Hiring in France? Labour Law Essentials for International Employers

French labour law shapes every stage of hiring in France. The open-ended CDI is the norm, fixed-term CDDs are tightly limited, and collective agreements often override statutory rules on probation, pay and hours. The legal working week is 35 hours. Overtime is paid at a premium of 25% and then 50%, unless an agreement sets a different rate (never below 10%), while autonomous professionals may work under a forfait jours. Pay must meet the minimum wage (SMIC) or the collective agreement minimum, whichever is higher. Non-EU/EEA hires require work authorisation or a talent card.

Key Takeaways:

• The CDI permanent contract is the default. Fixed-term CDDs are limited to temporary roles, usually for up to 18 months.
• It’s important to identify whether a collective bargaining agreement applies, because it can override the legal defaults on probation, pay and hours.
• The 35-hour week is the point where overtime starts, not a limit on hours. Without an agreement, overtime is paid at a 25% premium and then 50%, up to a default maximum of 220 hours a year.
• The minimum salary depends on the work permit route. It is the minimum wage (SMIC) on the standard route, €39,582 for the “salarié qualifié” talent card and €59,373 for the EU Blue Card.
• An Employer of Record (EOR) service lets you hire in France without the overhead of setting up a legal entity there. 

(Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content at the time of publication, no guarantees are made in this respect. The information provided is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please verify current rules before making decisions.) 

Protection by Design: Why the Rules Affect Every Hire

Complying with French employment law is just one of the top recruitment challenges in the country. Hiring engineering and technical talent in France is governed by one of Europe’s most protective employment codes. For international employers, these laws determines key aspects such as who can be hired, how contracts are written, how hours are counted and how much people are paid. 

This means that recruitment requires a detailed knowledge of French labour law, rather than simply being based on an international corporate template.

The Contract: CDI, CDD and What Must Be in Writing

French employment law treats the open-ended permanent contract (contrat à durée indéterminée, or CDI) as the norm. A fixed-term contract (contrat à durée déterminée, or CDD) is permitted only for specific temporary roles and is generally capped at 18 months including no more than two renewals. It must be in writing, handed over within two working days of hiring and it usually ends with a 10% end-of-contract payment.

Probation is optional and must be stated in the contract. For a CDI, the initial maximum is two months for workers, three for technicians and four for managers (cadres). This period is renewable once only where an extended branch agreement allows it and the employee agrees in writing. Since November 2023, employers must also provide written information on the main terms of employment, some within seven days and the rest within a month.

Collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) frequently override statutory defaults on probation, pay and hours. For example, engineering consultancies typically fall under the CCN BETIC agreement (often called SYNTEC, IDCC 1486), while metalworking employers have applied a national CBA (IDCC 3248) since January 2024.

How Do French Working Time Regulations Compare to Other EU Countries?

The EU Working Time Directive sets a baseline: an average maximum of 48 hours a week, 11 hours’ daily rest and 24 hours’ weekly rest. France extends that to a legal working week of 35 hours (overtime is payable above this), with a statutory limits of 10 hours per day, 48 hours in any single week and an average of 44 hours over 12 consecutive weeks. Weekly rest in practice totals 35 consecutive hours.

In France in 2025, men worked full-time for an average of 39.1 hours a week and women worked 36.9 hours. This is slightly less than the EU average for full-time employees, where men worked 39.4 hours a week and women worked 37.6 hours.

Overtime Rules and Compensation in French Workplaces

Without a collective agreement, overtime is paid at a 25% premium for the first eight hours (the 36th to 43rd hour) and then 50% after that. A company or branch agreement may set different rates, but never below 10%.

The default annual maximum of overtime is 220 hours per employee. Beyond it, employees earn compensatory time off equal to 50% of the extra hours worked in firms of up to 20 employees and 100% in larger ones.

How Does France’s 35-Hour Work Week Influence Overtime and Exemptions in Different Sectors?

Senior executives (cadres dirigeants) sit outside most working-time rules. Autonomous professionals, mainly cadres, can instead work under a forfait jours arrangement of up to 218 days a year, with no overtime but mandatory rest periods and workload monitoring. If those safeguards fail, the arrangement can be set aside and overtime claims follow.

Research by the Ministry of Labour found that forfait jours employees worked 1821 hours a year compared with 1613 for hourly-counted full-timers. 

Pay Floors, Market Rates and the Equal Pay Test

Since 1 June 2026, the minimum wage (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance, or SMIC) is now €12.31 gross per hour, or €1867.02 a month (note: it is likely to rise again on 1 January 2027). Collective agreements usually set higher minimums by job classification, and the employer must pay whichever is greater.

