Seasonal work refers to employment contracts that have a fixed duration, and that repeat themselves every year. In France, this type of contract is possible! However, there are a couple of rules it must follow.
How long can a seasonal contract last?
There are two types of seasonal contracts: those with specific dates and those with a minimum duration. As you would expect, the first ones have definite dates for the start and end of the employment contract, while the second ones only have a minimum duration, and continue or stop depending on the circumstances.
However, in both cases, because they have to be limited to a certain period within the year, a seasonal contract cannot go on for longer than 8 months (6 months for foreign employees).
What are the rights specific to seasonal employees?
First of all, seniority in the company is calculated by adding up the time the employee spent working for this company. For example, if one employee worked two years in a row for 2 months in summer, they’ll have 4 months of seniority in the company.
Then, the employee can benefit from an automatic renewal clause, in which the employer commits to hiring the employee again the next year. Then, if a seasonal worker has worked two consecutive years in the same company at the same period, then the company has to hire them the next year. Of course, that’s only if they have another job available at that time, and that this job fits the employee.
