hire in France

France PEO &
Employer of Record

SALARY PAYMENT IN Euro (EUR, €)

CONTRACT LANGUAGES French / English

PAYROLL TAX 29.50% – 31.30%

PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly

TIME TO HIRE 12 hours
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Horizons-owned entity with local country experts in Paris.

We offer fair, scalable, and transparent pricing on France PEO service. Contact us for a cost breakdown

End service in France with no additional penalties or fees.

Horizons has native-French speakers in every department for easy French-language Q&A.

We have a history of success on France's complex market.

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France

Hire in France

Employment Laws

Compensation & Benefits

FAQs

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire in France

Horizons provides compliance solutions to ensure your business in France operates in line with French labor laws and tax regulations. Businesses benefit from hiring in, investing in, or job outsourcing to, France in a range of industries, from customer service, to accounting services, to software development.

We also process monthly payroll, and, as an France Employer of Record, absorb all local employer liabilities. Partnering with our France PEO is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the French market.

Facts & Stats

PEO Platform Hire in France, and pay employees through our platform or app.	PEO Cost Our France PEO solution is the most affordable on the market.	Time-to-hire Fast onboarding in France, hire in as little as 12 hours.
Contracts We draft labor contracts compliant with French labor law.	Local Benefits We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in France.	180+ Countries It doesn’t stop with France — we are an international PEO

stay compliant with France labor laws

Employment Laws

Employment contracts in France

France requires all employers to provide a compliant employment contract that states the employee’s compensation, employee benefits, and termination requirements. France has particularly strong and motivated trade unions, which means employers regularly need to negotiate with them and may have to enter collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with multiple unions. These factors add to the complexity of French business expansion, so it’s critical that you understand the procedures. A formal and written contract of employment is required in France. Any contracts should include all the relevant details of employment, such as salary/wage, benefits, terms of termination and severance, and so on. Contracts should also be provided in the French language, using the local Euro currency. By partnering with our France PEO & Employer of Record, Horizons’ team of local experts can provide assistance for drafting strong employment contracts that are compliant with local regulations. Read more about employment contracts in France in The Ultimate Guide to Employment Law in France.

Fixed-term

Probationary period

< 6 months employment: max. 1 day/week worked – max. 2 weeks

> 6 months employment: max. 1 month

Termination notice period

1 day per week of the contract duration

Severance

10% of total contract value if not renewed

Indefinite

Probationary period

Supervisors & technicians: 3 months (renewable to max. 6 months)

Managers: 4 months (renewable to max. 8 months)

Termination notice period

During probation:
<8 days probation: 24 hours
8 days to 1 month: 48 hours
>1 month: 2 weeks
>3 months: 1 month

After probation: 3 months

Severance

Just dismissal: 8 months to 10 years employment: 0.25 monthly salary per year of employment

10 years → 0.33 monthly salary per year of employment

Unjust dismissal: 1 – 6 months additional salary, depending on exact circumstances

Working hours in France

French workers cannot work over 44 hours per week (averaged over 12 weeks), and the normal working week is around 35 hours. In one day, workers cannot work for more than 10 hours, and in one week they cannot work for more than 48 hours.

Overtime is variable, with the first eight hours (hours 36-44 in a working week) being paid at 125% of normal rate, and any further hours paid at 150%.

Rest days (known as RTT days) can be accrued when overtime is worked, acting as extra paid vacation days.

These limits can vary, but depend on specific CBAs.

Hire compliantly in France without a local entity.

Quick, compliant hiring in 12 hours—no subsidiary required.

Public holidays in France

Holiday Schedule in France[2023]

Several national public holidays are followed throughout France. Only Labor Day is mandatory, but almost most employees receive several other days as holidays:

Date	Holiday name
1 Jan Sunday	New Year’s Day
10 Apr Monday	Easter Monday
1 May Monday	Labor Day / May Day
8 May Monday	WWII Victory Day
18 May Thursday	Ascension Day
29 May Monday	Whit Monday
14 Jul Friday	Bastille Day
15 Aug Tuesday	Assumption of Mary
1 Nov Wednesday	All Saints’ Day
11 Nov Saturday	Armistice Day
25 Dec Monday	Christmas Day

France vacation leave

Every employee in France is legally entitled to paid leave from employment, and the mandatory minimum is five weeks. In some cases, specific CBAs can result in some employees receiving more than this, for example when employees need to work for more than the usual maximum of 35 hours per week.

Unused vacation days are paid out as a benefit if an employee’s contract is terminated.

We recommend being clear with the employee during the employment contract phase so the employee is aware of the bonus stipulations regarding their annual salary and bonus structure.

France sick leave

Paid sick leave is not commonly used in France, due to the country’s generous vacation allowance and RTT day accrual. However, employees do have legal protections relating to sick leave. In case of absence through sickness, an employee must provide a medical note as proof within 48 hours. Under most circumstances, an employee on sick leave can’t be terminated. The precise amount of sick pay provided to employees is dependent on individual CBAs.

Maternity and paternity leave in France

In France, workers who have been employed for more than one year can take parental leave. One parent can choose to take up to two years, and the other parent can take up to one year, both of which must be completed by the time the child is three years old, and the leave may still include part-time work in some cases.

