Are you planning on hiring in France? If your answer is "Oui!" you must first understand the benefits you're legally required to provide. France has a comprehensive set of employment laws that cover a wide range of statutory benefits employers need to be aware of and comply with, from minimum wage to paid time off to mandatory Social Security contributions.
However, it’s often not enough to simply follow the letter of the law when it comes to enticing French workers to want to join your team. Many companies offer additional perks to stay competitive in the job market. Supplemental benefits like meal vouchers and work flexibility can help you stand out and attract and retain talented French employees.
When hiring employees in France, employers need to consider the full benefits package, including both required and supplemental benefits.
Key takeaways:
- France mandates a wide range of employee benefits, including paid vacation, parental leave, and pension plans.
- The government pays for many benefits in France via Social Security, which are largely funded by employer contributions.
- In addition to required benefits, it’s common for French employers to offer additional perks, such as 13th-month pay, meal vouchers, and flexible work options.
Who Is Entitled to Benefits in France?
In France, all full-time or part-time employees are entitled to benefits, although some are prorated for part-time employees. Independent contractors, on the other hand, are not entitled to benefits.
Since whether or not someone is an employee or a contractor is the key determining factor in whether someone is entitled to benefits, employers must ensure that they classify workers appropriately.
If an employer misclassifies an employee as an independent contractor, the employer may later owe the employee back pay, back taxes, and retroactive benefits. Additionally, the employer might have to pay fines for employee misclassification or even be subject to criminal charges.
Minimum Wage & Overtime Pay
As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in France is EUR 11.88 per hour, and the standard workweek is 35 hours. Employees are entitled to mandatory overtime for any hours worked beyond 35.
In addition, employees are not permitted to work more than 10 hours per day or 44 hours per week. Overtime is paid at 110% of regular pay if a collective agreement is in place. Without an employee agreement, pay is 125% for the first eight hours of overtime and 150% for nine hours or more.
France also has a system called "Réduction du Temps de Travail" (RTT), or reduction of working time. Employees who work more than 35 hours can convert the extra hours into additional time off. RTT was introduced in 1998 to promote work-life balance. Employees can use RTT hours for appointments, family responsibilities, or personal days.
In addition to minimum wage, many employers pay a 13th-month bonus, equivalent to one month’s salary. While not required by law, it’s very common. Some employers pay the 13th-month bonus at the end of the year, while others split payments between mid-year and end-of-year.
Social Security Contributions
Employers must contribute to France’s Social Security system, “Sécurité Sociale,” which covers benefits like healthcare, maternity leave, pension, and unemployment benefits.
The percentage varies, depending on factors like the size of the company and the employee’s monthly wages, but employer contributions are between 24-33% of the employee’s gross pay.
Pension Plans
Employers in France must help fund old-age insurance, “assurance vieillesse,” as part of Social Security contributions. The rate is 8.55%, with a ceiling of EUR 3,666 per month.
Additionally, employers must provide employees with a supplemental pension. That rate is 1.9%, without a monthly cap.
Health Insurance
French employers contribute to France’s universal healthcare through Social Security benefits. Additionally, employers are required to provide private health insurance to employees, called “mutuelle.” Mutuelle complements the basic coverage of France’s national health insurance, providing payments for services like hospital stays, dental care, and vision care.
While employers are required to offer mutuelle, employees don’t have to sign up. If they do, employees split the cost of the premiums with their employer. The amount each pays depends on the employee's contract or a collective bargaining agreement.
Life and Disability Insurance
Benefits for long-term illness, disability, and death are covered by mandatory, employer-provided insurance known as “prévoyance.” Premiums are based on the employee’s salary.
If the employee has a long-term illness, the employer continues to pay the employee’s salary, and the government reimburses the employer. In cases of disability, the benefit is paid directly to the employee. In the event that an employee dies, a death benefit is paid to the employee’s survivors.
Unemployment Insurance
If employment ends involuntarily (such as termination or redundancy), employees can receive unemployment benefits if they have worked for their employer for at least six months. The employer contribution to unemployment insurance is 4.05%.
Employees receive a minimum benefit of six months and a maximum benefit of 18 months (with extended benefit periods for employees older than 53).
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation covers work-related accidents or illnesses. This includes accidents at work or that occur while commuting to/from work.
