France: Agreement reached on freelance work through "portage" firms

An agreement signed by French employers and trade unions in June 2010 regulates the practice of "portage salarial", whereby skilled professionals provide freelance and consultancy services to companies through a special firm, which was formally their employer.

In recent years, a practice known as "portage salarial" has developed in France, whereby workers provide services to companies on a temporary basis, via a special "portage" firm (société de portage).