Work

France’s new government is set to move ahead this month with the first steps in its plan to reform labour laws, the Code du Travail, using edicts called ordonnances to cut delays.

I am self-employed but want to have better welfare cover in case of possible illness or unemployment. Is there a way I can pay for this as a separate cover as I do not have access to that provided for other workers?

The Erasmus exchange programme is 30 this year and although started as a way to open up opportunities Europe-wide for students it has now been expanded to do the same for under-30s and even older people working in education.

Several regions are experimenting with a new, higher age limit for apprentices to give better employment opportunities for those in the 25-30 age group, hit by poor job prospects in past years.

For how long do I need to keep paperwork used for tax returns?

150,000 more job offers in 2017 than in the previous 12 months

Opening up public information databases means professional details for any business, no matter the sector, are available for free online – which could save heartache for anyone planning a building or other project or even anyone thinking of buying a pet dog.

Mastering a craft is a skill to be savoured and France does a great job of protecting its most skilled workers, those who transform simple materials into something that becomes... simply desirable.

Luthier Pascal Douillard’s workshop can be found in Puyen-Velay in Auvergne – an unusual location for a lutherie, most of which are clustered in urban centres where instrument-making is most concentrated.

The requirement to submit French income tax returns online for households whose income exceeded €28,000 in 2015 (€15,000 for 2016), is the first step of a major reform planned to the tax system by 2018: the implementation of taxation at source on a household’s various incomes, similar to “Pay As You Earn”. 

Spinning delicate laceworks of glass or intricate shapes and globes, verriers au chalumeau or ‘lampworkers’ in English are a fascinating sight.

Small businesses such as micro-entrepreneurs should have a separate bank account for their business to keep their personal moneys separate but this does not need to be a ‘business’ account (compte professionnelle), which can be costly.

I am thinking about starting a small business but wonder if there is any right to unemployment or other aid if it fails? If so, do I need to have worked a certain amount of time to benefit?

The unemployed in Paris are being helped into work – by a charity that kits them out in smart second-hand suits and prepares them for interviews

Les Réalisateurs business incubator links art and the commercial world, opening up both to new ideas

Business or marriage difficulties could cause problems for both business and marriage

Britons receive suspended jail terms after being taken to court by Urssaf

Denis Adam, 34, is a press officer and music agent living in Indre. He is also part of the team that organises the annual Indre reggae festival Issoudun Reggae Temple, which in 2016 takes place between 18 and 20 November

In our occasional series looking at different jobs, Vanessa Boren, in Paris, tells Gillian Harvey about interior design and running her own Feng Shui school.

From charity fundraisers to business start-ups, people are turning to crowdfunding websites to raise capital. But just what is crowdfunding, and how does it work? Jane Hanks finds out