Employment

Does working on a bank holiday in France impact pay?

The company, sector, and collective staff agreements can all affect workers’ entitlement

Post-Brexit admin is not detering British seasonal workers to France

UK specialists had feared numbers of people wanting to 'work a season' in a ski resort or picking grapes would dwindle

Parked cars, property form, burglaries: 5 French practical updates

Our pick of practical articles you may have missed

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Jobs in France: These key sectors are actively recruiting

Geographical differences are also shown in new report

Paris worker sacked for not being ‘fun enough’ wins €500,000 payout

The company claimed the worker never went to team drinks and was ‘brittle and demotivating’ to staff

French ski stations appeal higher costs for seasonal employees

They argue that their fixed-term contracts are different to the short-term contracts on which the government is levying extra charges

Why is the gardener for my French home costing more than I thought?

Tax credits can assist with the cost of employing people at your home

The northern French city experiencing an industrial renaissance

Roubaix, which was once a powerhouse of the textile industry, is at the centre of efforts to bring production back to the country

France sets its sights on full employment

Government says 800,000 more people must be in work to meet its target, but labour shortages continue to cause headaches

French tax service Urssaf’s four-day week proves unpopular

Workers gave various reasons why they did not take up the offer at the tax collection service

Aim to boost apprenticeships key to France’s reindustrialisation

For years, academic success was seen as the way to a good job in France, but things are starting to change

Brexit: British security guard in France allowed to keep job

Registration agency said he needed to have held a French residency card for at least five years but these only became obligatory for UK nationals in 2021

‘Forget raising retirement age in France, AI will lead to job losses’

It makes no sense for France to raise the pension age, with AI set to replace many jobs, says scientist Simon Thorpe

Security guard faces lay-off in France due to Brexit-related red tape

The worker, who has lived in Brittany since age 12, told of struggles linked to a new law

How France learned to embrace the four-day week

Awareness of the environmental benefits is among the drivers for change, which could see one in 10 French firms adopt the practice in the next decade

Summer jobs in France: What’s available and where to find one

Hospitality, holiday camps, historical sites, and farms are among the sectors recruiting for summer

P&O Dover-Calais services remains suspended, row over pay continues

The dispute over the company’s 800 sackings continues and has widened to the British ferry industry as a whole

P&O: Enforce French or UK employment law to Channel ferries says union

French union, Feets-FO, says P&O’s ‘exploitation’ of low paid workers with overseas contracts could set a precedent if no action is taken

French union calls for government action over P&O sackings

This comes amid questions over why the company’s staff on French contracts retained their jobs

Jobs boom: which sectors are recruiting most in France?

It is predicted that one million new positions will have been created between 2019 and 2030

Deliveroo France on trial in Paris for abuse of freelance work status

‘Independent’ delivery staff had a list of obligations and work conditions, including a uniform, that meant they should have been salaried employees, a gendarmerie report found

French unemployment rate drops to 7.4% beating predictions

Ministers have celebrated the figures – the lowest since 2008. We look at which sectors are currently recruiting the most

French economy grew 7% in 2021: fastest rate in 52 years

The finance minister described it as a ‘spectacular rebound’ after the economy shrank by 8% in 2020. France’s economic growth overtook UK’s in second half of year

2024 Paris Olympics to create 60,000 restaurant and other tourism jobs

Ile-de-France has already launched various training and recruitment schemes to make sure that there are enough workers to fill all the posts available

Will I get France’s €100 inflation bonus twice if I have two jobs?

The tax-free, one-off sum will be paid to people in France who earn less than €2,000 per month, to help alleviate the impact of rising fuel prices

France pledges €240m for struggling at-home elderly care services

Low salaries and the Covid crisis have worsened staff shortages in the sector meaning that availability is now a ‘postcode lottery’ and some requests for help are being denied

Most sick leave in France this year due to Covid, survey finds

Between January and May, almost half of all health-related work absences in France were due to the virus

Abattoir is first French firm to offer cash reward to vaccinated staff

Employees at Brittany abattoir can benefit from bonus of €200 if they prove they have been vaccinated against Covid

Can I be an employee of UK company and work from France?

Simply working from home in France as a UK employee is not possible as the French tax authorities would consider the UK firm has a branch in France

Law bans accent discrimination in France

MPs have approved a law in France banning discrimination based on a regional accent

Covid-19 France: Aid announced for winter seasonal workers

The work minister has announced financial support for 300,000 people affected by job insecurity this winter due to Covid-19

Covid-19: France's partial unemployment scheme extended

Companies covered by a scheme for long-term partial unemployment benefits will have access to it for up to two years. Some companies not covered will have access to it until November 1.

Mandatory masks in the workplace in France: FAQs

As masks are set to become mandatory in the workplace in France from September 1, more details have emerged on how this will work - including the types of workplaces, and employer responsibility. We explain.

Thousands of ‘posted worker’ ski jobs in France lost

Job cuts of almost a third (30%) linked to Brexit are shown in a survey of independent UK travel businesses which send Britons to seasonal postings in EU countries, such as France.

Masks at work mandatory in France from September

Employment Minister Elisabeth Borne confirms new regulations will come into force on September 1

Post-Covid-19 recovery: new apprenticeship grants announced

New measures to increase the number of apprentices have been brought in by the government from July 1 to avoid a “lost generation” as so many businesses are in trouble because of the lockdown.

