[btasker]

Having an employment contract is more common over here, but that's not the same as what we'd call being a contractor.

As a full-time employee of the company you're working for (i.e. not simply contracted in), you still have an employment contract (it's a right/required) which'll lay out the employment expectations (salary, hours per week, whether you can be required to work additional hours etc).

We do also have contractors - i.e. those who work for an external company who are brought in for a specific project (or to provide easy-to-get-rid-of headcount).

In my experience, working as a contractor isn't all that much more common than in the US. But people having some form of contract is, because basically all employees have one.

[mardifoufs]

Does this mean employees have to renew the contracts? As in, if the employer doesn't renew the contract, does it count as getting fired? Also maybe it's regional, I know that in France contractors are very common but I might have outdated data!