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WORKING IN FRANCE

Explained: Can I get unemployment benefits if I quit my job in France?

If you're having a bad day at work it's always tempting to just down tools and announce that you're out of there. But there are ways to resign from your job and still be able to access 'chômage' - French unemployment benefits - while you look for a new job.

Published: 11 September 2024 11:16 CEST
Explained: Can I get unemployment benefits if I quit my job in France?
A protester holds up a sign that reads, '50 euros or I quit' - but before leaving your job, you need to think about whether you are entitled to unemployment benefits. Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP

French unemployment benefits, even after several recent reforms, are among the most generous in Europe, giving employees a percentage of their former salary while they look for work. 

READ ALSO Can you really get €6k a month in unemployment payments in France?

However, there are strict rules on who is eligible for these benefits, with one of the conditions being how your previous employment ended.

On top of that, foreigners in France have several extra factors to consider.

So if you’re fed up of your boss or generally hate your job – take a deep breath and read this article first.

Length of work

The first thing to know is that you need to have worked in France for a certain length of time in order to qualify for chômage (unemployment payments).

This can particularly affect foreigners because while you might have a lengthy career behind you, only your time working as an employee in France will count when it comes to calculating your eligibility for French benefits.

In brief, you have been employed for at least 6 months (130 days or 910 hours) in the previous 24 months – there is no limit on the number of employers you have worked for in that time. It should be noted that the period rises to six months in the previous 36 months if you were 53 years old on the end date of your last employment contract.

READ ALSO How France’s unemployment system works

How you leave

The next important thing is the manner in which you leave your job.

The general rule, according to official French government websites, is that: “Employees who resign are not, in principle, eligible for unemployment allowance known as the Allocation de retour à l’emploi (ARE)” or le chômage as most people refer to it in France.

There are, however, quite a few exceptions and you can qualify for chômage if you;

  • Moved house (to accompany a spouse, civil partner, etc.).
  • Left your job to complete a training course that would offer a certification or a qualification
  • Plan to set up or take over a business.
  • Plan to enroll in a vocational retraining programme.
  • Are “engaged in a civic service or volunteering activity”

In all cases, you would need to provide documentation to prove these circumstances.

If none of the above apply to you, then your best option is requesting a rupture conventionnelle from your company – this is basically an agreement that states you are leaving the company by mutual consent – it’s not the same as resigning or being made redundant.

The big advantage for the employee is that it allows them to access unemployment payments but there are advantages for employers too so it’s well worth asking. The company must follow the specific legal procedure for a rupture conventionnelle and give you a signed agreement, which you then present at the unemployment office (France Travail, formerly known as the Pôle emploi). More details HERE.

It used to be the case that workers who simply walked out without giving notice (known as abandon de poste) could access chômage, however the law was changed in 2023 so that people who do this are now considered to have resigned, which means that in most cases they are not eligible.

READ MORE: Mythbuster: Is it actually impossible to be sacked in France?

Set up on your own

If you’re leaving your job because you either want to set up your own business or go freelance, it’s worth pointing out that there is a special regime for that, in which essentially you are given time to establish your business and while chômage payments ‘top up’ your earnings to the level you would have been entitled to had you simply been claiming benefits.

Being eligible for this regime will also require you to first negotiate a rupture conventionnelle with your employer – full details HERE.

Residency permit 

The other thing that foreigners need to consider is whether quitting their job will affect their residency status in France. This is only an issue for non-EU citizens who need a visa or carte de séjour in order to be legally resident in France.

If your residency status is linked to your employment – eg you have a Talent Passport visa or a carte de séjour salarié – then you may have to switch cards when it comes to renewal time if you are still not working. You can renew a residency card if you are officially unemployed – ie you are registered with Pôle emploi/France Travail and are receiving unemployment payments – but if you are not working and are not able to claim chômage then things become a little more complicated. 

READ MORE How will quitting my job affect my residency in France?

If you have a residency permit that is not linked to your work – eg a long-term carte de résident or the post-Brexit Article 60 TUE/ WARP residency permit for Brits – then you do not need to worry about your change in status.

France Travail

Once you have successfully registered for benefits you need to stay in touch with the local France Travail/Pôle emploi office and follow their instructions on looking for work, turning up to meetings etc. The French unemployment system has tightened up quite a bit in recent years and the days of signing on and then going travelling for six months while your bank account is regularly topped up are largely over.

