Work permits - you don’t want to be without one
A French work permit is essential to obtaining any legally-recognized employment in France. This will entitle a jobholder to social security and retirement benefits. Normally this permit is obtainable either as an EU citizen or by marriage to a French (or EU?) citizen. Although other possibilities may exist on a temporary basis for students in a recognized work-study programme, the number of hours you may work is limited as is the term of the contract. Many language schools are looking for a longer-term commitment from prospective job candidates. Although in theory a French Company may sponsor a job candidate for work permit status, in reality this is an extremely slim possibility as the administrative red-tape and legal responsibility involved for the sponsor is daunting and so not a real option for the company.
Contracts - the ins and outs
The language-teaching industry offers a wide range of work contracts, full-time as well as part-time and it’s quite important to be clear about the terms before making a commitment. It’s important to know not only how many hours of teaching will be expected of you per week but also the amount of time you are expected to be available each day. While most courses take place between 8 AM and 7 PM, weekend and evening courses are not unknown.
Some schools offer minimum monthly guarantees to prospective teachers but these too may vary. For example, some will involve a flat salary however many hours you teach and others will specify that you remain present in the premises of the school when not actually teaching. Yet another possibility is to have a minimum guarantee of hours and to be paid extra for all hours taught over and above this figure. A point to bear in mind is that many offers of guaranteed hours are “annualized” which means that if you have done more than your minimum number of hours in the current month but less in the preceding ones, the supplementary hours will be deducted to cover a negative annual balance.
Hourly rates may vary and some language schools may in addition pay a small allowance for travel to certain client companies. It’s important to consider that the hourly rate is not “the whole story.” Perks like transport cost reimbursement, health cover and restaurant tickets can be very valuable. The school policy on scheduling is extremely important too, as working in one place for a whole day can be much more profitable than doing just a few hours here and there, even at a higher rate.
French law allows 5 weeks of paid holiday per year. Normally this will be added to your monthly salary or paid in several installments during the year. If you should spend it before the actual holidays though, don’t expect additional compensation. A final observation is that the summer is traditionally a much slower teaching period and so it’s important to know if your school is open and if you have any guaranteed wages during that time of the year.