Working in France

For an expat, France can be a difficult place to find employment. The French prefer to do business with friends, and most people find employment through networking and alumni organisations. It’s important to speak the language in order to take advantage of opportunities in both the general job market and in highly skilled positions; French-English bilingualism is a highly valued asset in the corporate world.

France has one of the busiest tourism industries in the world. More tourists visit Paris than anywhere else on the globe. As a result, those with experience in the hospitality industry, as waiters, as barmen and as hotel staff can often find summer work in France quite easily.

Paris is the corporate centre of France and can be a good place for those expats interested in getting a leg-up on the ladder of ambition in the corporate world.

The average working day in France is 9am to 6pm, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Work in a restaurant or hotel will require evening shifts, and many companies offer a shorter day in exchange for working over lunch. Lunch itself can be as long as two hours.
 

The accepted etiquette for a job application is to leave a CV, or resume, at the front desk, and then to pester the company until they agree to make an appointment for an interview. Be polite but persistent. France is different from the Anglophone countries in that the French expect to be pestered. It can be useful for an expat to follow up an application with a number of calls.
 

For an expat looking for permanent work, there are two types of contract to consider.

The Contrat à durée indéterminée (CDI) or is a full-time indeterminate term contract. There is a three month trial period, after which, both the employer and the employee can choose to terminate the contract. However, firing an employee with a CDI can be very expensive, and anyone on a CDI contract can expect a high degree of job stability.

The Contrat à durée déterminée (CDD), is a fixed term contract which has a maximum limit of 18 months. After 18 months have been worked the employer is required to either terminate employment, or offer a CDI contract to the employee. There are other contracts for short-term and part-time work which are usually agency or hospitality related.

Most contract workers can expect two extra cheques a year, one in December and one in June. A contract worker can also expect around five weeks of leave per year, worked out at two and half days per month worked.

Its best to discuss leave before a contract is sign as the vacation days in France are typically accumulated from June 1st to May 31st. Beginning work in April for instance, will only oblige an employer to offer five days leave until the next May. Incredibly, a company employee, having worked for the same company for three years, can apply for a yearlong sabbatical. While unpaid, social security coverage is maintained, and the employee has the right to return to the same or equivalent position in the company.

An employer can propose an amendment to a contract based upon a change in economic circumstances. This must be done by registered letter, after which the employee has a month to file a refusal. A refusal will either result in a compromise, or a dismissal. Assuming the minimum conditions have been met, the employee is entitled to notice and redundancy pay.