The French 35-hour work week

bbc, feb 6

I am guessing they have a 44 week work year, so they increased overtime from 4 hours a week to 5 hours a week. Someone help me with the math.

I have seen 60+ hour weeks contribute to the destruction of several marriages and families, so I am all for maintaining balance and valuing the family. But getting up in arms over an increase of one hour a week ... it's like they are just trying to piss off stockula.

There's a New Baltimore???

Ok..I'm confused...is this mandate for goverment employees or for the private sect too?
Why would anyone let their goverment tell them how hard and how long they can work?? Ooops..I forgot it was Europe. To hell with big goverment and to hell with trade unions.

[Edited on Feb 08, 2005 by dspsg]

I think I need some background on this. Is 35 hours too little or too much? It seems like it would be far too little (unless you are salaried in which case it would kick major ass) I know making what I make if I was only allowed 35 hours a week I would probably need a second job.....I also can't believe there is a maximum amount of overtime per year. I have never heard of such a thing. I work about 40 hours a week and have taken two days off in the past year and a half (two extra days; plus two christmases). I can't imagine how little time these people must spend at work. Even if they work all 52 weeks and take no vacation, they could only work a MAXIMUM of 2040 hours a year? This seems very wrong. I work about 2080 hours a year (40*52) plus any overtime above that (usually not much). At an old job I used to work about 70 hours a week with one week vacation or about 3570 hours per year.....

Eh, in any case, it's beating my 0 hour work week... I'm so broke.

Working laws in europe are to allow employees not to be screwed by employers. A general working week of 37.5 hours is about the norm (at least in the UK), this can be much higher with some jobs, but the laws also govern rest periods, and the maximum hours (they believe) a person can work without suffering ill effects. My company has issued a working time policy to bring us in line with Europe - I'm contracted to do a 37.5 hour week, if overtime is available, I can take it, but I have to have a rest period of 13 hours in between working days. The laws also govern working breaks (15 minutes every 3 hours I believe, but I could be hopelessly wrong).

But saying this, some employers make overtime mandatory at certain periods. Uping overtime hours can cause some employers to take advantage, but, in the legislators' defense, there is a huge workforce shortfall (especially in skilled areas) and some employers may need this change in the law to keep output up and continue to compete with cheaper, foreign competition.

Which ever way it goes, some people in the workforce will suffer.

Doesn't French labor law also mandate six weeks vacation time for everyone?

35 hours a week is plenty of time to have to work, especially considering average productivity per worker in many sectors has increased up to 50 times from what it was 50 years ago with real wages in many parts of the world actually declining...

To say that the french should have to increase their working week to compete with cheap labour from abroad is the wrong way of looking at it. Instead laws should be introduced to stop Multinational corporations from exploiting workers in less 'developed' coiuntries. Institutions like the IMF and the world bank should make 'structural adjustments' which require governments in the third world to pass laws guaranteeing and enforcing humane labour laws.

Of course, the exact opposite is happining and will continue to happen

Lazy Frogs ! Stop your croaking!

they saved your ass in the war of independence

The UK has longer working hours than the rest of Europe. We also have worse production rates than the rest of Europe.

The European Working Times Directive sets a voluntary maximum working week of 48 hours per week (Though workers can choose to do more if they want to)
Nightworkers can work 8 hours in 24.
Workers get eleven hours rest per day.
Workers get one day off per week.
Workers get an in work break if their working day is longer than 6 hours
Workers get 4 weeks paid holiday per year.

(This is for the UK).

Shorter hours would be better for everyone; better for families, better for industry, better for workers, better for employers, better for the nation. But the UK has pisspoor management, so it isn't going to happen.

For sale :

French Military rifle
Excellent condition, never fired,dropped once.

I have got to get out of the States...

Alright so I just did the math. I have done 98 hour work weeks several times before. I know people have done as much or more. Some have double jobs or like myself ended up in Kuwait etc working seven days a week for at least 14 hour days. Sometimes 16 for various reasons. This is doing pretty mentally and physically demanding stuff.

I know around the late 1800's and early 1900's there were worker abuses like none other. If a 40 hour work week is to hard Id suggest a quick history lesson. Next thin you know people will be calling for a 20 hour work week because they cant get out of there cubical after having to many twinkies.

Some jobs obviously are labor intensive and very strenious to the body. Almost everyone has special legal provisions. The rest of the complaints are falling on deaf ears here. It almost offends me they are strikeing over something that stupid. Whatever works for them though.

Part of the reason a shorter work week works well in France is that it helps create more jobs. From my limited knowledge, France has a pretty high unemployment rate, particularly due to a constant and large flow of immigration. Also, a 35 hour work week is more affordable there because their social system provides so many things that we spend a huge chunk of our income on in the US.

Do you think it's right that you have had to work 98 hour weeks to survive?
Do you think it's right that people have to spend every waking hour earning money just to sustain themselves and their families?

Or are you just jealous and want to drag other people down to the level you have had to experience?

I like the new commercials on in the States that attack work weekends etc... basically in the US people don't have to do jack as employers, and can basically make you do whatever they want for as much as they want to pay you, and only grudgingly give you the nationally recognized holidays (not bank holidays, or government holidays... just the holy santioned ones).

If you're not making it ;

You're spending it.

Not at all. I signed the dotted line. My job was mission critical if I didnt work or cried then people died. I wasnt about to let down anyone because I didnt want to work hard. Was it fun? Nope but if I was doing 98+ then I think the people crying about doing a little over 1/3 of my work should count there blessings.

Many people who have two jobs or work over time do it for a few reasons. They want more money for whatever reason, or they have spent to much money on cars houses etc then they really had. VERY VERY FEW people in the US have to work over 40 hours and survive comfortably. Granted in some places if you want to get out of your trailer park and own a home you have to work hard. I dont see a necesity to work long hard hours to SUSTAIN life. If your that deep in the hole then something is very wrong and your probably on welfare of some type.

Jealousy has nothing to do with it. I just think we have come miles in workers rights and still have areas to fix. On the other hand I think people have gotten far to complacient and have fogotten how damn good they have it. Even in the worst parts of the US there is free medical, and food for those in need. I think the complaint of working to hard to long is stupid when you compare the average work week in the early 1900's was 6.5 days a week at 12 hours a day. People were so desprate for work they took these jobs in terrible conditions. Now we have safety, standards, overtime, and tons of benifits such a medical etc. Why complain about a very good deal?

The Dutch work 35 hours a week also. Plus they have great cheese.

I think I need to move.

If you're not spending it; what use is it?
and
You shouldn't spend it if you don't have it.

[Edited on Feb 08, 2005 by jaLopY]

About 10 years ago I had a real dick of a boss and was having trouble getting lunch breaks so I called the Illinois Department of Labor (this was before the internets) and was told that under state law workers are legally entitled to 20 minutes of break time for every 7.5 hours worked (and that included bathroom breaks). IIRC, I asked how much break time someone who works 14 hours was entitled to and was told 20 minutes (again including bathroom breaks). Un-f-ing unbelievable (and I don’t think the law’s changed since then). I don’t think most people (in the US at least) realize how little protection the law actually gives workers (for instance, most employees are “at-will” and can be legally fired for no reason at all).

you keep mentioning the U.S. but America has very little manufacturing these days, most of your economy is based on the services and knowledge sector. The people who work the longest hours are those in manufacturing in 'developing' countries and they are working massive hours by absolute necessity. These are the conditions that are threatening to force western countries to reduce workers conditions as a part of the upiquitous 'race to the bottom' of modern Global capitalism