Employment Contracts for Temporary Workers in FranceC

EuWorkers authors argue that the traditional distinction between stable permanent contracts on the one hand and precarious temporary ones on the other doesn’t hold in today’s job market. This is due to the high number of employees with a CDD contract, or contrat d’emploi déterminé, which can only be terminated for specific reasons stipulated in French labor laws. These include replacing an employee during maternity, paternity or sick leave; a temporary increase in activity; seasonal work; and certain jobs which by nature are not long-term (for example teaching). The CDD contract is used most often by engineers and managers but it can also be applied to other employees.

The Benefits and Challenges of Hiring Temporary Workers in France

For foreign workers employed under a CDD, there are various options for extending their stay in France. They can apply for a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit, or for a temporary “temporary worker” residence permit. The latter is particularly suitable for transitory workers (who prefer permanent employment but take temporary jobs with low compensations to deal with a life-change situation, such as a house move or career break) and volunteers.

The temporary residence permit can be extended once by the autorité nationale des etrangers en France. A request must be filed within two months before the expiration date of the existing permit. In order to obtain the residence permit, the foreign employee must first fulfil certain declarative procedures, which may vary according to the country of origin and the type of work contract.