How portage salarial services work

This new form of employment has been growing at an impressive rate for around fifteen years, and today it is used by approximately 70,000 people in France.

What does a portage salarial company do?

Definition of portage salarial services

A portage salarial company draws up a tripartite contractual relation between itself as employer, a consultant as employee and the client firm the consultant is performing the mission for. It differs from other statuses by its compromise between salaried employment and freelance.

Three types of contracts are signed between the different parties:

• A employment contract, between the consultant and the portage salarial company, which contains the same clauses as any other employment agreement.
• A contractor agreement, through which the consultant and the portage salarial company define the terms of their relation, and informs the consultant about the retirement fund they are attached to, the collective labour agreement, etc.
• An assignment agreement, drafted by the portage salarial company, that details the conditions under which the service provider will perform the assignment for the client.

The legal framework for portage salarial services

The legal framework first appeared at the end of the 1970s, and the concept was initially the subject of much discussion, legislation, agreements and ordinances before it was finally legally recognised in France.

Passed by the National Assembly and the Senate on 25 June 2008, Act No. 2008-596 of the French Labour Code on the modernization of the labour market officially gives rise to a definition of what portage salarial companies do (“wage portability”) in article L1251-64: “a set of contractual relationships organized between a carrying company, a person carried and customers, conferring on the person carried the status of employee paid a salary by the umbrella company for their services to the customer”.

Since then, the legal framework of “wage portage” has been reinforced by the signature of a Collective Agreement. This provides security for employees working under umbrella companies within the scope of their service.

How does a portage salarial company work?

Before carrying out any assignments as a contractor with a portage salarial company, it is important to find out everything about salary hosting. Expert consultants, retirees, executives changing jobs, young graduates, etc., are all potential candidates for this form of employment.

• The hosted consultant is independent for their entire service provision to the client firm: the nature of the assignment, its duration and price
• Subsequently, they can sign a service agreement with the client and an employment contract (temporary or open-ended) with the portage salarial company
• The company invoices the client for the fees corresponding to the assignment and produces a payslip for the consultant

The advantages of portage salarial solutions

The consultant no longer has to choose between freelance and salaried status: with a portage salarial solution they enjoy the benefits of both.

• Administrative management is simplified

These solutions mean you can retain your independence and at the same time be freed of all the administrative constraints: invoicing, customer reminders, accounting, filing of returns to the various public bodies, etc. Consultants can then devote themselves fully to their assignment, choose their customers and fix the price of the service.

• A secure status

Portage salarial companies handle customer reminders and outstanding invoices to make sure their contracting consultants are systematically paid a salary. They are also covered for any losses during the assignments carried out thanks to Professional Civil Liability insurance.

• Social and financial advantages

The consultant has the advantage of a temporary or open-ended employment contract. Their social protection is therefore identical to a “conventional” salaried employee: health and social security insurance, retirement, unemployment insurance, professional civil liability and top-up health insurance.

• Training entitlement

Like any employee, consultants may avail themselves of ongoing vocational training. Then they can ensure their performance levels, expand their knowledge and expertise to grow the activity and boost sales.

• Special business support

Being an employee of a portage salarial company can provide you with additional services that are very useful for business development, such as access to its listing with SMEs and large firms in France and Switzerland (in the case of AD’Missions), a network of consultants, a networking platform, etc. Everything is done to help you find new opportunities.

• Lending facility

Employees have payslips which are evidence of financial stability to lenders but also to the financial establishments. On the other hand, social protection is also a guarantee of insurance in the event of cessation of activity to ensure the payment of loans or other monthly outgoings through indemnities.

Which professions can be carried out under a portage salarial company?

Activities compatible with the status of independent employee

Umbrella solutions can be of relevance to a large number of players in the field of service provision. Today, more than 750 professions can be practiced through this innovative form of employment. However, there are precise regulations about the types of occupations that are authorised:

This form of salary hosting only concerns the provision of intellectual services, which are intended to provide advice and very specific skills, often with a high level of expertise.

Human services cannot be carried out through a contractor agreement with a portage salarial company. Regulated liberal professions (lawyer, doctor, chartered accountant, etc.) and commercial activities cannot be carried out via a portage salarial company.

This nonetheless leaves opportunities for many types of consultants, as can be seen in these examples of business lines concerned by payroll services:

• Training consultants and coaches
• Engineers. IT consultants
• Project leaders
• Experts in the web and digital occupations
• Human resource consultants
• Business management consultants and accountants
• Management consultants

Why make use of portage salarial services?

What services does AD’Missions offer?

Opting for the services of a portage salarial company can be useful for testing a project, trying out a new occupation, applying for a mortgage or even for an international assignment.

Portage salarial companies differ in the services they offer to the consultants within the scope of their activity. At AD’Missions, a wide range of services are made available:

• The personalised support of our experts
• Income optimisation with the management of business expenses and the possibility of joining a company savings scheme or a collective retirement savings scheme.
• A network of 5,000 consultants
• Find assignments through Freelance.com
• A new consultants’ portal is available at all times
• Regional proximity thanks to our presence in 16 French cities and also in Switzerland with the town of Geneva.

What guarantees are there for consultants working with AD’Missions?

In addition to the support offered by AD’Missions, the consultant can also benefit from several guarantees to secure their situation:

• The employer’s subscription to a bank guarantee ensures that the salary is paid even in the event of bankruptcy.
• The company takes care of collection procedures.
• Signing a contractor agreement allows you to benefit from Professional Liability Insurance.