France

🇫🇷

Congratulations on your decision to hire employees in France! As a nation with a robust economy, a strong industrial base, and a highly skilled workforce, France offers plenty of opportunities for growing your business. Plane simplifies the hiring process for you by offering automated tax document collection, payroll, benefits administration, and more, while ensuring compliance and maximum efficiency. Still, hiring in a new country can pose certain challenges, so we’ve put together the following guide on how to navigate the process of hiring in France.

Currency

EUR

 Onboarding

3-4 weeks minimum

Employer Cost

51%

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Public Holidays

11-13

6 Considerations Before Hiring in France

As an employer in France, it is important to have a comprehensive employment contract that outlines the terms and conditions of the employment relationship. The contract should include need-to-know info on compensation, benefits, vacation time, and sick leave policies. Before onboarding a new employee in France, take a moment to consider the following:

Does your employee have the right to work in France?

You must check that your employee has the right to work in France. Citizens from the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland have the same entitlements as French nationals in terms of employment. Other foreign nationals must have the appropriate work permits, usually tied to an employer, and residential visas to live and work in France.

Plane can help you conduct a Right to Work verification check for any employees before you onboard them, and we can help you determine if you need to assist your new hire in obtaining any work permits or visas.

Important note

All employees also must undergo a medical exam every five years called “Médecine du travail.” If your employee has not done this recently, we can help you set this up for them.

Is your employee covered by a CBA?
Will there be a probationary period? If so, for how long?
There is a mandatory WFH allowance
How many days of paid time off will be provided?
You must pay vacation bonuses and allowances

Getting Started with Hiring in France

Employment Contract

In France, employment contracts are crucial for defining the terms and conditions of employment between an employer and an employee. Employment contracts must comply with French labor law, including minimum wage requirements, statutory working hours, leave entitlements, and termination procedures. It’s also important to adhere to any applicable sector-specific collective bargaining agreements.

Employers may use two types of employment contracts:

  • Contrat à Durée Indéterminée (CDI)/Open-Ended Contracts: The most common type of contract, it doesn't have a specified end date and offers job security to the employee.

  • Contrat à Durée Déterminée (CDD)/Fixed-Term Contracts: Used for temporary work. The CDD must specify the end date or the completion of a specific task. Can be renewed twice for a maximum period of 18 months and must be renewed for a specific reason — either replacing an employee, a temporary increase in business, or seasonal employment. Employees whose contracts aren’t made permanent must be paid an indemnity bonus equal to 10% of the gross remuneration paid during the contract, or 6% if so stated in an applicable CBA.

Contracts in France may be written in French and English, but in case of any disputes, the French version prevails. 

Hire Calculator

Get an instant, free estimate of how much it will cost to employ your next hire, including taxes.

Once you have sorted out the details mentioned above, you can add the employee to the Plane platform. We provide a step-by-step workflow that shows what tasks need to be completed, as well as real-time updates and notifications. This way, you can stay on top of the hiring process at all times. With Plane, you can confidently hire, knowing that you have a powerful platform at your disposal to manage the entire process from start to finish. Here are the instructions for adding a new employee to the platform:

How to hire and onboard an employee

Plane offers a guided process for administrators and managers to hire and onboard their new employees.

Hiring an employee in a new country can be a complex process, but with the right guidance and resources, it can be a smooth and successful transition. At Plane, we're committed to helping you navigate this process step-by-step. We'll keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest regulations and employment laws.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions about hiring employees outside of the US with Plane:

What is the relationship between my company and Plane?

Pilot Platform Inc (Plane) provides the product and service by helping you manage HR, payroll, and statutory requirements. Plane has its own entities and partners that are the EOR/legal employer where the employee is legally hired in the country. Plane and our partner do not manage the performance of the employees since we do not monitor or work directly with them.

Can Plane withhold taxes for non-cash compensation (e.g. stocks, options)?
Will I be able to pay a bonus, commission, or any other additional payments?
Can Plane guarantee the employee’s start date?