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Wage Portage: For Whom? | Conditions, Profiles, and Professions

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Wage Portage: Who Is This Solution For?
Conditions to Become a Wage Portage Employee
Profiles Suited to Wage Portage
Company Founders
Executives
Retirees
Young Graduates
Job Seekers
People in Career Transition
Freelancers
Micro-entrepreneurs
Professions Eligible for Wage Portage
Prohibited Professions in Wage Portage
Focus: Obligations of the Wage Portage Employee
Summary

Wage Portage: Who Is This Solution For?

Article summary:

  • Conditions for the wage portage employee: every wage portage employee must meet criteria of autonomy, expertise, and qualification to practice.
  • Compatible profiles: anyone wishing to start an independent activity can access wage portage.
  • Authorized professions: any intellectual profession is permitted under wage portage except regulated liberal professions or those subject to an Order or license.

Are you considering becoming a wage portage employee but wondering who wage portage is for? Halfway between traditional employment and entrepreneurship, wage portage attracts more and more people seeking their own business activity, thanks to the combined social benefits and the freedom it offers. However, wage portage has certain requirements regarding compatible professions. At Weepo, we've created a comprehensive overview of wage portage professions. From authorized professions to prohibited wage portage, find out who is eligible for wage portage.

Conditions to Become a Wage Portage Employee

According to the collective agreement for wage portage employees of March 22, 2017, you must meet the following 3 cumulative criteria to access wage portage:

  1. Autonomy: demonstrated by the ability to find your own clients and define the scope of your work.
  2. Qualification: you must hold a professional qualification of level 5 (Associate degree or equivalent) or have 3 years' experience in the same field.
  3. Expertise: composed of a set of skills and know-how specific to your professional area.

💡Good to know: from now on, wage portage is no longer reserved for executives. Social partners have decided to extend access to all socio-professional categories to adapt to the job market and the need for security among freelancers.

Profiles Suited to Wage Portage

Wage portage addresses anyone who wishes to become independent while enjoying employee social benefits. The status is therefore open to executives, retirees, freelancers, as well as job seekers.

Company Founders

Wage portage is an excellent idea for an entrepreneur as it allows them to:

  • Test the market;
  • Benefit from better financial security;
  • Build a professional network;
  • Avoid handling administrative tasks.

Thanks to these advantages, the company founder can take the time to practice seeking assignments and acquire skills before creating their own structure.

Executives

The wage portage status is very popular among executives leaving employment, because they retain the same guarantees: coverage by the General Social Security Scheme for better social protection, the advantage of paid leave, sick leave compensation, rights to unemployment, or accumulating enough for their retirement.
With sole proprietorship status, the executive would no longer enjoy these guarantees.

Retirees

Wage portage is fully open to retirees and allows them to combine their retirement pension with income earned as a portage consultant. This status is perfectly suited to retirees still eager for professional and entrepreneurial adventures. Moreover, retirees' profiles are highly valued by umbrella companies thanks to their solid experience.

Young Graduates

Given the difficulty of finding a place in the job market right out of school, wage portage is an excellent transition solution for young graduates before securing a permanent job. Thanks to wage portage, they have the opportunity to build a stronger experience for future employers, meet different stakeholders in their field, and perhaps even find their next employer.

Job Seekers

It is entirely possible to combine unemployment benefits with the salary paid by the umbrella company, allowing a job seeker to build a supplementary income.

❗REMINDER: the combination of unemployment benefits and salary is capped at 70% of the wage minus the initial unemployment benefit amount.

People in Career Transition

If you're considering a career change to start your own business, wage portage lets you make the transition to entrepreneurship safely. By becoming an wage portage employee, you retain the same benefits as a traditional employee and ensure the continuity of your rights even after terminating your employment contract.

Freelancers

As a freelancer, you might find yourself in precarious situations or face management difficulties, particularly at the beginning of your business. Wage portage enables you to benefit from employee social security and delegate your administrative management so you can focus on your core mission. Through your umbrella company, you can benefit from personalized support from a team of experts, which is rarely the case when working solo.

💡Good to know: with our umbrella company Weepo, you are supported by a responsive and attentive team at every step of your project. Visit our page for more information.

Micro-entrepreneurs

If you are a micro-entrepreneur, wage portage may be an excellent alternative for the following reasons:

  • More advantageous social security coverage;
  • Increased productivity (administrative tasks managed by the umbrella company);
  • Deducting professional expenses from your turnover;
  • Recovering VAT on your purchases;
  • Unlimited turnover.

By choosing wage portage, you can overcome certain limitations specific to the self-employed status.

To find out more, check out our article wage portage vs micro-enterprise.

Professions Eligible for Wage Portage

The wage portage employee must provide an intellectual service such as consulting, training, coaching, engineering, IT, etc.

