WORKPLACE CULTURE SHOCKS! | The inside scoop on FRENCH Business Culture | As seen by an American

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Hope you guys liked the video about some of the Workplace Culture Shocks I've experienced at the office in France. If you're working as a foreigner abroad, I'd love to hear some of the things that you surprised when you started working!

[@eleonoreriha563]

Well, I'm actually the kind of person who never takes a cigarette/coffee break and don't like to socialize with other people during lunchtimes... and I'm French ! I've never felt the need to chat with people at work and don't like to force myself to seek it. Guess I'm kind of antiscocial^^

[@eleonoreriha563]

Very interesting video by the way ! Love your channel !

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks! Love your name! we just named our little girl Eleonore last month :)

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Haha well all my points are definitely "general" so they don't apply to every single French person! Go ahead and be as anti social as you want! 😃

[@eleonoreriha563]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Wow, really ?? And why did you choose that name ? I'm curious to know about it !

[@mitch075fr]

about the coffee break... I had a German colleague at one of my previous job who thought that us French were slackers due to the numerous and rather long coffee breaks the staff would get. He didn't understand how the company could stay afloat when no one would be at their desk toiling away at their work! And then he noticed something... Those same French (wo)men who had left 10-20 minutes ago to get a cup of coffee and chat at the coffee machine, would come back to their desk, sit down, focus intently on their computer, type down something at blazing speed and solve in a few minutes a problem similar to the ones he had to manage and would take him almost an hour to solve. So he started joining in on these coffee breaks... Only to discover that yes, they ARE somewhat part of work! This is where the French office drone will discuss (among other things) the latest problem he has encountered with his/her colleagues. After a nice amount of relaxing debate on the problem's cause, how to solve it and how much work it deserves, the office drone would merely have to sit at his desk to implement the fix. Be lazy, work smart - do it once but do it well.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Completely agree! Coffee breaks have a purpose and the French are known the be efficient!

[@gabyinparis9695]

I also agree! Even if I am not a smoker I can imagine that the talks around the cigarette works the same way. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out at my work here in France because I don’t join them :)

[@mitch075fr]

@@gabyinparis9695 not as much as the coffee break, but yeah - I don't smoke either, but I would still join my smoking colleagues sometimes. It's just a matter of not being downwind from them.

[@gabyinparis9695]

mitch075fr good though I should also start to join mine more often too! :)

[@StephaneCalabrese]

Completely agree, it is a parallel corporate world where things get sorted out, decisions are taken, contacts are made, in a more relaxed, but definitely efficient way. I am a non smoker but I cannot count how many times I joined the cig pack. In one of my job, I knew that the management was meeting at the coffee machine very early in the morning (like 7:30) and that most of the cross areas decisions were taken. I took the habit to get early to the office at least one or two times a week to "accidently" meet these guys and get my messages heard.

[@rodlecid]

Complaining is a national habit in France. We love it 😊😊

[@MannyLectro]

Damn I'm so tired of people saying that about us... Pffffffffffffff......

[@michealrosen]

@@MannyLectro the truth hurts I guess lol

[@MannyLectro]

@@michealrosen Hehe :)

[@LivieCaroline]

My colleagues would say "French people are just not shy to tell when they are not happy with what's happening" which is actually an extension to our debating ability

[@01cortomaltese]

Or is it that not saying anything because of fear is an habit in other countries?

[@habsheim0]

Excellent video. You’ve observed the French working environment with throrough eyes. To complete your overview, I’d add 2 points: - French are risk adverse and always fear changes. Due to this, they are not the best friends of innovation - They have difficulties to question themselves or their performance. Therefore, they often keep moving to the wrong directions and do not make a U-turn before hitting the wall. Best wishes to you 3 for the new year.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Such great points! Especially the innovation one! Happy New Year! :)

[@gabyinparis9695]

Xaxa Lolo Interesting points. The second one I find linked to the management, having a hard time questioning themselves in general. But then again I think it is because they have a bigger sense of social hierarchy in France (I’m comparing to 🇸🇪 ) so the managers are often seen of more like experts which is how they win over their employees. Rather than team players/coaches like in Sweden Obviously this depends on the company and the situation. FYI, talking about the corporate world. But I’ve seen so many younger, and also managers being very good at questioning themselves here in France so still it is also depends on the character.

