Définition
An employment contract exists as soon as a person (the employee) commits to work, in exchange for a compensation, for and under the orders and control of another person (the employer).
Its implementation entails a set of obligations, for the employee as well as for the employer.
The full-time open-ended employment contract (CDI) is the only case that may be in non-written form. In all other cases (such as fixed-term, temporary employment, and part-time employment), the employment contract must be written.
The employer may be a natural person (individual undertaking, etc.) or a legal person (limited liability company, association, etc.). In this latter case, the contract is signed by the person who has the power to engage the legal entity: manager, director whose functions include the hiring of employees, etc. As for the employee, any person may sign an employment contract with, however, some restrictions concerning adult persons under guardianship and young people under the age of 18.