Employment in France

Paid employment in France is called emploi salarié or salariat. The employee performs agreed work under the employer’s direction and receives a salary in return. The contrat de travail sets out the main conditions. These normally include the job, pay, workplace, working time, starting date, and any trial period known as a période d’essai. A contrat à durée indéterminée, or CDI, has no planned end date and is the standard long-term form. A contrat à durée déterminée, or CDD, ends for a stated reason or at an agreed point and is used only in permitted situations. Other arrangements include temporary agency work, known as intérim, part-time work, apprenticeships, and work-study contracts. Self-employment is different because an independent worker is not managed as an employee. Employment conditions can come from several levels. National law provides basic protections, while a convention collective may add rules for a particular industry or occupation. The employer usually registers the employee and handles payroll deductions for social protection. The employee receives a bulletin de paie showing gross salary, deductions, employer information, and the amount paid. Working life also includes paid leave, workplace health and safety, instructions, performance discussions, and representation by staff bodies or trade unions. Exact conditions depend on the contract, workplace, and applicable collective agreement. Employment can end through resignation, dismissal, the agreed end of a fixed-term contract, or certain negotiated procedures. Each route has its own formal process, so documents should be checked before any decision is signed. A new employee should keep the signed contract, job description, payslips, schedules, and important messages. These records make it easier to understand rights, solve mistakes, and prove employment history.