Parental leave must be renewed each year, and workers must apply for it at least one month in advance, but employers are legally obliged to accept. Employees cannot be fired throughout their pregnancy, parental leave, or within ten weeks of returning to work.

Compensation from employers during parental leave (if any) is determined by specific CBAs, and employees receive a state-funded benefit as standard.

There are further differences to the parental leave laws for different situations, such as the birth of twins or triplets, so you should always ensure you fully understand the law.

Employee severance and terminations in France

Probationary periods for new employees are important in France, as severance pay is usually significantly lower if you need to terminate an employee during this time.

For terminations within the probation period, notice of between one day and one month must be provided, depending on how long an employee has been with the organization. For terminations after probation, notice of between one and three months is required. The length of this notice period is determined by length of employment and CBAs (which may even extend the period beyond three months).

Severance pay is usually necessary for terminations after one year of employment, and the statutory rate is 20% of monthly pay for each of the first ten years of employment, then one-third of monthly pay for every following year.

Terminations and severance in France can be very complex and depend on many different factors. If the procedure becomes too difficult to navigate, it’s common to advise legal counsel and agree on a severance payment out of court with the employee.

At Horizons, our experts on French employment can take care of everything for you, helping you to stay compliant and keep negotiations as straightforward as possible.

Navigating employee terminations and handling severance packages can be complicated for companies expanding overseas for the first time. Horizons’ France PEO can mitigate risk for foreign companies and provide guidance through this process.

Taxation in France

France has a progressive tax system, where employees pay more tax at higher levels of earnings. The rates are between 0% and 45%, and vary depending on whether several factors such as whether they are individuals or part of a married couple, and how many children they have.

There is also a surcharge tax of 3% on earnings over 250,000 EUR, and 4% on earnings over 500,000 EUR, and this is also affected by marriage status and number of children.

There are also various social security contributions that cover all kinds of state benefits, such as healthcare, pensions, unemployment benefits, and more. Employers generally need to contribute around 45% of salaries to these causes, and employee contributions total around 22%.

Health coverage in France

French healthcare is state-run, and employees must pay toward a health insurance program. These contributions are automatically deducted from their pay. Healthcare costs are reimbursed either partially or in full, depending on the type of care.

Additionally, there is now a requirement for employers to contribute to a private insurance fund to combine with the state healthcare reimbursements. The contribution is decided by CBA.

hassle-free France compensation & benefits

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Laws in France

The minimum wage in France is 1539.42 EUR per month as of 2020. This rate can be higher, or additional benefits could be included, if stated in a CBA.

Benefits management in France

Establishing a French employee benefits system for employees can be a long and difficult process. With a different language and complicated employment laws, ensuring a robust and compliant system can take a lot of time and cost your organization a great deal of money (for more information on compulsory employee benefits check out our Employer’s Guide to Employee Benefits in France).

At Horizons, we specialize in running the setup and management of France Employer of Record & PEO employee benefits systems so you don’t have to. We’ll take care of everything, using our knowledge and experience to ensure you are compliant and ready to hire in France.

Hire in France in 12h
without your own local entity.

With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.

FAQs

What is the difference between a France PEO and a France EOR?

A France PEO and a France EOR are two types of companies which specialize in providing human resources services to businesses in France.

The main difference between a France PEO and a France EOR is in the scope of their services.

France PEOs provide a full range of HR services, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee recruiting—all under one roof as a co-employer. Engaging a France PEO is essentially outsourcing your HR duties in France.

France EORs actually take over as the legal employer of your employees based abroad. France EORs become responsible for labor compliance for your employees in France.

At Horizons, we offer both PEO and EOR services in France. Get in touch now and let us know what service you are seeking.

Can a PEO in France hire both local and foreign nationals to work in France?

A PEO in France can feasibly hire both local and foreign nationals to work in France.

However, the ability of Horizons to sponsor your foreign national employee in France may be limited due to visa quotas practiced in many countries.

Contact us with your requirements and our Global Mobility team with review the case and get back to you within 2 business days.

How long does Horizons' France PEO service take to hire an employee?

In most cases, Horizons’ France PEO can hire & onboard your employee within 12 hours. The actual start date of the employee will depend on their notice period obligation to their previous employer as well as any relevant hiring rules in France.

Is it possible to get a work visa in France?

It is possible to get a work visa in France. Horizons’ Global Mobility team is a dedicated team of work visa experts. They assess the details of each case to determine feasibility and costs before Horizons applies for the work visa on behalf of your employee. If the Global Mobility team determines that your case is feasible, the process is smooth and transparent. Visa spots in France are limited, however—get started today to secure your employees’ visa spot.

hire in France

France PEO & Employer of Record

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire in France

Facts & Stats

stay compliant with France labor laws

Employment Laws

Employment contracts in France

Fixed-term

Indefinite

Working hours in France

Hire compliantly in France without a local entity.

Public holidays in France

France vacation leave

France sick leave

Maternity and paternity leave in France

Employee severance and terminations in France

Taxation in France

Health coverage in France

hassle-free France compensation & benefits

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Laws in France

Benefits management in France

Hire in France in 12h without your own local entity.

FAQs

Hire Anywhere. Today.

France PEO &
Employer of Record

Hire in France in 12h
without your own local entity.