[@dpjb78]

Unintentionally Frenchified WTF

[@wir6228]

Do you think France is a developed nation because it is afraid of change ? Look at our history, our technological innovations and all the inventions due to French. Maybe we don't like to take risk just because of a (non calculated) change but that's all.

[@dpjb78]

Xaxa Lolo I thought American government was the only problem in France and USA friendship but I réalise the low level people is also our enemy. There’s a short phrase that explains the status of our friendship : “with USA as ally France doesn’t need enemies” I won’t take time to explain the spirit on innovation we have, what we invited. It would be too long and you couldn’t understand with your binary brain. All I can say is that USA hates when we create something better and it tries to kill by buying companies or influence the deciders to block France new project. One good example is the Rafale. It’s currently the best war plane and USA don’t like that all. Your government obliged all European countries to be equipped with old fashioned, failing F-35 just because your gouvernement is too powerful. In the future, New France army project will no more be a sovereign decision. Thanks fuckin USA ! It’s one example among others. Fuck you.

[@Sorel366]

You missed a big one : the no snitching rule which is enforced in high school and at the office. If you ever report an important mistake by one of your coworkers, you will be labeled a rat and you'll never come back from that. Even managers often cover for their teams. While in the us you're expected to rat people out and no one will blame you for it.

[@BlaszkowskiCarruscaArnaud]

Snitching out is a very USA way of doing things. It comes from the crazy unreasonable competition you people like to be involved in. In other countries, people talk together to resolve the problem caused by the mistake. Snitching out is not gonna help the problem to be solved or the person that made the mistake to grow.

[@randyc5650]

You think no one blames you for ratting? If you trust a known rat, then you deserve what you get. Rats may thrive in a newbie environment but an experienced group will keep setting them up until they hang themselves. It is usually easy because they are so eager to rat.

[@Coeurebene1]

I think it's partly due to the repulsion inspired by nazi collaborators during the war. In my experience snitching is not that frowned upon in Switzerland for example.

[@Antuandeburg]

Rotten, soulless America

[@YorranKlees]

The French do not define themselves through their job. This is very true. We work to live, not the other way around. And yet, we have to feel some gratification about how we work, do things right and be proud of what we do. Feel that it is well done, useful and efficient. This is important to us. Mixing the two ideas might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it is the very core of our culture. One just can't go to work everyday, "do stuff" and leave. It has to make sense, whatever one works in.

[@StephaneCalabrese]

Gosh I hated so much my English Manager in Paris who organized "brown bag meetings" at lunch time about once a week. We would go to the nearby boulangerie to buy a sandwich and then head to the meeting room for a 30 mins team meeting. I hated that. And in turn, he hated our 1hr30 Friday lunch at the local vietnamese restaurant :-)

[@wir6228]

De même, je déteste les réunions sandwich ! Quel perte de temps et quel inconfort. Dans ces réunions je ressens comme un dédain de la part des managers ...

[@mrsorganisestuff9502]

I feel that so much. I used to work in a French company (freelancing now), private sector, and we used to have long useless meetings... I would start falling asleep after the first half an hour and it would be super hard to stay focused til the end. I also experienced the French "you have to get to get to know the person for her to get your requests done" and it used to be a lot of stress for me. And same thing for the sharing aspect... When I started working, I was excited about getting to know new people and after some time realized... It was not really gonna happen. Btw I agree, complaining is 100% part of our culture ;-)

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Glad you can relate to most of the shocks! I've totally seen colleagues fall asleep during a meeting 😂

[@e.machocolat775]

HaHaHa so true many good points, I'm a New Yorker now living in Paris and yes we do Work, hard and the competition can be high. Our coffee breaks and lunches are usually 15 min and 45-1hr respectively but not at all the lengthy ones like in france and no alcohol is offered, it took me a while to get used to the way of life here but I love it, love the debats, long family meals and aperitifs and wine. I like that french people do not randomly just come up and talk to you they keep to themselves unless the cue is long and then they can complain about it lol

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I feel you about enjoying a lot of the differences France has to offer!!

