Working in France
The prospect of working in France may certainly appeal to expats. After all, the nation not only weathered the global economic recession better than the likes of fellow EU-member states, it also claims the second largest economy in the Eurozone and the fifth largest economy in the world.
Furthermore, expats are often enamoured with the perks of the French working world, which include a 35-hour work week, a heap of holiday time and early retirement.
That said, employment is notoriously difficult to find in France as a foreigner, and most expats who manage to land a job do so via intra-company transfers, via opportunities that arise within large multinational organisations or because they’ve started their own business or have managed to make it as a self-employed entrepreneur.
Furthermore, many of the jobs that are available in France are not in the storied South of France or in bustling, romantic Paris; the top hiring regions in the nation are, in actuality, Auvergne, Bretagne, Limousin and Pays de la Loire. Expats who are willing to move to these less attractive destinations will find opportunities in greater number, even though the Ile-de-France region (the area surrounding Paris) claims the continent’s wealthiest and largest regional economy.
As a side note, salaries in France are on the lower end of the spectrum compared to other areas of the world that attract expats, like the Middle East and Asia. The 2010 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey found that 47 percent of expats earn below 60,000 USD per year, as compared with the average of 27 percent.
EU nationals do not need a work permit to work in France, but non-EU nationals will have to conquer a complicated work permit process in order to attain the right to employment. Not to mention, in 2011 the French government made further efforts to reduce legal immigration by cutting the number of job categories open to non-European foreigners.
Finding a job in France
It is nearly essential that expats moving to France speak French, the official language of the business world. As a mere English speaker you won’t be applicable for most of the opportunities available to the general market in France.
Plus, bilingualism is continuously becoming an attractive trait in the corporate world; and considering the fact that France plays host to 39 of the world’s 500 biggest companies, and that Paris claims more Fortune 500 companies than New York, London and Beijing, it would serve expats well to strive for fluency.
Furthermore, expats should realise that education levels still take priority, more so than experience or even accomplishment. Additionally, the French prefer to do business with friends, and many people find employment through networking and alumni organisations. Fostering connections is a crucial part of the job hunt.
In terms of industry sectors, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, ship building (naval and specialist ships), pharmaceuticals, construction and civil engineering, chemicals, and automobile production and banking are all well-represented.
What’s more, France is the most visited destination in the world, trumping both the US and Spain, and as a result, those with experience in the hospitality industry, as waiters, barmen and hotel staff can often find summer work in France quite easily.
What’s more, France is the most visited destination in the world, trumping both the US and Spain, and as a result, those with experience in the hospitality industry, as waiters, barmen and hotel staff can often find summer work in France quite easily.
Negotiating contracts as an expat in France
For an expat looking for permanent work, there are two types of contract to consider.
- The Contrat à durée indéterminée (CDI) 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 signed 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.
Business etiquette in France
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.
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 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.
