Once you decide to scale your company in France, the next big step is dipping into the talent pool. You’ll need to understand workplace culture and expectations in France before you begin...
Read MoreOnce you decide to scale your company in France, the next big step is dipping into the talent pool. You’ll need to understand workplace culture and expectations in France before you begin recruiting. However, it’s equally vital to meet the country's employment compliance laws to keep your company in line and avoid a potential shutdown. Here are a few things to know about recruiting, hiring, and employment compliance in France.
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Once you decide to scale your company in France, the next big step is dipping into the talent pool. You’ll need to understand workplace culture and expectations in France before you begin recruiting. However, it’s equally vital to meet the country’s employment compliance laws to keep your company in line and avoid a potential shutdown. Here are a few things to know about recruiting, hiring, and employment compliance in France.
As you begin the recruitment process in France, you must understand the legal requirements as well as cultural expectations. As much as you want to ensure that a candidate is a good fit for your company before hiring them, the laws in France limit the amount of information you can request during the recruitment process.
France has robust laws in place to prevent discrimination during recruitment as well as in the workplace. In France, employees are protected against discrimination based on the following categories:
Employers should avoid asking any questions about these topics during the recruiting and interviewing process in France. To be safe, you shouldn’t ask for any information that is not directly related to the job. Companies should also avoid language referring to any of these categories in job postings and advertisements.
In addition, there are certain documents and information that companies cannot ask potential hires to provide. These include:
Hiring employees in France can be difficult because Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are common, and the employment laws are complex. The best way to employ and onboard new workers is through a strong, written employment contract. Utilizing a comprehensive, locally compliant employment contract, as well as keeping employee pay slips and documents private, could save you from legal trouble in the future.
The employment contract should include:
Since CBAs are common in France, make sure that what you are offering your employees either meets or exceeds those agreements. They typically cover everything from working conditions to employee benefits, so ensuring your employment contract matches any benefits listed in the CBA is essential.
France employment laws provide that employers must give employees an itemized pay slip that includes their gross salary, net salary, Social Security contributions, complementary pensions, and unemployment insurance. Keeping these pay slips for your records can also help you avoid any litigation in the case of termination.
All employees (except certain employee groups) must be paid monthly. Businesses can pay employees with cash, checks, or electronic payments.
There is no specific way to onboard employees in France, but you can make your employee’s first day and week more comfortable in several ways. After you hire employees in France, go over the employment contract with them before or during their first day. You can also discuss any other documents such as an employee code of conduct, company policies, or additional job expectations.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With G-P Meridian Recruit™, you can search for talent anywhere, and find your perfect full-time or contract match with our all-in-one platform.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.
THIS CONTENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. You should always consult with and rely on your own legal and/or tax advisor(s). G-P does not provide legal or tax advice. The information is general and not tailored to a specific company or workforce and does not reflect G-P’s product delivery in any given jurisdiction. G-P makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information and shall have no liability arising out of or in connection with it, including any loss caused by use of, or reliance on, the information.
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