Sign an employment contract (permanent, fixed-term) online
Employment contract between an employer and an employee, electronically signed with the same legal value as a paper contract. Compliant with article L1221-1 of the Labor Code (contract formation), article L1242-12 (written fixed-term contract required, transmitted within 2 days), eIDAS regulation — advanced signature recommended, 50-year archiving (contract duration + prescription periods).
- Legal framework
- L1221-1 + L1242-12 Labor Code
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal archiving
- 10 years included
What is a dematerialized employment contract?
The employment contract is the document by which an employer and an employee formalize their working relationship. For permanent contracts, no written document is mandatory under French law (art. L1221-1 Labor Code), but practice requires one for evidentiary and conventional reasons. For fixed-term contracts (art. L1242-12), writing is mandatory under penalty of requalification as permanent; it must be transmitted to the employee no later than 2 business days from hiring (art. L1242-13). Advanced electronic signature + qualified timestamp enable strict compliance with this deadline and avoid the risk of requalification — a major risk in case of labor litigation.
Why sign electronically?
2-day fixed-term contract deadline respected to the second
Article L1242-13 requires transmission of the fixed-term contract to the employee within 2 business days or risk reclassification as permanent. Certyneo precisely timestamps the sending (and signature) with a qualified timestamp — enforceable before the labor court.
Accelerated onboarding — start the same day
No need to wait for postal delivery of the signed paper contract. The employee signs from their phone and can start immediately, with direct access to their digital safe for all HR documents (contract, amendments, pay slips).
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The employment contract must be kept for the entire duration of employment + 5 years after termination (art. L1471-1 Labor Code). In practice 50 years to cover pension career reconstruction. Certyneo automatically archives the contract + eIDAS audit trail for this duration.
Audit trail enforceable before the labor court
Each contract is delivered with a proof PDF: employee identity verified by SMS OTP, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, IP. Enforceable before the labor court in case of dispute over hiring date, contract type or clauses.
4-step procedure
From preparation to legal archiving, in less than 5 minutes.
1. Prepare the contract
Upload your permanent or fixed-term contract template (mandatory information: identity of parties, hiring date, position, work location, working hours, compensation, collective agreement, trial period, reason and end date of fixed-term contract).
2. Add signatories
Employer + employee. If guarantor (apprentice, minor), add legal representative. Each receives a personalized secure link by email with SMS OTP.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced signature (AES) recommended: identity verification by SMS OTP, unique certificate per signatory, qualified timestamp. Compliant with article 26 of the eIDAS regulation and enforceable before the labor court.
4. Immediate onboarding
The finalized contract + audit trail are automatically archived for 50 years in the digital safe of the employee and employer. Onboarding can start immediately.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an employment contract be signed electronically?
- Yes, without restriction. No text in the Labor Code requires manuscript signature. Article 1366 of the Civil Code recognizes electronic writing with the same probative force as paper writing. Certyneo's advanced signature (AES) meets the probative requirements in case of labor dispute.
- Is the 2-day fixed-term contract deadline really respected with electronic signature?
- Yes, and with greater precision than paper. Certyneo precisely timestamps the sending of the contract to the employee (qualified timestamp in the eIDAS sense). The 2-day deadline runs from the effective hiring date; electronic signature allows transmitting the contract on the same day, or even before taking office.
- What happens in case of dispute over the hiring date?
- Certyneo's audit trail proves the exact signature date with qualified timestamp — enforceable before the labor court. No more debate over "antedated contract" or "never received": technical proof is irrefutable.
- What signature level for an employment contract?
- Advanced signature (AES) recommended. It provides the presumption of reliability (art. 1367 Civil Code) and satisfies probative requirements. Simple signature is undersized given the stakes in labor disputes; qualified signature is oversized.
- How long must an employment contract be kept?
- Five-year prescription period under the Labor Code (art. L1471-1), extended to 5 years after termination for most actions. In practice, keep for 50 years to cover pension career reconstruction. Certyneo automatically archives the contract + audit trail for this duration.
- Can an amendment be signed electronically?
- Yes — amendments to the employment contract (change of position, location, compensation, duration) are signed like the initial contract: advanced signature + qualified timestamp. The amendment is archived with the contract in the same employee file.
- Must the contract be in two copies?
- Article L1242-12 requires one written copy transmitted to the employee for the fixed-term contract. With electronic signature, the requirement is met by making the signed PDF available in the employee's digital safe + sending the PDF by email. No need for two paper copies.
- Is the electronically signed contract enforceable before the labor court?
- Yes — labor court case law unanimously recognizes eIDAS-compliant electronic signature. The presumption of reliability under art. 1367 Civil Code makes advanced signature (AES) enforceable without further demonstration, provided the audit trail is produced.
Also read
Sign your first employment contract online
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes / month), no credit card. Compliant with Labor Code and eIDAS. Audit trail and 50-year archiving included.