Employer of Record (EOR) in France

Hire in France in days, with no entity and without taking on the Code du Travail and 40%-plus employer charges yourself. We place you with the right vetted EOR partner, at pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side for the life of the relationship.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • Operational in days

What an Employer of Record does for you in France

An Employer of Record is a company that legally employs your French staff on your behalf. You choose the person and direct their work day to day. The EOR is the legal employer on paper, which is what lets you build a team in France without forming your own company.

In practice the EOR partner takes on everything that needs a French legal entity and local expertise: a compliant employment contract under the Code du Travail (and the relevant convention collective), monthly payroll with income tax withheld at source (prélèvement à la source) and social contributions, the substantial employer charges and all statutory filings, statutory benefits and leave, and compliant onboarding and lawful exits. You get a working team in days. The EOR carries the legal and compliance weight; you carry the commercial relationship. The only question worth spending time on is which partner is genuinely strong in France, and that is the question we answer for you.

01

Legal Employer, On Paper

A compliant French employment contract under the Code du Travail and the applicable convention collective, with all statutory terms correct from day one.

02

Compliant From Day One

Monthly payroll, income tax withheld at source (prélèvement à la source) and social contributions, the employer charges, and all filings to URSSAF and the tax authority.

03

No Entity Required

Statutory benefits, five weeks’ paid leave, notice and severance under the Code du Travail, and lawful onboarding and exits. You get a working team in days; the EOR carries the legal weight.

How your first French hire comes together

From first call to a compliant French hire at work, usually in days.

01 — Scope & quote

We map the role, salary, and start date, and come back with a clear all-in monthly cost. No guesswork, no hidden extras.

02 — Compliant contract

Your employment contract is drafted to French standards by the partner, and we sanity-check the terms and pricing before you sign. Compliant from day one.

03 — Onboard in days

A correct French contract is issued under the Code du Travail, with all statutory terms from day one. Your hire can start in days.

04 — Payroll & compliance run

Income tax and social contributions calculated and withheld, payslips issued, filings made to URSSAF and the tax authority. You direct the work; the compliance just runs.

What EOR in France costs

Two parts: the statutory cost of employing someone, and the EOR partner fee. France is employer-heavy on the first, with social charges of roughly 40% to 45%, which is exactly why getting the numbers right up front matters. We make both transparent before you commit.

Employer social security

Roughly 40% to 45% of gross salary, covering health, family allowances, old-age, unemployment, the AGIRC-ARRCO complementary pension, and training levies. The 2026 RGDU reform substantially lowers this near the minimum wage, phasing back up to the full range by around three times SMIC. France is one of Europe’s heavier employer-charge regimes, so we model it precisely before you commit.

Minimum wage (2026)

SMIC is EUR 1,867.02 gross per month (EUR 12.31/hour) on the 35-hour week, effective 1 June 2026. Many roles are governed by a higher floor set in the convention collective; we apply the right one.

Income tax (employee)

Progressive from 0% to 45% across five brackets, by fiscal household, withheld at source (prélèvement à la source). Borne by the employee, not added to your cost.

EOR partner fee

A transparent per-employee monthly fee. We benchmark across our vetted network, typically 15 to 25% below going direct, and renegotiate for you at renewal.

Why run it through Bradford Jacobs

We know which EOR partners are genuinely strong in France, by sector and by complexity. We place you with the right one, at pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side for the life of the relationship.

Independent, not a single provider

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners only
  • On your side at renewal

Pricing you can’t get direct

France replaced its layered employer-contribution relief system with a single unified mechanism (the Reduction Generale Degressive Unique) from 1 January 2026, extending relief up to 3x the minimum wage under a new formula. Getting the transition right in the first payroll cycles is exactly the complexity we exist to absorb. We benchmark across our partner network for rates typically 15 to 25% below going direct, and we renegotiate on your behalf at renewal.

