the time of the birth. This leave also applies for same-sex couples. Employers pay the first 3 days of the leave, then social security pays the rest.
Sick Leave
Employees in France are entitled to sick leave, which is paid by social security from the 4th day onwards. Employees who have worked at least 3 months with their employer can receive their salary for 90 days of sick leave.
Paid Leave
There are 13 public holidays in France, and employees are also entitled to a minimum of 5 weeks of paid time off per year. Employees can also take leave for adoption or bereavement.
Wage Requirements and Working Hours
The minimum wage in France is EUR 1,709.28 per month, or EUR 11.27 per hour. The standard workweek is 35 hours, with each day not exceeding 10 hours. Any work done past 35 hours is considered overtime and paid between 125%-150% of the regular salary rate.
Termination Process
Termination Process
An employment contract can be terminated for redundancy or resignation, or through negotiating the departure through mutual agreement (following specific procedures). During the probationary period, the employment contract can be terminated by either party with 5 days of notice.
Notice Period
Notice periods in France depend on the length of employment at the company:
- 6 months-2 years = 1 month notice
- 2+ years = 2 month notice
- Executives = 3month notice
Severance Pay
Severance pay depends on the terms of the employment contract, the role of the employee, the reason for termination, and the goodwill between the employee and the company.
Additional Information
While not required by law, a 13th-month salary is customary and generally paid at the end of each year.
★ 13% - Health, Maternity, Disability
★ 8.55% - Social Security
★ 5.25% - Family Benefits
★ 4.05% - Unemployment Insurance
★ 0.3% - Autonomy Solidarity Contribution
★ 0.15% - AGS (Wage Guarantee Insurance)
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It can be prohibitively expensive to establish an entity in every country you want to hire talent in, so Remofirst will hire and pay your employee on your behalf while you manage their daily duties. Remofirst will handle formal HR procedures and employment contracts that adhere to local laws, so that you can simply approve invoices via our platform. When you work with an Employer of Record (EOR) you can compliantly hire the best employees around the world.
Unlike full-time employees, contractors work on projects with multiple companies at a given time and are technically self-employed. Full-time employees are solely focused on their employer and usually receive benefits (such as health insurance, equity or stock options, and time off) as an additional form of compensation. While it can be cheaper to work with international contractors instead of paying benefits to a full-time employee, you run the risk of misclassification. It's recommended to work with an EOR for contractor onboarding and payments, so you can know that your international contractors are paid compliantly and on time.
