35-hour week: Do the French really work less?

[@kawaiigirl5548]

Hours dont matter Productivity is the key

[@Mike_________MikeMike]

4:45

[@TheCaniblcat]

I work 45.5 hours/week. At the end of the day I'm usually too tired to do anyone more than make a sandwich and go to bed. I think a 35 hour week sounds like a wonderful idea.

[@newera478]

As someone who does 40-60h depending on seasons I agree. 35h would be nice. If you ask me the salaries should be cut down at the same rate as the working hours. This wouldn't also make more job places but at the same time give more free time to those who already are in work.

[@sukotsutoCSSR]

Geez I work 55-70 hours a week and I'm glad there's no stupid restrictions to keep me from building up my savings. 45 hour work week feels too low - too much unnecessary free time. There shouldn't be government restrictions to the work week, let the employee and employer negotiate that among themselves on their own

[@premirralucie5856]

The French fight and demonstrate to get that.

[@xxxxxx-kk7mh]

@@sukotsutoCSSR there most certainly should be restrictions

[@dimensiondoor2738]

@@sukotsutoCSSR Work as much as u want, don't restrict other people's free time.

[@THEMIGH3Y]

Meanwhile in Thailand 72 hours work per weeks Are we really work less?

[@organenthusiast5803]

You Thais are a hard working people. Things will continue to improve in the Kingdom. Just take a look at the the rise in value of the Thai Bhat.

[@carenalex6037]

35 hour weeks.... wow... in the USA 50 hours in considered ‘just efficient ‘. Anything under that.... lazy.......

[@MrKylljoy]

yeah, because USA work politics must be applied everywhere else in the world, or they're considered lazy

[@swicheroo1]

Talk about a strawman! At 4:21 there is a long sequence with a spreadsheet comparing different hours across nations. That, in effect, invites this kind of conversation.

[@morzhed-hoqh732]

Caren Alex If you are fat and stupid, you have to spend more time to do the same job...

[@dimensiondoor2738]

20-25 hours per week should be enough.

[@contentwatcher1629]

I want to move to France so bad. The US hates for workers to have free time😫

[@UHF333]

its not about putting more hours/work....its about producing more...the question should be working 35 vs 45 produce more?...may be in some assembly line but not anywhere else

[@blackchiron5626]

I work over 40, but not more than 50ty and sometimes on a Saturday which puts me over 60 some weeks. And I'm usually so tired I can't even see straight. We'll never get to 35 hours here in the US. It's to much greed and corruption

[@morzhed-hoqh732]

Here in France we don’t work 35 hours a week ; we are paid 35 hours a week. Nuance ! There’s a big difference!

[@ltgdr6298]

BS

[@redwoodcoastcalif]

Productivity and task continuity must be compared to shorter work weeks.

[@htfcm]

Working 40 hours a week is considered the bare minimum where I work In Florida. If I am not willing to work 45 a week people talk behind your back or make stupid comments leading to you being lazy. I have a life and I enjoy actually having friends and family. I enjoy pursuing other things outside of my work life.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Here in Germany, 8 hours per day would mean 8 hours work equivalent to pre-exam day studying in Library, in terms of rigour. Longer hours in USA are collectively far more relaxed than in Germany; and I have worked in rather demanding Banking industry in NY.

[@BrianMedinaOfficial]

Love these videos! I live in Toronto, Canada. Here most people work between 40 and 35 hours per week and if you work extra time you get lieu hours or you get paid time and a half. But here this is not a controversial matter. It is part of the culture. If the government tried to increase the amount of hours per week there would be riots haha.

[@scootertron8332]

Wait, I thought that Canada worker culture like the US? Am I understanding you right?

[@hugotrinelle4484]

35 hour work week is not itself a bad idea, but what is not mentioned, is that we went from 39 to 35 hours a week without decreasing the salary of employees thus meaning that people would work less being paid the same wage. Which is why it did not create as many jobs as Martine Aubry predicted....