[@stephen10.]

i m french and we have 1 hour lunch only . it ´s a good break

[@cindland]

I so appreciate your insights and comparisons. I’m only 1/4 French, but I see here I get some of my traits! I love a good discussion just for the sake of it. I worked on corporate America for almost 20 years. I never fit in. I d go into meetings and scratch my head. No discussion or coming together of ideas. It was one person sitting at the head and saying we’re doing this and that. It sounds like a fun and interesting environment. Also interesting about the aloofness of coworkers and not discussing personal stuff. That’s all I remember from my corporate days. So what DO people talk about in their break time at work? Also, didn’t you have a baby? Don’t you get a long maternity leave in France? I haven’t watched you in awhile. Happy new year.

[@annarehbinder7540]

cindland The weather, all sorts of culture, what’s in the News .

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

The news is SO on point!!!

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Hi! Glad to see you can see yourself in some of the French traits!! I'd say people talk about culture events, the news, work projects, politics... things we shy away from sometimes in the US 😂 I did just have a baby 6 weeks ago and I'm on my 4 month maternity leave right now! I have a video about the differences in maternity leave coming out next month!!

[@cindland]

Thanks for the helpful replies. Yes that does make sense. Haha, Americans taking about the news in the workplace..🥱. More like latest episodes of whatever current tv show is on! Congrats on your new baby. Take a nice rest time and enjoy it. It all goes by so quickly. Savor every moment, even the ones that seem unglamorous-like wearing shirts with baby spit up ! Looking forward to hearing about life with baby in France !

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks!!!

[@stephen10.]

If i remember , companies in california or usa offer sleeping room or special rooms to relax 1 hour after lunch or all along the day , they are much more relax and performs much more during their work day. In france we have 1 hour lunch to relax , the productivity is important for a company

[@CiTYLiiFE]

LOVE THIS! Thanks for sharing your thoughts/experiences.. I'll be working in Paris pretty soon so this is really helpful!

[@louiscarlhalle]

It's funny to see how much Québec is more American than French when it comes to work! I never saw how big it was until I watched your video! Tx!

[@BossMiniRanger]

Je suis bien d'accord avec toi ! Je suis un Montrealais d'origine et travaille en France depuis deux ans et elle tout à fait raison. Après, j'ai aussi travaillé à Montréal (avec des francos, des anglos et des allophones), en Beauce québécoise et dans le nord de l'Ontario. Somme toute, les différences régionales en Amérique du Nord me semblent moins importantes qu'avec la France.

[@annyasin]

I worked in France for 4 years and now working in the dutch side of Belgium. Here lunch hour is max 45 mins and I do miss the 1h or 1h30 lunch hours! 😂 also I used to have a 4pm coffee break with my team but here no one stays at the coffee machine for more than 5mins.. so close but yet so different!

[@doomie21]

Klopt het dat je in Frankrijk een 35 uur werkweek hebt en dat een lunch 1.5 tot 2 uur kan duren? Dat zou betekenen dat je 10 uur per week besteed voor de lunch.

[@JezaGaia]

I don't drink coffee, or tea or anything much really outside of meals and I never had an issue going to the coffee break with my colleagues just to "hang out" without ingesting anything with them. Heck I don't drink alcohol (weak liver) and I go to the bar or cafe after work with them and just take a soda and never had any issue either. Sure from time to time they tease me a bit but it's not mean or that often really . As soon as they got that I wasn't judging or abstaining because of some prejudice against alcohol but simply couldn't stomach it they just accepted me as I am and didn't care. They would have done the same if I had abstained for religious reasons as long as I didn't preach about it or judge.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I felt like I got teased a lot for never taking anything when I first started working so I just learned to love sparkling water! But that's great if you stuck to what you wanted and your colleagues jumped on board!

[@chateau7]

Delightful. I hope you do a Part II to this.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks!

[@alicemolinari1759]

I'm a little bit surprised that french people do not usually eat packed lunch, as everything else you said sounds very similar to what happens in Italy, except for packed lunch: in Italy it is pretty common to see people who cooks their lunch for the next day and than take that packed lunch to the office for lunch break. There are even rooms dedicated to people who don't want to go to the cantine. We also have 1 hour to eat and we like eating together. I went to university in Paris and I did not work for a french company, so I've found your video very very interesting :)

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Maybe i happened to work in places where packed lunch was less common but even when i had the money for lunch, people tended to go out to eat together or go bring something back to the office and eat in a conference room together!