Here is a representative table of different professions eligible for wage portage:

Type of professionExamples of eligible professionsExceptions / excluded professions
Liberal professionsIndependent consultants (strategy, organization, management, etc.)Regulated professions (lawyers, doctors, chartered accountants, etc.): excluded because they are subject to an Order, specific regulation, and liability rules incompatible with wage portage.
ConstructionConstruction consultants, project managers, consulting engineersManual construction trades (masons, electricians, plumbers, etc.): excluded due to high professional risks, strengthened safety obligations, and strict regulatory oversight.
TransportParcel couriers, passenger transport, VTC driversLong-distance truck drivers: excluded as they are subject to specific social regulations (driving times, rest, collective agreements) incompatible with wage portage.
Secretarial / AdministrationVirtual assistants, remote administrative managers, independent secretariesNo notable exclusions as long as the activity is performed remotely and as an intellectual service.
E-commerceDigital marketing experts, e-commerce consultants, service providers for online storesE-commerce shop owners: excluded as wage portage does not permit direct commercial operations or selling products in one's own name.
Real estateIndependent real estate agents, property managersProperty management professions: excluded because these are regulated activities requiring a specific professional license and personal legal responsibility.
IT (Informatics)Developers, systems & networks engineers, IT consultants, digital project managersFew exclusions as long as the activity concerns consulting or intellectual services. Some umbrella companies, like Weepo, specialize in IT professions.
Communication & Web MarketingCommunity managers, web editors, communication officers, SEO/SEA consultantsNo major exclusions, as long as the activity is intellectual service provision.
FinanceManagement controllers, wealth management advisors, financial consultantsBankers and traders: excluded due to regulatory, institutional, and licensing requirements incompatible with wage portage.
Human ResourcesRecruitment consultants, HR specialists, talent management consultantsRare exclusions, except for regulated activities or those amounting to disguised temporary work.
Consulting & CoachingProfessional coaches, trainers, sports coaches, strategy consultantsRegulated consulting (lawyers, notaries, etc.): excluded because they are subject to professional orders and strict codes of ethics.

💡Good to know: If you want to start your IT career, join our umbrella company Weepo, specialized in tech jobs. Check out our page wage portage IT and development missions for more information.

Prohibited Professions in Wage Portage

According to the Ordinance of April 2, 2015, certain activities or professions are strictly prohibited in wage portage, namely:

  • Jobs relating to personal services: such as childcare or at-home mobility assistance for the elderly, for example.
  • Regulated professions: some professions have strict requirements in terms of qualifications, ethics, and professional liability that make them incompatible with wage portage, e.g. notary or chartered accountant.
  • Jobs with high civil and criminal liability: this includes professions requiring specific insurance such as architects. In these cases, the wage portage framework makes the identification of responsibilities complicated in case of disputes.
  • Professions governed by a professional Order: notably doctors and other health professionals.
  • Jobs requiring training/certifications/licenses: wage portage complicates compliance with these requirements as it does not provide necessary guarantees for ongoing training, quality control, and individual licensing. Example: driving instructor (driving school).

Focus: Obligations of the Wage Portage Employee

After defining the conditions, typical profiles, and professions accessible via wage portage, let's detail the obligations to remain a wage portage employee.

According to the provisions of the ordinance of April 2, 2015, the wage portage employee must carry out a temporary assignment for their client, which cannot exceed 3 years. Unlike standard employees, the wage portage employee cannot replace an employee suspended following a collective conflict.

Unlike self-employed workers, wage portage employees must perform assignments for a business only, not for individuals. By "business," we mean a private law enterprise, a local authority, or a non-profit association.

💡Good to know: To recognize a business, the criteria are an organization engaged in economic activity, hiring staff, using premises and appropriate equipment.

With respect to their umbrella company, the wage portage employee must report their activity at least once a month.

Summary

You now know who wage portage is meant for. Here are the 5 key points to remember:

  1. The wage portage agreement of March 22, 2017, requires combining autonomy, qualification, and expertise to access wage portage.
  2. Wage portage is open to company founders, executives, retirees, young graduates, freelancers, and micro-entrepreneurs.
  3. Among the eligible professions under wage portage, all intellectual professions are included except those governed by special regulations.
  4. The Ordinance of April 2, 2015, prohibits professions related to personal services, jobs governed by a professional Order, or those requiring special insurance or licenses.
  5. To remain eligible for wage portage, the consultant must complete temporary assignments for a business and report activities to their umbrella company.

For more information, check out our page on wage portage regulations.

Photo de profil de Lina MOREL

Responsable Marketing & Communication chez Weepo, je suis passionnée par l'animation du réseau et l'accompagnement de nos consultants. J'organise des événements parisiens et accompagne nos équipes régionales pour créer des moments d'échange enrichissants dans l'écosystème du portage salarial.