A SSIAP 1 agent on a fixed-term contract at a tertiary site earns his hourly rate, works night shifts, receives his meal allowance, and leaves at the end of the contract. The following month, he does it all over again elsewhere. When offered a permanent contract, the first question is almost never legal. It’s more direct: how much more on the payslip?
Conventional coefficient in fire safety: the real salary variable
The articles discussing the transition from fixed-term to permanent contracts talk about trial periods, retained seniority, and administrative formalities. Nothing wrong, but nothing that explains why a fire safety agent sees his salary actually change.
In the collective agreement for Prevention and Security, the coefficient determines the base salary much more than the type of contract. A fixed-term fire safety agent is often positioned at coefficient AE130, with a gross hourly rate around €12.58. Permanent SSIAP 1 contracts, on the other hand, are frequently offered at coefficient AE140, with a gross monthly salary around €1,965 to €1,966.
By joining a fire safety company on a permanent contract, one often moves to a higher coefficient, sometimes even AE150 depending on the position and site. This increase is not automatic, but it accompanies the majority of permanent hires because the employer stabilizes a profile they want to keep.
The coefficient jump contributes more to the monthly salary than the simple change in the nature of the contract. Two agents on the same site, one on a fixed-term contract at coefficient 130 and the other on a permanent contract at coefficient 140, will not have the same calculation basis for night hours, Sundays, or bonuses.
Bonuses and allowances: what appears and what disappears on the payslip
On a fixed-term contract, one receives the precariousness bonus (about 10% of the total gross salary paid during the contract). It compensates for instability, and one quickly gets used to it. On a permanent contract, this bonus disappears entirely. On paper, it’s a net loss.
In practice, other lines take over, but not always from the first month. Here’s what changes concretely on a permanent SSIAP agent’s payslip:
- The seniority bonus kicks in after a certain number of years in the company. On a fixed-term contract, one never stays long enough to access it, even if the agreement provides for the retention of seniority when the contract is converted.
- Paid leave shifts from a compensatory allowance paid at the end of the fixed-term contract to actual days taken, which alters the cash flow rhythm: one no longer receives the “balance” in one go, but is paid normally during their leave.
- Access to profit-sharing or participation, when the company offers it, is conditioned on a minimum presence that effectively excludes most short fixed-term contracts.
The net monthly income on a permanent contract may seem close to that of a fixed-term contract in the first few months, or even slightly lower due to the disappearance of the precariousness bonus. The gap widens in favor of the permanent contract starting from the second year, when seniority and social benefits begin to weigh in.
Night work and rest on a permanent contract: a schedule that impacts real salary
In fire safety, night shifts represent a significant part of the remuneration. An agent on a fixed-term contract is often assigned to the slots that permanent employees do not want. Paradoxical result: he can accumulate more night hours over a short period and boost his pay.
On a permanent contract, the schedule smooths out. One works on a regular cycle, with compensatory rest and weeks without night shifts. The monthly salary becomes more stable, but the “big” months disappear.
The impact of compensatory rest on annual income
Compensatory rest for night work reduces the number of shifts actually worked over the year. An agent on a permanent contract with a regular night cycle will mechanically have fewer overtime hours than a fixed-term agent positioned as support during busy periods.
Feedback varies on this point: some agents notice a decrease in their gross annual income in the first year on a permanent contract, precisely because the volume of night and weekend hours decreases. Others, assigned to high-activity night sites, maintain a comparable volume with regularity as a bonus.
Net salary on a permanent SSIAP contract: the calculation no one does before signing
Before accepting a permanent contract, one often compares the gross hourly rate or the gross monthly salary displayed. This is not the right reflex. The calculation that matters is the total net annual income, including bonuses, relative to the hours actually worked.
An agent on a fixed-term contract who chains two six-month contracts at different sites accumulates two precariousness bonuses, two paid leave allowances, and potentially unrefunded travel or accommodation expenses. On a permanent contract at a single site, these hidden costs are eliminated.
What to compare before signing
- The coefficient offered in the permanent contract: AE130, AE140, AE150? A permanent contract at the same coefficient as the fixed-term contract produces almost no salary gain.
- The projected volume of night and weekend hours on the site’s planning cycle.
- The existence of a site bonus, meal allowance, or thirteenth month, which varies greatly from one company to another.
- The mandatory company health insurance, the cost of which is deducted from the net salary and which may not have existed in short fixed-term contracts.
The transition from fixed-term to permanent contracts in fire safety is not just a line “type of contract” modified in an amendment. It is the coefficient, the night schedule, and the site bonuses that create the real difference in the bank account. A permanent contract at coefficient AE140 with a regular night cycle earns more than a fixed-term contract at coefficient AE130 over twelve rolling months, provided that these three elements have been checked before signing.