[@Draclord35]

Companies in France usually have a canteen or are giving you money covering part of your lunch (tickets restaurant)... so there really isn't a need for you to pack a lunch.

[@gabyinparis9695]

Yes this was also something that surprised me when I moved here too. (from Sweden) but then again sometimes they do bring backed lunch. I worked for some time at a startup (pretty international though) and since we didn’t earn that much we used the famous “ticket resto” to shop at the grocery store to get reductions and bring food to work! :)

[@aymericrichard6931]

At work most of people go to the company restaurant or outside restaurant. Some get their lunch pack but eat with colleagues who buy food at store. Very few eat alone at the desk, but still sometimes don't work while eating. I would say most of people take 1h to eat. Some regularly take up to 2h. And some eat in 15 minutes. It is common for managers to take short time to eat and for them to work many extra hours. And it is not exceptional for them to work evenings or weekend.

[@alicemolinari1759]

Mad Jotun sure there may be no need to cook your own lunch, but I think many italians do that because they choose to eat something healthy where you know for sure what there actually is inside the packed lunch. It’s not always the case when you eat at the cantine. However, French people are known for the high quality of cantines food.

[@gaetanhillion8342]

My advices for meetings in France, Airwaves, it help to stay awake ^^. We do love to complain ;).

[@ChatonQuiMiaule]

As far as I know, in France, it is (outside of Covid, which has special rules) prohibited to eat in front of your computer at the workplace, for hygiene reasons.

[@celia1888]

FYI, there are actually quite a lot of jobs that are 39hours instead of 35 (especially if they're very high or very low in the hierarchy). Granted most 39h jobs aren't in the corporate world.

[@marcvanpoucke5560]

I'm a Belgian, which is not very far from France... One of my culture shocks was the moral obligation to greet everyone personally in the office, sometimes up to 12 persons. 'Bonjour, comment ça van? Ca va bien, merci. 12 times every morning. If you don't do that, it looks to them that you are 'froissé' (angry) with them and that a storm will hit them very soon. But, 'bonjour,' is everywhere from the boulangerie to the railway ticket seller...

[@FB6418]

Every point highlighted is soooo accurate ^^ !

[@AmelieetAmelia]

this is SO accurate! Same here in Spain, x

[@Kevin-vg5uw]

Actually à really good video, got points across nice and quick and detailed so can't get confusing. Really enjoyed it. New sub

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrRyanSandberg]

Do you guys have a lot of parties in France? I live in a small town in northern Europe, and my first year hear I got invited to 7 Christmas parties! But they also have a lot of parties throughout the year on top of it. Most of my jobs in the U.S. had only 1 party for maybe the whole year, or not really any parties at all.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

We have two big parties during the year, christmas and summer! Definitely not 7 christmas parties though!

[@Prussian-Ambassador]

I like how quickly the French are ready to strike at the slightest inconvenience and complain when you ask a bit more effort in times of need. Good luck working in France.

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

Most of the cultural differences to the states also apply towards USA-Germany, besides the long lunch breaks in France maybe.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I would have thought that Germany would be more process oriented than strong focus on relationships?!

[@thestonegateroadrunner7305]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified that's the cliche not the reality. Project success usually depends on how often you show up in the coffee corner. Also contrary to the cliche work life balance has a high value in Germany. The only thing where we're not as good as the French with regard to the social system is retirement age.

[@Draclord35]

@@thestonegateroadrunner7305 It probably depends on the job. I'd rather have a blue collar job in France than Germany!

[@gabyinparis9695]

Unintentionally Frenchified that’s what I though too but I think that definitely applies to Sweden!