[@rogerhwerner6997]

Hugo, pay by the hour plays directly into the hands of those who function at a higher working level (the management). What difference does it make if a person works 35 hours or 39 hours? Ultimately, what matters is individual productivity. Corporations often cut staff to decrease overhead and increase the bottom line and when they do this they usually demand that surviving workers increase their productivity or risk receiving pink slips. The net benefit to the company is more profit and naturally, management receives increases in pay and bonuses completely out of proportion to the net profit increase. The US has some of the most productive workers in the word but if they worked themselves to death, they could never really be productive enough for corporate mangement. In today's ever increasing automated working environment, worker by-the-hour productivity frequently increases, yet workers frequently work longer hours but in the US worker salaries, when adjusted for inflation, have been essentially flat since 1970. Corporate profits have increased tremendously while management earning have increased by more than 200 percent. This system is supposed to be fair? The heck it is. It's grossly unfair. Inasmuch as worker salaries haven't kept stride with corporate profits and management compensation, workers deserve more time off.

[@Arcaged]

Yes but, we produce more.

[@wellaciccio2362]

35 hours vs 37.5 in the UK is the same. People are not cattle. Moreover, you work harder if you work less. 40+ hours is exhausting, taking a toll on people's mental health, quality of life, stress, unhappiness..

[@wellaciccio2362]

@Nimfa McDonald It is proven that productivity does not change. What you are saying is moderately sexist. So if a person does not want to uselessly overwork without increasing productivity and have a life to enjoy for the brief time that we are alive is a "wussy?". What does a person need to do? "Man up" for unfair working conditions that are just going to cut your life span of a few years so someone else can enjoy the actual profits of your labour while you do not even time to get your life outside work? Remember that happiness is measured by the quality of your social life. So, if a person wants to be happy and healthy during his lifetime is called a "wussy"? Well then, better wussy than else.

[@iFreeThink]

That sounds like "I'm showing up for the hours instead of the day's work."

[@eleveneleven572]

Since I've moved to France I've noticed something about the French......when they work they work. They achieve quite a lot in that time. Alternatively I've worked in many British and one american multination. Long hours! But theres quite a lot of inefficiency and "presenteeism. And don't get me onto public sector productivity. 😨 I think long hours can drop the work rate. After all, you work to live, not live to work. If people have long hours and few holidays it wears them down.

[@scootertron8332]

I've literally stopped caring. All I do is go to work. I don't have the time to go spend my money ironically.

[@iFreeThink]

Engineers are working at home too. But not required to show up at 9am if you're a manager.

[@GM8D79]

longues heures signifie moins de productivité et de maladie. Il devrait toujours y avoir un équilibre entre une bonne vie et un bon travail. Un peu comme comparer de longues heures d'école. Cela signifie moins de concentration et moins de productivité. Notre corps et notre esprit ont besoin de faire une pause dans une situation stressante.

[@swicheroo1]

I group France and Spain within the same sphere: countries where people have great work/life balance but also lower productivities and yields and competitiveness. I can't weigh in on the effectiveness of one work regime over another. France is a pleasant country. So is Spain. I don't really know exactly what either of these countries produces, though...besides tourism. I wish I were a French national, though. I feel I deserve a longer vacation!

[@elbentos7803]

If you watch the video, you'll notice figures that Indeed show that french workers productivity is actually higher than in most of western Europe. As for production exported by France, there are among other things, airplanes, agricultural production, electrical energy, chemicals, foostuff, cars, trains, ships, various services, space industry, weapons...

[@swicheroo1]

I think most of Western Europe is under-performing. I just got back from Italy. You show up at work at 11 and you immediately take a break at 12. But you're thinking about that break at 11:30.

[@elbentos7803]

@@swicheroo1 I'm sorry but I cannot take your "testimony" about italian work ethics at face value... It seems to me more like "high tales". In fact productivity per working hour in the USA is notoriously lower than in western Europe, a fact compensated by longer weeks of work.

[@swicheroo1]

Sure. Tell that to my Ph.D. LOL.

[@elbentos7803]

@@swicheroo1 ok, then I sure have to believe you on the spot, mister PHD...

[@mpfilgueiras]

Is her comment on the effect of unemployment on productivity numbers correct? Because if there is less people working because of unemployment it makes french productivity numbers even more impressive, or not?

[@lucille4824]

35 hours a weeks could also be a part of the reason why French have children 👶 much more than the others western countries.