  • 15-25% below direct
  • Network benchmarking
  • Renegotiated for you

Straight to the top when it matters

When something needs resolving, and in global employment it sometimes does, you come to us. We escalate directly, past the helpdesk, to people who can actually move it.

  • Direct escalation
  • No support queues
  • Named account contact

Two decades across Europe

Two decades placing and managing EOR arrangements across Europe, with the knowledge of the Code du Travail, the conventions collectives, and the French social-charge system that keeps you compliant.

  • EOR specialists
  • Code du Travail & URSSAF
  • Risk removed

Built for conversion to your own entity

Most companies use EOR for 12 to 24 months, then move to their own French entity (a SAS or SARL). We plan that crossover and manage the transition when the economics justify it.

  • EOR to entity path
  • Transition managed
  • Crossover planning

Why France rewards getting the structure right

Two things define hiring in France: the speed an EOR gives you, and the protective, employer-heavy framework that makes the right partner matter. The EOR gives you the first; we handle the second.

Working time, leave & contracts

France is a high-protection, employer-heavy market. Social charges run roughly 40% to 45% on top of gross, the working week is 35 hours, most sectors are governed by a binding convention collective, and dismissal needs a real and serious cause. None of it is a barrier when handled correctly, but it is detailed, which is why the right EOR partner, and our help choosing it, matters more here than in a lighter-touch market.

Operational in days, not weeks

Setting up your own French entity takes time, and you cannot legally employ anyone until it completes and you are registered with URSSAF. An EOR removes that wait entirely: a compliant Code du Travail contract is issued and your hire starts in days. You prove the market first, then form an entity later only if the headcount justifies it. This is the real value of EOR in France: speed into a high-value but heavily regulated market, with the compliance carried by an expert.

What your French EOR handles for you

One transparent monthly fee per employee covers all of this. No hidden extras.

Compliant French contract

A compliant French employment contract under the Code du Travail, issued and maintained for you.

Payroll & social charges

Monthly payroll run, with income tax and social contributions calculated, withheld, and filed correctly each month.

Statutory benefits

All statutory benefits administered: five weeks’ paid leave, the mutuelle health cover, AGIRC-ARRCO pension, sick and parental leave, notice and lawful exits.

Compliance & support

Ongoing HR compliance and a single point of contact, for the life of the engagement.

Your questions answered

Straight answers on how Employer of Record works in France.

Is my hire employed by Bradford Jacobs or by me?

Legally, your hire is employed by the French EOR partner we place you with, which is what keeps you compliant without an entity. Day to day they work for you: you set the work, the goals, the relationship. You get the team; the partner carries the legal employer obligations.

Usually within days once the role and salary are agreed, with a compliant Code du Travail contract from day one. Compare that to the time setting up your own French entity and registering with URSSAF takes, during which you cannot legally employ anyone.

Employer social charges run roughly 40% to 45% of gross salary, covering health, pension, unemployment and more. Add the transparent EOR partner fee and you have your all-in cost, which we confirm before you commit.

Yes, when done properly. The EOR is a real French legal employer meeting all Code du Travail, social-security, and tax obligations. The risk is using an under-resourced partner, which is exactly why we place you with vetted partners and stay on your side.

The compliant contract, monthly payroll (income tax and social-contribution withholding), employer charges, statutory benefits and leave administration, and ongoing HR compliance. We give you one all-in monthly figure up front, with no hidden extras.

Yes, and most companies do once the headcount and permanence justify it. We manage the transition from EOR to your own French entity (a SAS or SARL), and can support the entity formation itself. Most use EOR for 12 to 24 months first.

Ready to hire in France?

Tell us the role and we will come back with a compliant, all-in monthly cost and the right partner, usually within a day. No entity, no lock-in, no pitch, just the fastest compliant way to get your person working in France.

Tax and labour data verified June 2026 (URSSAF, DGFiP, OECD). Figures change; we confirm the current position when we scope your hire.