[@Crisetig]

@@Draclord35 In Germany you got a better salary... if you are a qualified worker

[@TheKarlitotube]

If I may, you make it sound like french people have 25+ days of holidays and 35 hours work week on top of that. Actually, 25 is the minimum, the fact you have 13 days (RTT) is because of the 35 hours week, I assume you're actually working 40 hours and have 13 days to compensate the weekly 5 hours difference. The 13 days extra are a consequence of the 35 hours week, but do not come on top of it.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Hello! You're right that I work currently more than 35 hours and my company compensates me for the extra working hours with extra time off (RTT days.) Where I don't agree with you is that I do know people who work strictly 35 hours in the public sector and have more than 25 days of vacation. That's one of the perks of working for that specific company. So while the minimum is 35 hours a week and 25 vacation days in France, just like in the US, people do have more vacation than that and don't work overtime. I thought I was clear in the video about the minimum requirements but sorry if I wasn't and thanks for the comment!!

[@Clemehl]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified In public sector, you may have up to 2 extra days if you took more than 1.5 week days off them between November and April, ending up with 27 paids days. You can also ask for extra days, but those days will not be paid. If some sector have a weird schedule (first week at 43 hours and the second one at 27 hours), you may place some days off strategically and have the illusion of having a whole week (8 days off from sunday to sunday) just with 3 days off.

[@TheKarlitotube]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified thanks for your reply and cool videos. Yes, there are companies were you work exactly 35h and still have more than 25 days as a perk for that company. Damn, I miss my 45 days of holidays...

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks for the insights!

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Its the thing I think ill miss the most when/if we move back to the states! 😬

[@BossMiniRanger]

As a french-canadian (from Montréal, Québec Canada) living and working in France , I totally agree with you. I would add that in France, the network is important to gain superficial prestige. Those who gets promotions are not necesserly those with the best results, but those who know how to become little "kings".

[@AVKBA]

Merci

[@misscharwinter2233]

I should of move to France in my early 20's 😆

[@Coeurebene1]

I think the useless meetings part depends more on the company size or sector than on the country. I've seen these Power Points snooze fests all around the world.

[@lemsip207]

Death by Power Point. The worst aspect of them is handing out copies of each power point slide. With six to a side of paper they are difficult to read and with one to a side of paper they take up too much paper.

[@anjil8044]

haha these are so accurate! Pal mal! Merci!

[@reneedavenport4322]

Makes me want to work in France. What about hospitals? Certainly, you must move quickly there and stopping for coffee and a cigarette will not work in an operating room. Are there jobs where the pace is quicker and similar to the states? Are there any jobs that are 12 hours?

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I would agree with Juliette! and also say I'm not sure about hospitals but i'm sure its very very different than a corporate/office job.

[@LOVElove1direc]

For hospitals it depends where you're working, if it's emergency departments then you don't have a lot of break and right now it's a real mess everywhere in the country but if you're working in other departments then you do have a coffee break and things like that and you work 12hours for 2 days and have a 3 days break (or 2 times 12h and 1 day 7h and then a 4 days break), it's the norm in service where they don't lack people. Also depending on the day, I know that sometimes you have like 4 patients for 8 people and other days it's like 20 patients so those days are more complicated. But mostly working in a public hospital is exhausting and not really something I would recommend.

[@carolinefiorentini3233]

I'm French and I have trouble at the workplace with everything you mentionned (except long lunches !)

[@saifbahnan6502]

I have a trouble accepting the fact I should ask politely even when we are in a middle of a rush. I find saying est-ce que tu peux faire ça, s'il te plaît as a waste of time. If I need sometime that will be used for work in a middle of a rush, I don't see why I should say please and thank you.

[@saifbahnan6502]

This could just be me and the way I see work.

[@ef7496]

In US After 2 years you get approved for 2 weeks and you cannot take them all at once 😂😂

[@norwegianblue2017]

My boss is the opposite of almost everything French. The man lives to work running his business. Usually he doesn't have lunch at all or has a bowl of soup at his desk. Even though he is a millionaire, he prefers to clean the bathrooms himself on a Saturday rather than pay a cleaning person. He's got that midwest work ethic on steroids. All of us employees, being Californians, just shake our heads at his rather excessive industriousness. Maybe that is why he is rich and we are not, but his life looks likes misery to me. I take my job seriously, but I prefer to have more balance in my life. I will take that hour lunch and my coffee breaks, and I will still manage to get everything done.

[@lqja]

Hi Kate! Really like your channel! You mentioned you have 38 days, is this the 25 plus the RTT days? I'm moving to France in a month with my boyfriend who is homesick and I'm very curious about what working there is like. Thank you!

