working in france

[Bob]

I have reached the UK retirement age and am now living in France on a very modest UK pension. I have over 50 years experience as a Bricklayer/Mason and vast experience in most other "wet" trades. I might also add that I have considerable supervisory experience. I feel that I still have a service to offer and whist I am still fit and able and possibly prone to going "Stir Crazy" I would like to use some of my "retirement" time earning a small wage to perhaps go towards my bar bill!

I'm sure the question has appeared on this forum many times but can anyone tell me the cheapest/easiest way to go about getting some legal work? I have been offered some building work by a resident English builder who tells me that he can't employ me via Cheque emploi as he is a micro enterprise! Is this true?

I am getting very confused by this whole thing, as my Insurance man, who is French, ensures me that as a Micro Enterprise, the builder can emploi me under cheque emploi by obtaining a form from his bank for a Company, not an individual??

Please don't mention applying for a siret No. as the French absurd but compulsory social charges would be too prohibitive for my potential earnings and I would have to charge in excess of 30 Euros an hour and work a full 35/40 hour week. I have been to the Chamber De metier, who have explained all the charges to me, and, because of my experience as self-employed in the UK, I could register without having to go on the Tax course.

I have of course considered the Cheque Emploi route via another prospective employer, but who says it would involve him paying a large percentage of earnings to the French government. Is there anyway that I can legaly work/ offer my services in France without all the masses of formfilling and burocratic shannanigans?

Because of my 'old' age....I don't expect to be working flat out and, probably not at all in the next 3 or 4 years time......

I have no ambitions to "fiddle" the taxman or avoid paying my dues for insurance etc. I only want to work a few legal and insured days a week to suppliment a very modest lifestyle for me and my wife. I have no French language that will cope with the complexities of the French rules on this matter

The information I keep getting about cheque emploi is very confusing........does anyone know the actual rules applying to Employers in this matter?

[Clair]

The Chèque Emploi Service has been discussed many times here. Try a search under CES (old name) and CESU (new name)

This is one of the threads: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/872809/ShowPost.aspx