France Employer of Record services
France Business Culture
Employer of Record France Services
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Business Culture in France
Anybody considering visiting or relocating to France should familiarise themselves with the cultural norms.
The French Labour Code is the primary law that governs the employment policies and conditions in the country. In addition to the legislation of the Labour Code, each business sector in France has its own umbrella contract that was negotiated between employer and employee representatives in that industry and approved by the French government.
These collective labour agreements, (“convention collectives”), may require the company to abide by industry-specific rights and duties. Some companies may voluntarily join one of numerous different agreements and in some cases the employer and employee might come to a mutual agreement on the matter.
Contrary provisions in an employment contract that are in violation of a superior collective agreement, decrees, or labour laws are void. The collective agreement must, of course, acknowledge the superiority of decrees and labour regulations.
Here is a flavour of the rules and standards of conduct that newcomers to France should be aware of:
Expect a slowdown of pace over the summer months. French employees enjoy generous paid leave policies, with July and August being the prime time to take a holiday.
Dress smartly. In France, business attire tends to be more formal. Men should dress formally in suits and ties, and women should also look put together. Dress code requires ties but heels are not necessary.
Don't be shocked if people fail to respond to work emails out of hours. By law any company of over 50 employees must forbid employees from sending or replying to work emails outside of specific hours.
Business meetings in France are notoriously slow and indecisive. Some meetings may go by with no decisions being made so that more investigation is conducted.
France Business Culture
When it comes to France business culture, there are a few things to keep in mind to make a good impression:
Do's
- Address people by their title and last name (e.g. "Monsieur Dupont") until you're invited to use their first name.
- Dress conservatively and professionally, as appearance is important in the French business culture.
- Be prepared to engage in small talk before getting down to business.
- Use formal language and avoid slang, especially in written communication.
- Take the time to develop personal relationships with colleagues and business partners.
- Show interest in French culture, such as food, wine, and art.
Dont's
- Don't be overly aggressive or pushy in business negotiations; the French prefer a more subtle approach.
- Don't interrupt others while they're speaking, as interrupting is considered rude.
- Avoid discussing sensitive topics like religion, politics, or money.
- Don't expect business to be conducted quickly; the French often take their time to make decisions.
- Avoid criticizing or contradicting others in public, as this can cause embarrassment and damage relationships.
- Don't forget to say "au revoir" or "à bientôt" when leaving a meeting or event.
getting started
France - Working Hours and Overtime
Working Hours
Standard working hours in France are 7 hours per day, 5 days per week, with anything over 35 hours a week being considered overtime. Working hours cannot exceed 48 hours a week, or an average of 44 hours a week over a 12-week period. The maximum working day is 10 hours, but can be increased to 12 hours under collective agreements.
Overtime
Beyond 35 hours, a mandatory 25% premium is added to regular pay for the first eight hours worked. After 43 hours of work, this rises to a 50% overtime premium. Executive employees earning over a certain salary are subject to different restrictions. They may work longer hours and be granted time off in lieu of overtime pay.
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We are France Employer of Record experts
We have extensive experience helping businesses expand their workforce in the France. Take a look at our areas of expertise below:
Find out how payroll works in France and what you can expect when it comes to salaries, bonuses and tax
Enhance your understanding of what your employee is entitled to when working in France
Learn more about how you can attract and retain staff in France with both statutory and enhanced employee benefits
Unsure about what’s required when employing staff in France? Find out about French Work Permits and Visas here
We deliver a fully-managed Employer of Record Service in France, including Payroll, HR and legal support
Without Agility EOR, our ability to move quickly and scale would be extremely limited. Superb work from A to Z.
Carol Oliveira
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Frequently Asked Questions
Payrolling the employees is a key part of the service offered by an Employer of Record company. The Employer of Record will calculate and remit all taxes, social securities and similar payments, on behalf of both employer and employee. The client will be invoiced in advance by the EOR company, for the total cost of the payroll.
Yes. Our clients are free to dictate the structure of the employees’ remuneration including any bonuses or commissions they wish to offer. In some countries, there is a statutory requirement to provide “bonuses”, for example in the form of Christmas or holiday allowances.
Yes. Agility EOR will calculate what pay is due upon termination of an employee, factoring in such things as any untaken leave entitlements.
We find that most of our clients are in the Tech, IT, Finance, NGO (Not for Profit) and Professional Services industries. However, we have acquired the skills, knowledge and experience to help all industries across the globe.
As a private company, we’re not beholden to shareholders Private Equity targets. We aim to build long-term relationships with our clients. At Agility EOR, our approach is that we never forget that our business is all about people. Our Employer of Record solutions are tailored to each requirement, not a one-size-fits-all tech platform. We do the right thing by our clients and by the laws of each country we operate in. And we believe in openness; if we don’t feel we can offer you the best solution for a specific territory, we’ll say so.
We pride ourselves on our personable-approach so once you enter your new employees details into our dedicated platform, we’ll arrange a call with you to go through the details of the employment contract where together we can review and amend to your requirements. We liaise directly with your employee to build a rapport and obtain the necessary information to hire them compliantly, and set them up ready for their first payroll.
We never stop delivering! Even if you’re employee has been onboarded and is happily working for you and being paid each month, we’re here to partner with you whenever you or your employees need us. Even your ex-employees may need our assistance for tax documents, proof of employment requests etc… Our service never stops!