[@WienerVL]

Ive watched many of this vids from all over Europe! In all european countrys the differences to the USA are the same!

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Good to know! I've only worked in three countries so not a total expert yet outside of France and the US!

[@WienerVL]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Its funny to see the United States of America and the different "United States of Europe"! ;-))

[@Draclord35]

Germans are a bit more "work work" than the French though.

[@wvv3758]

In the Netherlands the lunches are shorter and more simple than in France. Often just a sandwich with cheese. Drinking alcohol during lunch hardly ever happens. Only if some high level executives of different companies want to become acquainted. But even then not drinking wine is accepted.

[@juliusnamroni3373]

am listening from kenya

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Cool!

[@inwedavid6919]

All people don't have 35h it is die because you work in a big company, most still work 39h and more in restaurant where you can go up to 52h if you have less tha 50 people working in the company, most of restaurents. Also you can see that productivity in France is nearly the same as US so more work in a shorter time.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Hi! Of course everyone doesn't work 35 hours, just like everyone doesn't work 40 hours in the states. However, no matter how many hours you work in France, legally, a full working week is 35 hours. That's just the law and the main point I was trying to make.

[@inwedavid6919]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Well no it is the legal time for company that are more that 50 sallaries. legat time for others are 39H And in restaurants it is both 44H and 52H (less than 50 salaries). There is not one legal time but many. Also there is a status called "Cadres" where you are assigned to work day and not work hours. Then you can work 7H a day or 12H a day, it is still a day and this is absolutly in the law.

[@benkennedy3376]

I live in the usa I've never had a paid vacation or a saterday and a sunday off. And if I did have the weekend off I would have enough money to enjoy it.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I totally understand. There's just no law that governs minimum vacation time and it's such a shame.

[@artnodulot1525]

hello ben you don t need money to enjoy your free time .you can read a book or walk in the nature .speak with your friends ect ...

[@liloruf2838]

That's so bad. Well.. You live in a democracy, go make better decisions

[@joannahampton3808]

"saterday" the u & e are too far apart for this to be an accident

[@stephen10.]

the tourism sector would increase very much if americans have more vacations. in the other hand the gdp per capita is higner than in france for several reasons, france has no material raws, we work less but not so much that you can imagine because our productivity is good compared to others with more workdays.

[@garryiglesias4074]

5:00 - I'm not against "positive attitude" (although it's a childish concept)... The problem I can't stand with americans (I work with...), the INJUNCTION to be "fuuuuun", to be "kiddish" (In game industry particularly) which is simply a management way to keep employees dumb, and they TAKE employee like "I want to have a win career".. But NO ! I'm not a TV host... My job is to program, it's not to be "fun" to "sell myself", or the only goal to fulfill a career is not to do your job but become some incompetent manager, a "petit chef de merde" and take the maximum of cash from the flow generated by THOSE WHO WORK... I love american scientists and technicians, I hate the american "win/career" management which is superficial.. I correct you on another point: _ I DO define myself as my JOB... Which means SKILLS and PRODUCING... Savoir faire etc... _ "Americans" (trending of course) define themselves as their TITLE JOB related to income... Nothing to do with your USEFULNESS in the society but more how a good parasite you are pumping the money to yourself... Again I love US and Americans for so many things... But the VALUES of work and exploitation coupled with the "you have to be childish" to be malleable, this I hate. This ruins MILLIONS of lives on earth, this is a plague.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks for all the insights! The savoir faire is a very good point!

[@pearlbragat6769]

I remember Emily in Paris here. Thank youuu. It helped me a lot. I will be working with American people and this video helped me to diffenciate cutures in US.

[@sylvainbesse1897]

Very interesting but, as many other foreigners that work in France, you tend to think that big companies in Paris are the rule. They are not: most French companies are small or medium and employees do not have all the benefits you mention. But I agree most larger companies are as you describe.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I did work in a very small company (start up) for 2 years and I do agree that benefits like vacation time were absolutely the minimum, but even 5 weeks seems like a lot for me! But the majority of my experience is in very large multinational companies so that's probably showing through in the video!

[@sylvainbesse1897]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified I must admit 5 weeks must be like a fantasy for people who have 2 weeks a year !

