Portage salarial (umbrella company) offers a hybrid model that combines flexibility for freelancers with operational benefits for client companies. However, like any model, it has advantages and disadvantages for all parties involved.
Our aim is to make everything simpler and easier for you to understand. That’s why Selfy gives you all the advantages and disadvantages of portage salarial for each stakeholder : freelancers and companies.
What are the advantages of portage salarial for freelancers ?
Portage salarial offers many advantages, as for workers as for companies.
Here is a list of the main advantages of portage salarial for freelancers :
- Flexibility : Freelancers retain their freedom while working on a stable basis.
- Social security : Access to social security, unemployment insurance and pensions.
- Administrative simplification : Portage companies handle all administrative tasks.
- Easy invoicing : Invoicing is handled by the portage company.
- Training and networks : Access to training and professional networks.
- Tax advantages : You can deduct certain business expenses.
- Financial security : A « portage » company must advance you cash, even if your customers fail to pay. It is also possible to continue to be employed in the event of a period without an assignment.
- Balance independence/security : Combining autonomy and stability.
- Legal support : Solid legal framework and risk reduction.
- Adaptability : Suitable for many sectors and professions.
- Time-saving : All these advantages – and more – save you a significant amount of time. This efficiency in day-to-day management contributes to greater productivity and optimal use of time, which can be a considerable advantage in the professional world.
- Support : Portage companies offer advice on training and professional development. They guide them in the administrative, legal and financial management of their assignments.
- Discover all the advantages of SELFY and our services.
What are the disadvantages of portage salarial for freelancers ?
In theory, portage salarial offers a wide range of advantages,
… like all statuses, it can reach certain limits:
- No activity = no remuneration: Unlike a conventional permanent contract, if there is no activity, there is no remuneration. If you don’t have any customers, there are no sales, so no salary. But you can always remain attached to a « portage » company while you look for assignments.
- Dependence: freelancers are dependent on the « portage » company to manage their salaried status.
- Reserved for certain professions : Portage salarial is reserved for intellectual/service activities.
- Legal liability : freelancer remain responsible for the quality of their work and any disputes that may arise.
- Cost : management fees levied by the portage salarial company can reduce the freelancer’s net remuneration. It is essential to understand these costs before committing yourself.
- Scams : Hidden fees are the biggest scourge of this business. Many companies offer attractive management fees. Unfortunately, it’s often because they’re taking fees from you elsewhere, for example, by inflating employer charges. Don’t forget that they too have to make ends meet, and can’t sell their services at a loss.
Remember that the most important thing is not the rate of management fees, but the remuneration that is returned to your pocket at the end.
We have detailed the advantages and disadvantages of portage salarial for freelancers. Here are the advantages and disadvantages for companies
What are the advantages of portage salarial for companies?
- Flexibility : Companies can engage qualified professionals for specific assignments without having to hire them directly. This allows them to more easily manage their human resources according to project needs.
- Lower costs : Hiring a freelancer consultant can be less expensive than recruiting a full-time employee, as the company does not have to bear the social charges and costs associated with a traditional employment contract.
- Specialized expertise : Employers can access a wide range of specialized skills and expertise available in the pool of freelance professionals, which can be particularly useful for one-off or specific projects.
- Simplified management : By using portage salarial, companies can delegate the administrative management of payroll, social security contributions and legal issues to the portage salarial company, enabling them to concentrate on their core business.
- Reactivity and speed : The freelance recruitment process can be faster than conventional hiring, which is invaluable for responding quickly to urgent needs or short-term projects.
- Risk management : In this context, the portage salarial company assumes the risks associated with regulatory compliance and potential litigation. This relieves the employer of certain legal responsibilities.
- To find out more about the advantages of SELFY, please visit our company page.
What are the disadvantages of portage salarial for companies?
- Types of activity: portage salarial is reserved for intellectual/service activities.
- Contract duration: Contracts may not exceed 3 years. This constraint serves to prevent the risk of disguised wage-earning.
- The contractor is not an employee: Less control over the self-employed worker. The employee is simply a service provider who can enjoy his or her freedom as a self-employed person. The company cannot dictate how the employee must organize his or her work, nor can it require the employee to comply with company rules. There must be a real bond of trust.
This concludes our analysis of all the advantages and disadvantages of portage salarial for freelancers and companies.
If you would like to find out more about portage salarial, please contact us or visit our website and blog for further information.
If you’d like to find out more about the rules and regulations governing portage salarial, you can visit Légifrance.
