Wage portage without a mission | Management and risks

How to manage wage portage without a mission?

Do you want to be better informed about wage portage without a mission? As with any freelance activity, you may face slow periods as a contractor. This is what is called the intermission period. When it occurs, the intermission in wage portage greatly affects the consultant's activity. Through this article, we reveal the ins and outs of the end of mission in wage portage. From remuneration during the intermission period to partial unemployment and prospecting allowance, learn how to manage intermission periods as a contractor.

Remuneration during the intermission period

The ordinance of April 2, 2015, regarding the regulation of permanent contracts in wage portage clearly states that your umbrella company has no obligation to pay you in case of intermission.

However, the collective agreement specific to wage portage provides a financial guarantee to help you in case of intermission. It takes the form of a monthly prospecting allowance whose amount is equal to one day's work, approximately between 138 and 168 € gross. It is paid to you for a maximum duration of three months. This allowance is deducted from the financial reserve provided on the activity account of the contractor.

However, keep in mind that the payment of this allowance is not imposed on the umbrella company.

💡Good to know: at Weepo, we offer a CDI prospecting allowance to cover your intermission periods, which corresponds to 10% of the base salary of the last mission. 

The amount of the prospecting allowance is therefore much too low to allow you to meet your needs during the intermission period. That is why it is strongly recommended to build a safety net by saving a portion of your remuneration above the conventional minimum. In wage portage, it is 2,517 € gross, or 1,960 € net for a full-time month.

Let’s illustrate this advice with a concrete example: 

Suppose you received a net remuneration of 3,000 € after deducting the management fees of your umbrella company and social contributions.
The conventional minimum being 1,960 €, you could then save 1,040 € per month for a potential next intermission.
After six months, you would have a safety savings of 6,240 €, more than enough to cover you during several months of inactivity.

The status of the contractor at the end of the mission

The contractor may face an intermission period in two scenarios: either because the mission concluded with their client has reached its end, or because one or the other of the parties (the contractor themselves or their client) decides to end the mission. In both scenarios, it is the mission contract only that ends and not the employment contract.

💡Good to know: it is important to clearly distinguish between the mission contract and the employment contract. The mission contract is concluded between the client of the contractor and the umbrella company, while the employment contract is concluded between the contractor and their umbrella company.

The contractor who finds themselves in an intermission period remains under contract with their umbrella company. Their social benefits are therefore retained and they can use the financial reserve (if provided by their umbrella company) to compensate for their lack of income.

Consult our dedicated guide to learn more about the end of mission in wage portage.

Managing an intermission period as a contractor

To make the most of their intermission period, the contractor can implement the following actions: 

• Take vacations: a period without a mission can be an opportunity to take vacations to recharge. The advantage of wage portage is precisely the ability to choose your working periods.
• Follow training: take advantage of this period to follow training and improve your skills in new areas.
• Review your business strategy: revise your offer and work on your brand image through your website or social media to try to reach new clients.
• Search for new clients: the intermission period is conducive to searching for new missions. Take advantage of it to actively prospect.
• Develop a second activity: wage portage is perfectly compatible with other freelance activities. You can take advantage of the absence of a mission to launch a new activity.

💡Good to know: at Weepo, you can benefit from 100% personalized support, thanks to a responsive and attentive team, ready to assist you in case of intermission.

Registration with Pôle Emploi after an intermission period

If you are unable to find new clients within a reasonable timeframe (3 or 6 months, for example), you have the option to terminate your wage portage contract. Like any regular employee, you are eligible for unemployment and can therefore register with France Travail after the end of your contract. The umbrella company will provide you with a France Travail certificate, a work certificate, and a final account statement as a regular employer would. However, be careful about the method of termination of your employment contract: a resignation will not entitle you to the ARE. Therefore, plan for the equivalent of the amount of your conventional termination or dismissal indemnity in your consultant account.

💡Good to know: the prospecting allowance may have an impact on the payment of your ARE. It may therefore be preferable not to request it if you are considering registering for unemployment.

Recourse to partial unemployment during the intermission period

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a decree dated May 16, 2020, allowed contractors in an intermission period to benefit from partial unemployment. However, recourse to this device is only possible in the event of a major crisis.

The amount of the partial allowance during intermission is set according to the following rules: 

• Compensation is based on the average number of hours worked each month over the last twelve months.
• The maximum amount paid cannot exceed 2,517 € gross per month, which corresponds to 77% of the monthly ceiling of Social Security for a full-time equivalent.
• If the contractor has not worked full-time, the indemnity is adjusted proportionally to their workload.
• The minimum amount of the indemnity is set directly by the umbrella company.

To know the valid reasons for recourse to partial unemployment, consult our complete guide on partial unemployment in wage portage.

The essentials of the article summarized in 7 points

You now know what happens concretely during wage portage without a mission. Remember the essentials: 

1. The absence of a mission in wage portage does not entitle you to remuneration from your umbrella company.
2. A prospecting allowance of 10% of your base salary may be offered to help you during your intermission period.
3. A safety savings above the conventional minimum set in wage portage is necessary to guarantee you an income in the absence of a mission.
4. The end of a mission does not mean the end of the contract with your umbrella company and allows you to retain your social benefits.
5. You can take advantage of your intermission period to search for new missions, expand your network, or improve your skills.
6. In case of an excessively long intermission period, you have the option to terminate your employment contract to register with France Travail and benefit from the ARE.
7. If you face an intermission in the event of a crisis or force majeure, you can benefit from the partial unemployment indemnity related to the May 2020 decree.

To learn how to further secure your independent activity, consult our advisory guide on managing freelance cash flow.