France Covid recovery: Summer jobs paying well, but are rare

Companies in France are starting to recruit for summer jobs as the country continues to reopen - with some positions reportedly paying as much as €3,500 gross per month - but offers are still few and far between.

New laws and changes in France: July 2020

From litter and drug use fines to the temporary unemployment scheme, here are the new laws and changes to note this month.

How to socially distance at work: coworking

Coworking spaces are proving to be a useful tool to keep businesses going while maintaining sufficient physical distancing.

Ryanair demands French staff take pay cuts

Airline accused of 'blackmail' after it called for unions to agree pay cuts to avoid redundancies

Public letter writers for hire still have a role

Letter-writing is a job that no longer exists in the UK but there are more than 1,000 écrivains publics in the Pages Jaunes directory.

France opens borders to European farm harvest workers

France has opened its borders to European agricultural workers, who will now take much-needed picking and harvesting jobs on French farms, even as the borders remain closed or restricted for most other travel.

French economy hit by deepest fall since 1945

Are you eligible for workers’ benefit?

Macron: More aid for tourism, firms and families

Businesses and struggling families in France are to receive further aid from the government to help them cope with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed.

Village makes meals for truckers in Covid-19 lockdown

Villagers offer free meals to lorry drivers - forgotten heroes of the coronavirus lockdown

French crafts in focus: clock and lock-maker

Locks, clocks and a busy time for one French horloger / serrurier

Covid-19: French Government digs deep to save jobs

Home working, or télétravail, is the first recourse for four in 10 employees, with the recent pensions strikes disruption showing that eight million people in private businesses should be able to work from home

France’s jobless level at new low

But 7% target is tough

New strikes called as French PM acts on pension bill

Workers’ union the CGT has called for new strike action next week in protest at what it called the government’s “deeply scandalous attitude” towards pushing through pension reform.

Ride-share apps in France call for driver strike

Drivers in France for ride-sharing services such as Uber have been called to strike and log out of their apps by their national union, with plans for a protest in two weeks.

French medical cannabis trial sparks market battle

Tensions are rising between European companies, Canadian firms and French producers as France prepares to allow imports of cannabis-based medical treatments on a trial basis later this year.

French senate votes to ensure ‘minimum strike service’

The French senate has voted in favour of a law that would force transport companies SNCF and RATP to provide a “minimum service” even in times of strike.

France shopping less at hypermarkets, says Auchan

French people are becoming less likely to shop at huge hypermarkets, retail group Auchan has said, as it announces some 677 “voluntary redundancies” and a new plan to revive its stores.

French strike: More disruption amid some concessions

Transport disruptions are expected across France today due to the continuing strikes against pension reform, although some professions have now managed to secure concessions from the government.

Bus drivers can drive 12 hours per day, France says

Bus and coach drivers have been authorised to drive for up to 12 hours a day in France from December 18-24, in a temporary measure designed to ease disruption due to the ongoing train strikes.

Not one year since 1947 without SNCF strike in France

There has not been a single year since 1947 in which SNCF train workers have not gone on strike in France in some way, a new study has found.

Unions: Strike may continue in France over Christmas

Strikes are continuing in France today (Friday December 13) with some unions threatening to carry on through Christmas, after Prime Minister Édouard Philippe spoke to a mixed response this week.

Strike: Transport disruption continues in France

Strikes are continuing today (Friday December 13), with disruptions continuing on trains and buses, including TGV services.

Strike: More travel issues and disruption in France

Disruption is continuing across France today (Friday December 6), and is expected to continue into the weekend, as trains, buses and flights remain cancelled, and many schools and hospitals are partially closed.

Mass strike: 800,000-1.5m march as unions demand reply

More than 800,000 people are estimated to have taken part in yesterday’s strike (December 5), with protesters saying they are “ready to continue” and unions demanding a rapid government response.

Paris theatres confirm closures as mass strike spreads

Half of private Paris theatres have announced that they will close tomorrow (December 5), becoming the latest sector to confirm knock-on effects as the impact of the planned mass strike spreads.

French lorry driver 'anger' strike confirmed

French drivers of heavy goods vehicles have announced a strike day on December 7 to express their “legitimate anger with the profession”.

Digital ads: French MPs claim ‘right to pee in peace’

A group of French MPs have demanded the right to “go to the toilet in peace”, and hit out against intrusive digital advertising, after one MP objected to advertising screens in the toilet of a Paris café.

Most French people against planned SNCF strike

The majority of French people believe that the major SNCF train strike planned for December 5 is “not justifiable”, a new poll has found.

French trains disrupted in surprise ‘social movement’

Train services across France are being disrupted today as SNCF staff take part in a surprise “social movement”, in protest over alleged safety concerns following an accident this week.

Working for foreign firm in France

A firm in Italy wants to employ me working from home in France. Is it possible? H.E.

Make sense of: fake practice offices in France

The unemployment rate in France went down earlier this year for the first time in six years. It means that it has dropped from its record of 10.5% in 2013 to 8.5% (March-June 2019 figure). But the rate is still one of the highest in Europe, although behind Greece, Spain and Italy. We look at two schemes that France uses to get people into work, including a network of 110 “pretend” offices where 7,000 people go to “work” every day across the country.