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Types of employment (1/3)
An employment contract is necessary for anyone who works for a salary. This person, the employee (salarié), works for another person, the employer (employeur).
Key points of the sheet
- The contract states the salary, the skills and knowledge needed, the working hours and the tasks. It creates obligations for the employee and for the employer.
- There are different types of contract, depending on their length or the nature of the work. There are 2 main types of employment contract.
- The permanent contract (contrat à durée indéterminée, CDI) is the most common contract in France. It has no end date and can be full-time or part-time.
- A part-time contract must be in writing. A full-time contract does not have to be in writing, but it is better.
- A CDI can be ended by the employer's decision, by the employee's decision or by agreement between both. An exceptional unforeseeable event can also end it.
- The fixed-term contract (contrat à durée déterminée, CDD) has an end date. It is used for a precise task limited in time, for example to replace an absent employee.
- A CDD must be in writing. In general, its maximum length is 18 months.
Words to know
- employment contract (contrat de travail)
- It is the contract needed to work for a salary for an employer. It states the salary, the working hours and the tasks.
- employee (salarié)
- It is the person who does work paid by a salary, for another person.
- employer (employeur)
- It is the person for whom the employee works.
- permanent contract (CDI) (contrat à durée indéterminée)
- It is the CDI, the most common contract in France. It has no end date.
- fixed-term contract (CDD) (contrat à durée déterminée)
- It is the CDD, a contract with an end date, for a precise task limited in time.
- dismissal (licenciement)
- It is the ending of a CDI by the employer's decision.
- resignation (démission)
- It is the ending of a CDI by the employee's decision.
- termination by mutual agreement (rupture conventionnelle)
- It is the ending of a CDI by agreement between the employee and the employer.
Test yourself: 3 questions
What is the most common employment contract in France?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel est le contrat de travail le plus courant en France ?
The CDI is the most common employment contract in France.
In general, what is the maximum length of a CDD?
In French, the language of the exam: En général, quelle est la durée maximale d'un CDD ?
In general, the maximum length of a CDD is 18 months.
What is the ending of a CDI by agreement between the employee and the employer called?
In French, the language of the exam: Comment s'appelle la rupture d'un CDI par accord entre le salarié et l'employeur ?
When the employee and the employer agree to end the CDI, it is a termination by mutual agreement (rupture conventionnelle).
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Source
Sheet “Types d'emploi (1/3)” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.