Hire in France
Access the EU's second-largest talent pool without navigating France's complex Code du Travail alone. Vectis handles URSSAF, collective agreements, 35-hour rules, and mandatory social charges — onboard in 48 hours.
Quick Facts
French Employment Law Guide
A practical overview of France's employment law — from the Code du Travail and collective agreements to URSSAF contributions and termination procedures.
Employment Contracts
- ✓CDI (indefinite) is the standard — strongly preferred
- ✓CDD (fixed-term) strictly regulated: max 18 months, limited renewals
- ✓Written contract mandatory; must be signed before first day
- ✓Collective agreements (conventions collectives) may add obligations
- ✓Probation: 2 months (workers), 3 months (supervisors), 4 months (executives)
Working Hours & Overtime
- ✓Legal working week: 35 hours
- ✓Overtime (36–43h): +25% premium; above 43h: +50%
- ✓Annual overtime quota: 220 hours per employee
- ✓Executives often on forfait jours (flat-rate day system)
- ✓Rest: minimum 11h between shifts, 35h uninterrupted weekly
Leave Entitlements
- ✓5 weeks (25 working days) paid vacation per year minimum
- ✓11 national public holidays
- ✓RTT days for hours worked above 35h under certain agreements
- ✓16–26 weeks maternity leave (fully funded by Sécurité Sociale)
- ✓28 days paternity/co-parent leave (since 2021)
Wages & Pay Structures
- ✓SMIC: €11.65/hour (≈€1,766/month gross, 2024)
- ✓Revised annually — employers must apply increases immediately
- ✓Sector CBAs often set minimums significantly above SMIC
- ✓13th month bonus common in many sectors; check the applicable CBA
- ✓Profit-sharing (intéressement/participation) mandatory at 50+ employees
Social Contributions
- ✓Total employer social charges: ~42–47% on top of gross salary
- ✓URSSAF covers health, pension (vieillesse), family, unemployment
- ✓Complementary pension: AGIRC-ARRCO (mandatory for all employees)
- ✓Prévoyance (death/disability) and mutuelle (health top-up) required
- ✓DSN (Déclaration Sociale Nominative) filed monthly per employee
Termination
- ✓Real and serious cause required for personal or economic dismissal
- ✓Mandatory pre-dismissal interview (entretien préalable)
- ✓Notice: 1–3 months depending on category and collective agreement
- ✓Severance pay (indemnité légale) after 8 months: ~¼ month per year
- ✓Works council consultation required for collective dismissals
How to Hire in France with Vectis
From offer letter to first payroll — we handle every step of French compliance.
Share the details
Role, salary, location, and start date. We identify the applicable collective agreement (convention collective) for the role.
We draft the CDI
French-law employment contract aligned with the Code du Travail and the applicable CBA, including all mandatory clauses.
DPAE & onboarding
Pre-hire declaration (DPAE) filed with URSSAF, mutuelle enrollment, AGIRC-ARRCO setup, and prévoyance registration on day one.
Monthly payroll & DSN
Monthly Bulletin de Paie with all URSSAF, AGIRC-ARRCO, and complementary charges, plus DSN filed monthly to French authorities.
“France was our most complex hire — the CBA we were under had 200+ pages of rules. Vectis identified the right collective agreement instantly, drafted the CDI, and had our Paris engineer onboarded in 2 days.”
Public Holidays in France
France has 11 national public holidays. Work on public holidays requires premium pay per applicable CBA. Vectis tracks all holiday obligations automatically.
France Hiring FAQs
Common questions about employing staff in France.
Ready to hire in France?
Vectis is your Employer of Record in France — navigating the Code du Travail, sector CBAs, URSSAF, and mandatory social charges so you can focus on building your team.
Hire in France compliantly — in 48 hours
No entity required. Onboard in 48 hours.