France protects employees with a substantive cause requirement and a strict procedure that is easy to get wrong.
Hiring
The open-ended contract (CDI) is the default; fixed-term contracts (CDD) are tightly restricted to specific cases. A trial period (période d’essai) applies within statutory caps.
The dismissal procedure
A dismissal must rest on a real and serious cause (cause réelle et sérieuse) and follow a set procedure: a preliminary meeting (entretien préalable), then a notification letter. Economic dismissals carry additional obligations.
Notice, severance and capped damages
The employee is owed notice and a severance indemnity (indemnité de licenciement). Claims go to the labour court (conseil de prud’hommes); damages for dismissal without real and serious cause are framed by a statutory scale (the barème Macron).
For foreign employers
The procedure is formal and deadlines are strict. A verified French colleague can run the entretien préalable, draft the letter, and calculate the indemnities.
Scales and procedure change — confirm with admitted French counsel.