For engineers, the statutory minimum is rarely the real benchmark. According to the French Observatory of Engineers and Scientists (IESF) in 2025, engineers received a median gross salary of €67,000. But it’s notable that within this there is a sizeable pay gap between men and women: women earned a median gross salary of €55,500 compared to €72,000 for men.

This pay gap might soon change, though, as the EU Pay Transparency Directive was turned into member states’ national laws in June 2026. France’s bill was presented to the Council of Ministers on 10 September 2026 for scrutiny by Parliament and it is planned to come into force in January 2028.

Beyond Salary: Leave, Family Rights and Social Security Contributions

Employees accrue 2.5 working days of paid leave per month, or five weeks a year. France has 11 public holidays, but only 1 May is a mandatory paid day off. 

During sick leave, eligible employees receive social security benefits after a three-day waiting period. Employees with at least one year of service are generally entitled to additional employer payments from the eighth day, bringing their total compensation to 90% of gross salary initially, followed by approximately 67%. The duration depends on length of service, while collective agreements may provide more favourable conditions.

Maternity leave is 16 weeks for a single birth. Paternity leave is 25 calendar days, plus a three-day employer-paid birth leave. Since 1 July 2026, each parent may now take additional birth leave of one month (at 70% of the previous net salary) or two months (with the second month at 60%).

Employer social security contributions vary substantially, from 25% to 55% of gross salary, depending on salary level and reductions.

Are There Different Types of Work Permits for France, and How Do I Choose the Right One?

Non-EU/EEA and non-Swiss nationals need authorisation to work, and France work visas follow several routes. Under the standard route, the employer applies online for a work authorisation. The role must either appear on the shortage-occupation list or have been advertised for three consecutive weeks during the previous six months without finding a suitable candidate.

“Talent” cards are often better suited to engineers, because the employer doesn’t have to apply for a work permit and is exempt from paying the foreigner employment tax. Also, the card is valid for up to four years. 

The “salarié qualifié” strand covers holders of a French master’s-level degree, and covers innovative companies and intra-group transfers. 

The EU Blue Card route requires a contract for at least 12 months and a salary of at least 1.5 times the average set by the government for the specific year, along with three years of higher education or five years of relevant experience. It also supports mobility within the EU.

What Is the Minimum Salary Rule for a France Work Permit, and Does It Apply to All Jobs?

No single threshold applies. Under the standard visa route, pay must at least match the SMIC or the collective agreement minimum, whichever is higher. 

The talent cards carry their own floors: €39,582 gross a year for salarié qualifié and €59,373 for the EU Blue Card.

Choosing between France work visas is therefore a question of salary, qualifications, contract length and future mobility requirements.

What Should a Business Consider to Ensure Compliance With French Law and Regulatory Requirements in France?

The most expensive mistakes are often administrative errors, such as:

• Treating the 35-hour week as a guideline, or using forfait jours without a valid agreement and monitoring.
• Using CDDs for permanent roles, which risks requalification as a CDI and an indemnity of at least one month’s pay.
• Paying below the SMIC, which carries a fine of €1500 plus potential damages and interest.
• Employing a foreign national without authorisation, which could lead to an administrative fine or criminal penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of €30,000.

Perhaps even more importantly, the reputational effect can outlast the fine. Employers sanctioned for illegal working practices can be refused future work authorisations, which greatly limits opportunities for further international hiring.

Employer of Record in France

An Employer of Record (EOR) service allows businesses to hire employees worldwide without a physical in-country presence. The EOR becomes the legal employer, taking responsibility for managing contracts, payroll, social security contributions and collective agreement compliance on the client’s behalf.

However, this service should always be implemented carefully by a qualified expert, such as NES. French employment law prohibits profit-making labour lending outside authorised frameworks, so EORs commonly rely on “portage salarial”, which is designed for occasional, temporary assignments rather than long-term, exclusive roles. Arrangements that stray outside it risk being treated as illegal labour lending, with substantial penalties.

Supporting Your Hiring With Local Knowledge and International Reach

NES has been established in France since 2011, with a local office in Paris. Our bilingual team have a thorough understanding of French labour law, compliance requirements and the cultural nuances that shape a successful hire.

As an established recruitment agency in France, we specialise in sourcing top talent for energy, engineering, oil and gas, renewables, power transmission, and life sciences. We deliver fast, compliant and scalable recruitment tailored to your business needs.

We have also partnered on some of the most ambitious projects in France and beyond. 

So, if you’re looking to team up with an experienced and specialist recruitment agency in France, get in touch with our team to discuss your next hire.