[@edouardesk4535]

Hey. There are no subtitles et j’ai presque tout compris 😊

[@auroreamiami]

Edouard ESK bravo, beaucoup ont des difficultés en compréhension c’est que tu as un bon niveau :)

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Bravo!!

[@cathelliam3195]

Pour beaucoup de choses ça concerne des grades et des secteurs de métiers particuliers .... Beaucoup de français ont des contrats de travail avec moins voire pas de congé payé, personne à part ceux hauts dans la hiérarchie ne travaille que 35h, idem pour les longues pauses déj sur lesquels les cadres abusent niveau temps pendant que ceux avec un grade moindre n'ont parfois pas le temps de manger du tout parce qu'ils n'ont pas le temps de prendre leur pause (puisqu'effectivement on n'a pas le droit de manger en bossant). Les droits du travail sont plus avantageux que ceux des US sur beaucoup de points mais là vous faites croire que le cadre en grande entreprise c'est représentatif du travailleur moyen....

[@elisabaranger1514]

J’aime tellement tes vidéos ! Continue

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Merci beaucoup! :)

[@seeburg10]

Do the French actually work at all between 5 weeks of vacation, 1-1/2 hour lunches-with alcohol, cigarette and coffee breaks and 7 hour workdays?

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Yea! I think they are a super efficient population, but that's just my opinion!

[@carolinefiorentini3233]

French have one of the highest productivity rate in international statistics

[@stephen10.]

I m french , we have 5 weeks vacation, 1 hour lunch , no alcohol at the cafeteria , cigarettes only outside the building , 7 hours official workdays but we can do more if we want . the national average is more than 35 hours per'week for employes. If you have a private job you can do all the hours that you want per'week or if you are a corporate executive you will do much more than 35 hours per'week but you ll earn more money .

[@Antuandeburg]

Why subtitles are not available ? What the hell ?

[@julienf2301]

It sounds fair. From the opposite point of view, i.e. as a French expat having lived in many countries, I kind of agree with most of that. For the "relationship" point however, I have the feeling that it does depend to some extent on which region of France you're speaking about.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Good point about the regions. I've only worked in Paris, so that could be quite different from other areas!

[@Pakal77]

Are the French different from the other people, or it's just the Americans ? ;)

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Probably different to other people too, but i'm not much of an expert in all cultures... yet! 🤗

[@gabyinparis9695]

Well I can say as a Swedish expat living in France! French are pretty different from Swedes too ;)

[@Draclord35]

@@gabyinparis9695 As a French expat living in Stockholm, I concur! I would say I tend to prefer the way things are done here in Sweden (except maybe a certain lack of flexibility and a kind of "rules are rules and should be the same for everyone in every situation" attitude that is a bit dumb sometimes).

[@melokhy693]

As a french working on international stuff, I think you can compare french workers to other latinos countries, like spain or italy. But considering we're not 100% latins, we're somehow a not-so-latin version xD

[@orcaflotta7867]

There are subtle differences between European nations and people but overall it's gotta be said Americans are the "odd kid out".

[@selmer807]

Also chick kissing. Up to 4x kisses depending on the region!

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Absolutely!!

[@Gold6240]

You mean cheek? Unless you like to kiss hens and chickens xD

[@hervemurgale8098]

I'm sorry to tear down the myth of hard working US workers, but I actually experienced the reversed culture shock in US companies: even in small to medium tech companies, in US you leave after your 8 hours on site, while in France in similar companies people would actually work around 10 hours... and in US, working days are not that 'intensive' compared to those in France. I only speak for working places like medium size companies, I've experienced some state companies in the US and there... people just came to work and sit, but extremely few actual work was done... but yes, they were doing the hours...

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Always good to hear from people who haven't experienced the same thing! I've heard a lot of people say that the French are way more efficient in their shorter work week than other cultures like Americans.

[@ImHereFindMe]

So...uhh...when do they actually get work done?

[@rushdialrashed9627]

A good 1.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks!

[@fouziya5629]

I was born in France and I am living all my life here, but I did not really work with French people and it is not so bad lol You just miss some detail : they are arrogant and little bit sassy ! And maybe I am but I try hard to change this !

