WORKING IN FRANCE

CONTRACTS (contrats)

When looking and applying for a job in France, acknowledge that there are 3 types of employment contract:

CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée) – this is a permanent contract
CDD (Contrat é Durée Déterminée) – Contract for defined period
Contrat de Travail temporaire – temporaire Contract

As of 1st January 2000, companies cannot enforce its employees to work more than 35 hours a week. Although originally implemented on the 1^st January 2000 for companies employing over 20 staff, the regulation was extended for small companies in 2002. If you calculate your working ours on an annual basis, your employer cannot enforce more than 1600 working hours.

PAID HOLIDAYS (congés payés)

Entitled Holidays / paid holidays in France are calculated on the following basis :

Annual entitlement (12 month period) = 12 * 2.5 , or 2.5 days for each month worked (30 day month). Again, understand that 30 days per month or weeks is the maximum working month according to the 35hr regulation.

• Bank Holidays are included as additional holidays
• Holidays are counted from April (year 1) to May (year 2)
• French companies are not obliged to give holidays in advance, and can therefore make you wait until you’ve worked one year until you are eligible to take your paid holiday

SICK PAY (d’arrêt maladie)

Sick days taken are not counted towards entitled holiday, you are required to provide a doctors note to your employer.

OVERTIME (les heures supplémentaires)

Overtime is calculate on hours worked beyond 1600 hr or hours worked beyond 35. Overtime is payable in a variety of forms, such as; renumeration or days of in lieu.

MATERNITY LEAVE (congé de maternité)

Maternity leave in France is provided as follows:

• 6 weeks prior to giving Birth
• 10 weeks after birth

Upon the birth of your third child, your maternity entitlement increases to 8 weeks Prior and 18 weeks after. Maternity leave is covered by social security.

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