The minimum wage (SMIC) represents the legal salary threshold. In the hotel industry, the HCR collective agreement governs its rules. What is the difference between the hotel SMIC and the legal SMIC? How much is the hotel SMIC? What are its advantages?
Comparison between the hotel SMIC and the legal SMIC
In addition to the minimum growth wage, there is a conventional minimum wage. The latter is set by a company agreement or a collective agreement. The hotel SMIC is therefore a conventional minimum wage.
Employers in the hospitality sector are required to respect both remuneration thresholds: the legal SMIC and the hotel SMIC. If the hotel SMIC is lower than the legal SMIC, they are required to pay employees the difference as a salary supplement. Otherwise, employees receive the agreed hotel SMIC.
The legal SMIC is considered the starting salary of a level 1, step 1 HCR employee. Bonuses and allowances are often added for workers in the hospitality industry. This serves to compensate for difficult working conditions.
What is the amount of the hotel SMIC?
The hotel SMIC operates in steps and levels defined by the sector. It is set by the collective agreement, thanks to the HCR salary scale. Unlike the legal minimum wage, which is calculated on 35 hours of work per week, the hotel minimum wage is 39 hours. Hours worked between the 36th and 39th hour of work have been increased by 10% since 2020.
The hourly amount of the hotel SMIC for the year 2023 is 11.27 euros gross and 8.79 euros net for a level 1 step 1 employee. For a level 3 step 3 employee, this can increase to 13 euros gross.
What benefits are offered to HCR employees?
A HCR meal benefit in kind for employees in the sector, is required to be proposed by the employer. In this case, the worker must be fed at their workplace. Or, they must receive compensation governed by the ministerial decree in force.
Other bonuses are paid if the work environment is difficult. For example, night or weekend work must be compensated with a bonus. A laundry bonus is paid to the worker if the cost of cleaning their work clothes is their responsibility. The employer is not entitled to take these bonuses and allowances into account in the collectively agreed minimum wage.
