In France, Shyfter sends automatic DPAE declarations to the URSSAF, created from your employment contracts and checked before they leave. You follow the status of each declaration and get an alert when a deadline approaches.

Every new hire in France starts with a declaration: the DPAE, or pre-hiring declaration, sent to the URSSAF. It must be made before the employee starts working. For businesses that hire extras and seasonal staff, keeping up with these declarations by hand is a real source of stress. This page explains how Shyfter connects to the URSSAF, what it automates and how to get started.

What the URSSAF is and who it concerns

The URSSAF is the French body that collects social security contributions. It is also where employers send the DPAE, the declaration that registers a new employee before their first day of work.

This page concerns companies that employ staff in France. Shyfter, the workforce management software used by businesses in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain, sends DPAE declarations for its French customers. If you employ staff in Belgium, the equivalent is the Dimona, covered on the NSSO page.

Why automate your DPAE declarations

The rule is simple: the DPAE comes before the first hour of work. In practice, hiring rarely follows a calm calendar. An extra is booked the day before a big service, a seasonal worker starts on a Saturday, a contract is signed in a hurry. Each of these needs a correct DPAE, sent on time.

When declarations are typed into a separate portal, two things go wrong: data is entered twice, and some declarations are simply forgotten. Shyfter works from the information you already enter for the contract, so the declaration follows the hire instead of depending on someone's memory.

How automatic DPAE declarations work

Shyfter takes care of the whole flow, from the contract to the URSSAF.

• Automatic creation: the DPAE is created from the employment contract stored in Shyfter.
• Checks before sending: Shyfter checks the data before submitting it.
• Submission to the URSSAF: the DPAE is sent to the URSSAF from Shyfter, individually or in batches.
• Status tracking: you follow the status of each declaration.
• Detection: Shyfter detects the contracts that need a DPAE.
• Deadline alerts: you are warned before the deadline is missed.

You can also trigger declarations from your work. When you publish a shift, the DPAE can be sent without further action. When an employee clocks in, Shyfter checks that the declaration has been made.

Manual control when you need it

You keep full control. You can create, modify or cancel a DPAE manually for any type of contract, including permanent, fixed-term, seasonal and short-term contracts used for extras. The URSSAF acknowledgment of receipt is kept in the employee file, and each DPAE sent updates your digital staff register.

The employer remains responsible for the declaration and for the accuracy of the information sent. Shyfter gives you the tools to make that responsibility simple to carry.

Set up DPAE declarations, step by step

1. Check that your French account is on the Standard plan or above (see pricing).
2. Complete the company and employee information Shyfter needs for the declaration.
3. In each employee profile, choose the declaration mode and the type of contract.
4. Create or sign the employment contract in Shyfter: the DPAE is prepared from it.
5. Review the checks and submit the DPAE to the URSSAF.
6. Follow the status of each declaration and act on deadline alerts.

Use cases by industry

Restaurants and bars

Restaurants and bars hire extras for busy services and weekends. Creating the DPAE from the contract, with an alert when one is missing, means a last minute hire no longer slips through.

Hotels

Hotels in France hire seasonal staff in waves. Batch submission and status tracking let HR teams handle a seasonal intake without typing each declaration into a portal.

Retail

Retail brings in extra staff for sales periods and the end of year. Shyfter detects the contracts that still need a DPAE, so a busy recruitment week does not leave a new hire undeclared on their first day.

Hire with peace of mind

DPAE automation is part of what makes Shyfter more than a scheduling tool for French employers. Request a demo and a Shyfter specialist will show you the full hiring flow, from contract to URSSAF.