France maintains an official list of occupational diseases linked to specific work-related activities that carry certain risks. However, occupational diseases can also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Employers pay for workers’ compensation insurance, with the amount based on risks assessed by the French labor officials for a particular job title/industry. Employee benefits begin immediately after the injury or diagnosis of a work-related illness.
Leave Entitlements
French employees are entitled to several leave benefits mandated by law.
For more detailed information, check out our article, Navigating Paid Leave in France: A Comprehensive Guide.
Annual Leave
Employers are required to provide employees with five weeks of paid vacation per year (25 working days). Leave is accrued annually, from June 1 through May 31 of the following year.
Annual leave is a "use it or lose it" benefit unless an employee agreement allows unused days off to be carried over to the following year.
Holiday Leave
France observes 11 national holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Easter Monday
- Labor Day
- Victory Day
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Bastille Day
- Assumption Day
- All Saint’s Day
- Armistice Day
- Christmas Day
Only one of the holidays, Labor Day, is a paid holiday by law. However, many employers offer paid time off for all holidays, either through an employee agreement or a collective labor agreement.
Maternity Leave
Mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of leave, paid by Social Security, which usually starts six weeks before birth and continues for 10 weeks after. Leave is extended for births of multiples, complications during birth, or if the mother is expecting her third child.
A mother’s employment contract is considered suspended during maternity leave, resuming when leave ends. French law also mandates employment protection for an additional four weeks after maternity leave ends.
Paternity Leave
Fathers or partners in France are entitled to 25 calendar days of paternity leave. Immediately after the baby is born, they receive three working days of birth leave, paid by the employer, followed by four calendar days that count toward the total leave.
After these initial seven days, they can take the remaining 21 calendar days anytime within six months of the birth. These days can be taken all at once or split into two parts, with a minimum of five days per installment. While the employer covers the first three days of leave, the government pays for the remainder.
Adoption Leave
Adoptive parents can apply for 10 weeks of adoption leave, or 22 weeks if adopting more than one child, which is paid for by French Social Security.
Parental Leave
In France, parents can also request up to one year of unpaid leave at any point between six months and three years after their child is born. The employer must approve the request if the employee has been with the company for at least one year.
Sick Leave
Social Security pays for an employee's sick leave, up to 50% of the employee's wages. Payouts begin on the fourth day of illness. Employers will often cover the cost of the first three days of sick leave, though they're not legally required to do so.
If an employee has been with their employer for over a year and provides a medical certificate, sick leave benefits in France can increase to 90% of their salary for the first 30 days. After that, the benefit drops to 67% and can continue for up to six months.
Some employee agreements might require full compensation, in which case the employer covers the difference between the employee’s wages and the Social Security benefit.
Commuter Benefits for Public Transit
France requires employers to cover 50% of the costs for trains, buses, or public bicycle rental services for employees who use public transit to commute to work.
Employees must submit their receipts/tickets to receive reimbursement.
Common Supplementary Benefits in France
Beyond what’s legally required, many employers offer additional benefits to their employees. In fact, employees may expect these perks to be included in their benefits package because they are so common.
Supplemental Health Insurance
While employers must offer mutuelle, some choose to cover costs beyond the 50% required. Employers may also opt to cover expenses for the employee's dependents.
Commuter Benefits for Personal Transit
Employers may opt to reimburse personal transportation costs for employees who don’t use public transportation, such as fuel costs or mileage allowances.
Meal Vouchers
Some employers offer meal vouchers, also known as “tickets restaurant” or “titres-restaurant.” Meal vouchers cover part of an employee’s lunch cost, with employers allowed to contribute up to 60% of the voucher's value. Vouchers can be used in most restaurants and food stores. Alternatively, the employers can offer employees prepaid cards to use for meals.
Additional Paid Time Off
Employers might offer employees extra days of paid leave, including for national holidays, vacation time, or parental leave.
Flexible Work
Flexible working hours and remote work arrangements are increasingly common trends in France. Companies might also offer hybrid work arrangements that allow employees to work from home a few days per week.
Employ Compliantly and Offer Benefits in France with RemoFirst
For companies looking to hire in France, partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) ensures full compliance with French labor laws, including mandatory benefits and required Social Security contributions.
RemoFirst supports hiring in 185+ countries, including France, making hiring top talent from anywhere easy. RemoFirst also helps businesses offer competitive, optional benefits, such as private health insurance through Remo Health and RemoHealth Local.
Schedule a demo to learn more about how RemoFirst can help you hire in France and around the globe.
.png)
.png)