The offices do offer extra training and it’s worth pointing out that for foreigners this includes free French classes, likewise if you are registered as a job-seeker you can also access training courses through Mon Compte Formation and do not have to pay.

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WORKING IN FRANCE

Why you’re less likely to work from home in France compared to other countries

Despite remote work becoming more common since the Covid pandemic, workers in Paris are still less likely to work from home compared to those in other international capitals.

Published: 5 September 2024 13:16 CEST
Updated: 7 September 2024 08:02 CEST
Why you're less likely to work from home in France compared to other countries

The French approach to work-life balance is often prized by foreigners looking to move here. 

In 2017, the country passed legislation giving workers the ‘right to disconnect’. But, perhaps surprisingly, France has been slow to embrace remote work.

A recent international study, conducted by the British research organisation Centre for Cities, found that workers in Paris spent more time in the office than their counterparts in five other global cities (London, New York, Toronto, Sydney, and Singapore),

Paris workers spend on average 3.5 days a week in the office, compared to 3.2 days in Singapore and 3.1 days in central New York City.

Sydney came fourth with 2.8 days in the office per week, and Toronto and London tied for last place with only 2.7 days in-person.

Paris also stood out among international cities for the change pre- and post-Covid. Before the pandemic, Paris workers spent an average of four days in the office per week, only dropping by 0.5 post-Covid. The authors noted “Paris (…) has maintained much of its office working”.

Other international cities saw larger changes – London and Toronto dropped by 1.2 and 1.3 days per week respectively. 

Paris workers also stood out in their preference to come into the office – the survey found that even without an in-office mandate, Parisian workers would work 1.1 days more than the status quo of 3.5 days a week. Workers in other cities said they would come in less often.

A smaller percentage of people work fully remotely in Paris (five percent, versus 12 and 15 percent in London and Sydney), while a higher percentage of people work fully in the office (almost a quarter of people).

The authors also found that “In every city except Paris, workers come in less than their employer requires.”

Why does Paris stand out?

The study noted policy differences might be at play, particularly travel costs which were far less important to Parisians than Londoners, who noted this as a key reason in favour of remote working.

Workers in France who take public transport can benefit from subsidised travel. Those with monthly travel passes in Paris can claim 50 percent of the cost from their employers. In some companies this is done automatically through wages.

READ MORE: The perks and benefits that employees in France enjoy

What about the rest of France?

Another study from 2023, by the Ifo Institute and Econpol Europe, placed France at the bottom of a global ranking on remote working. Out of 34 industrialised countries, French workers on average spent 0.6 days remote working, lower than the global average of 0.9 days. 

Only three countries were lower than France: Greece (0.5 days), Japan (0.5 days), and South Korea (0.4 days).

The study found that French people overall only desired 1.4 days of remote work per week, a day less than countries like the US and UK.

As for French employers, they were more cautious, only willing on average to offer 0.72 days at home per week. The study’s authors noted a generational difference with young French people (in entry to mid-level positions) more in favour of work-from-home, while older employers were more hesitant.

READ MORE: What are France’s laws around working from home that I need to know?

French office culture and labour protections

The benefits of work-from-home in the US – where workers have fewer protections – may not be as present in France and Europe. 

There are several schemes to help make childcare more affordable. For example, French parents benefit from up the government reimbursing up to 50 percent of the costs of a nanny or professional childminder, depending on their financial situation. 

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How expensive is childcare in France?

Workers can benefit from vouchers to help make lunch more affordable, and full-time employees get a statutory 25 days of paid leave per year, plus public holidays. And generally, France has a specific office culture, with long lunches and coffee-cigarette breaks still prioritised in many establishments.

READ MORE: What you need to know about French working culture

The 2023 Ifo Institute and Econpol Europe study found that 62 percent of French workers appreciated in-person work for the opportunity to socialise with colleagues.

A total 54 percent said that face-to-face time led to “better team working conditions” and 43 percent said it aided in “a clear separation between professional and private life”.

Will trends change?

It is possible that télétravail could decline further in the coming years. BFMTV reported that agreements negotiated during the pandemic (in 2020 and 2021) by unions would soon expire, perhaps leading to an increase in work commutes.

As such, it will be interesting to see how different sectors approach codifying a right to remote work moving forward.

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