[@TWE_2000]

They have almost half the population growth rate of the U.S.

[@ElectronFieldPulse]

France has below fertility replacement rate, just like all of the EU and the US. The difference for the US is that it gets 1 million legal immigrants a year, along with just as many illegal immigrants. So the US will avoid having any problems paying for social benefits for the aged population. Europe, and more severely in Japan, there is going to be a lot of financial pain felt by the coming generations as they try to provide for many older people with fewer workers. The math looks depressing for taxpayers, not to mention the effect it has requiring so many workers in a field which produces nothing. That kind of economy could fall behind globally quite fast.

[@gjigaqaquj]

I work at McDonald's and cut my hours to 35 from 40. Best choice I have made at this job, I come home at 9pm have a couple hours before bed and then I get a 6 hour shift the next day it's honestly amazing. Those 5 hours make a massive difference

[@sukotsutoCSSR]

Those extra 5 hours could have gone to savings, and the reward will be much greater later, but oh well

[@gjigaqaquj]

@@sukotsutoCSSR for those of us who don't value money, having that 5 hours out of the equation is much more beneficial. There are people who prefer money over free time, I am not those people.

[@sukotsutoCSSR]

@@gjigaqaquj That used to be my excuse when I thought free time is better. No it's not - we earn that free time and it becomes valuable. If we just have it without earning it, I guarantee the novelty of it wears off and it will lead down to a path of trying to find meaning out of nothing and waste time not building for a better future

[@iFreeThink]

My mommy works at home by thinking all the time. Without a break as suggested by the public sector.

[@jimjones6866]

I have worked for French companies. Their top down management style is exhausting.

[@m.o.m.basiclifeskills2986]

The trend in Wisconsin, united States, is to have workers work less than full time so they do not have to give health benefits

[@hannesgeiger4178]

I am German I work 11 hours a week

[@val-schaeffer1117]

And get the rest paid in form of ALG2, better known as Hartz IV

[@hannesgeiger4178]

Val-schaeffer sorry no ich brauch kein Harz 4 kriege genug Gehalt

[@timkellyD2R]

I'm like Gomez Addams. When Flo speaks French it drives me crazy!

[@Amateur_Pianist_472]

It would create More jobs by taking hours from others. I want to work certain number of hours to get a certain pay.

[@iFreeThink]

10hrs/day

[@silvanonovalis-kj2dx]

They do the 50-hour job in 35 hours. Of course, this creates a lot of frustration and tension and -- who is the winner? -- The boss making a big profit. The 35-hour myth is another means to exploit workers as the bosses do not hire. Aubry is simply a brainless politician.

[@hannesgeiger4178]

Iam german i work 22 Hours The week

[@godogs89]

France's productivity per hr: 45.6 with a 35 hr work week yields: 1,596 Germany's productivity per hr: 42.8 with a 41.5 hr work week yields: 1,776 UK's productivity per hr: 39.2 with a 42.9 hr work week yields: 1,682 All companies care about is access to customer markets and how much a worker can produce. Why would anyone set up shop in France when they can open in Germany, get access to the entire EU marketplace, and have full time workers who produce more? If France wasn't in the EU they could look into ways of limiting access to their customer's for companies who tried to avoid operations in France but still sell into it. As is this seems like a great way to increase the country's unemployment rate while lowering Germany's and other EU members unemployment.

[@Ah-fq9iz]

this reasoning is completly wrong dude

[@iFreeThink]

Home is cooking for my lazy butt.

[@patrickmcshane7658]

Frenchies connections, where's Popeye Doyle? Flo is too cute.

[@SuperCinemaCraft]

She's very cute

[@mpowerrr]

They even forgot to subtract the hours used for strikes.

[@SinPaymentParanoia]

It may seem trivial or like harping to those concerned with reducing offense, but even C-grade public speakers do not bring the sensitivity required for mature dialogue of the invested rights and involvement of the viewers. Just chatter; the intended creed of limiting it to that as the true exclusive minority. Like its religions, the world that waits on the warmth of meaningful involvement in and of itself is not freely aligned with the devolved standard interests of mere very highly paid slots to fill. There's a need for more than curmudgeonly tycoons limiting our realizing what this is all about as open and integrated.