FRANCE | Internship: At work | Work conditions
Working hours and holidays
In France, people work 35 hours per week. The 35-hour work week was introduced to create more jobs. The normal working hours are between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In case of executives and managers, i.e. employees holding positions of responsibility, they still work 40 hours per week and often spend even more time in the office. Your holidays should be included in the internship agreement.
Breaks at work
At work, the lunch hour is between 12 noon and 1 p.m. Many large companies have a canteen where they offer lunch, others at least have a small kitchen where meals can be prepared. In addition, it is normal for the employer to offer the employees a part of their salary in form of restaurant tickets. Thus, the employee receives a small booklet at the beginning of the month containing restaurant tickets for a specific amount equivalent to a part of the salary. The advantage is that this amount is exempt from tax (taxes do not have to be paid for this part of the salary) and the company has to bear less social charges on the salary.
Means of payment
At present, the following means of payment are accepted in France: cash, bank cards (Carte Bleue, given by the French banks), credit cards (Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, etc.) and traveller's cheques. Most of the cards allow you to withdraw money from ATMs of small and large French banks (in case of the EC: Maestro and Cirrus signs).