Have you just signed your first employment contract? Among the hiring formalities, there is one that many managers of very small businesses discover late, often during an inspection: the single staff register (registre unique du personnel). It must be opened as soon as the first employee is hired, Entreprendre Service Public points out, regardless of headcount. Here is who must keep it, what must be entered in it, in what form, how long to keep it and what it costs not to have one.
Who must keep the register
The obligation lies with the employer, whether a company or a sole proprietorship, the CCI Paris Île-de-France specifies. A business that employs only one person is therefore covered. The only exception noted by the administration: associations and foundations that use the chèque-emploi associatif (an associative employment voucher scheme) are not subject to it.
The register lists all employees of the establishment, entered in order of hiring. Interns and civic service volunteers also appear in it, in a separate section, in order of arrival. The CCI adds that home-based workers must also be included.
Mandatory entries
For each employee, the register states:
- surname and first names, nationality, date of birth and sex;
- the job held and the qualification;
- the dates of entry into and departure from the establishment;
- if the hiring or dismissal requires authorisation, the date of that authorisation or, failing that, the date of the application;
- for a foreign worker subject to a work permit, the type and serial number of the document serving as such.
Certain situations must be indicated: fixed-term contract, part-time work, apprenticeship or professionalisation contract, temporary worker (with the name and address of the temporary employment agency) and employee made available by an employers’ group (with its name and address).
For an intern, the specific section records the surname and first names, the period of the internship (start and end), the identity of the supervisor and the place of attendance. For a civic service volunteer, the surname and first names are sufficient. According to the CCI, entries must be made indelibly.
Keeping the register: the steps
- Open the register on the day of the first hire, on paper or in digital form.
- Enter each new arrival in order of hiring, filling in all entries as soon as they start.
- Indicate the type of contract when it is a fixed-term contract, part-time work, an apprenticeship, a temporary worker or an employee of an employers’ group.
- Attach the required documents: the posting declaration for an employee posted by a foreign company, and a copy of the permits authorising foreign employees to work.
- Fill in the departure date when each employee leaves, without deleting their line.
- Keep each entry for five years after the person concerned leaves.
Paper or digital?
No particular form is required. A digital register is allowed, provided that the social and economic committee (CSE) has been consulted beforehand if there is one, Entreprendre Service Public indicates. The labour inspectorate and elected CSE members must, however, be able to consult it. Copies of foreign employees’ work permits must also be accessible to Urssaf inspectors.
How long to keep it
Article R1221-26 of the French Labour Code is precise: each entry in the register must be kept for five years from the day the employee or intern left the establishment. An employee who left in 2026 must therefore remain visible in the register until 2031.
Penalties
Having no register, failing to keep it up to date or omitting mandatory entries exposes the employer to a fine of up to €750 per employee concerned. The CCI Paris Île-de-France specifies that this is a fourth-class offence (contravention), multiplied by the number of employees involved: a register never opened in a business with four employees can therefore cost up to €3,000.
This is not the only register. Depending on the activity, others may be required, such as the special weekly rest register, the absence of which is punishable by up to €1,500 per employee concerned, or the single risk assessment document.
Frequently asked questions
Is a staff register required with just one employee?
Yes. The obligation starts as soon as the first employee is hired, with no headcount threshold.
Must interns be included in the register?
Yes, in a specific section, in order of arrival, with the dates of the internship, the name of the supervisor and the intern’s place of attendance.
Must a temporary agency worker be entered?
Yes. The user company’s register states that the person is a temporary worker and gives the name and address of the temporary employment agency.
Is a simple spreadsheet enough?
No form is required and digital format is allowed, after consulting the CSE if there is one. The file must contain all mandatory entries, be kept in order of hiring and be available for presentation to the labour inspectorate.
Does the register replace the pre-hiring declaration?
No. These are two separate obligations, which apply cumulatively at each hire. For a specific case, such as the posting of a foreign employee, seek advice from the labour inspectorate or your adviser.
Sources
- Registres obligatoires dans l'entreprise — Entreprendre Service Public, 2026-02-05
- Quels sont les principaux registres obligatoires du personnel ? — CCI Paris Île-de-France, 2026-06-25
- Article R1221-26 du Code du travail — Code du travail numérique (French Ministry of Labour), 2015-10-29