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

The French are known to be a bit arrogant so i guess that does show in the office too sometimes!

[@AceHardy]

🙏

[@chamhancham3915]

Tes amis français t'ont-ils déjà montré "caméra café" ?

[@alexbay7885]

If you don't know them personally, you can't get your work done. That's the definition of corruption as opposed to professionalism. I left France for good, and I don't wish it on my worst enemy

[@DraxTheDestroyer]

What kind of work ? What kind of task are you trying to get done by your colleagues ? It seems like you are generalizing the whole French based on few experiences. Can you elaborate ?

[@ef7496]

What is your job ???

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

I work in digital marketing for a cosmetics company!

[@PeppeDaBari]

I'm an Italian that lives in Italy and I must say, we Italians love a good complain and a little bit of an argument. Maybe a little bit less than the French. And we smoke less, I think.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Thanks for the insights about italy!

[@Steve-hu9gw]

Mon dieu! And I find American workplace meetings to be a waste of time and full of bs. I can only imagine a French one. I don’t think I’d be able to keep my mouth shut. I can’t already.

[@chauvinflorent8245]

Hello I've seen some people eating in front of their computer in France... That's exist

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Wow, not my experience, but good to know that it happens from time to time.

[@Crisetig]

Must be german spies...ca doivent être des espions allemands :-)

[@Coeurebene1]

@@Crisetig we need to check if they eat curry wurst by chance

[@Crisetig]

@@Coeurebene1 That would be too easy... :-)

[@romainroussel6172]

[@auxyray]

I don't feel like we lived in the same countries, France or the US.

[@ef7496]

I forgot also the Americans they think they are the smartest people on earth and their ways are the only correct way 😂😂

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Haha, i spoke about that in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpSQamyZaLhqsM0

[@amanmahajan2070]

Sounds Like more talking less work

[@tomd5678]

Yup. The first man on the moon was American. The best bread in the world is French. It's a choice

[@orcaflotta7867]

Hmmmm, what a choice.Can I please decide after I had a good French sandwich? Oh, guess the answer gave itself. ;)

[@Crisetig]

What did you get from the fact that an american was the first man on the moon when on the other side everybody can enjoy french bread? And sorry, the best bread comes from Germany :-)

[@tomd5678]

@@Crisetig apologies. I thought that the Germans messed up making bread by adding too much water and created the best beer. My bad

[@Crisetig]

@@tomd5678 :-) For me the best beer comes from Belgium

[@Coeurebene1]

@@Crisetig I live on the Rhine in Strasbourg, I get German AND French bread, paradise

[@amyanderson2094]

And THAT is why America is such a rich country...

[@thepolitix1008]

I don’t understand your comment ? Can you explain that please ?

[@katepausig8562]

America ranks poorly in almost everything. France is also a pretty wealthy nation. America is a laughing stalk of the world with some pretty fake people.

[@camembertdalembert6323]

So how do you explain that the poverty rate is higher in the USA than in France ? It's probably a rich country, but the money is extremely unequality distributed.

[@Draclord35]

@@camembertdalembert6323 ... and France itself is quite unequal compared to many Northern European countries.

[@camembertdalembert6323]

@@Draclord35 which country ? Norway has oil ressources, that changes a lot of things. Germany has a high poverty rate. In Sweden and Finland, the social organisation is better (and it's a good thing to me).

[@OptLab]

Not even French lacks inspiration these days :)

[@Brynny211]

They don’t work in France all they do is complain

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

There's a lot of complaining but a lot of working in France too!

[@Coeurebene1]

you don't get the 6th economy in the world by complaining, that's just another cliché

[@HighTechFan_Geek]

We don’t work? Seriously? Remind me the ranking of France

[@nannejandejong7112]

One word of advice: talk a bit slower. Not everyone who watches your videos is speeking American every day. = feedback :-)

[@PriscillaThen]

I think 90-95% of the population would agree that she talks absolutely at a good pace; she shouldn't have to adjust her pace to suit the 5-10% who have ESL. You can play the video slow, like 1.25 - 1.5 times slower speed. (Was that direct? I'm getting Frenchified already!)

[@nannejandejong7112]

@@PriscillaThen I talk a lot of English in Europe. The people in Europe that I meet do not talk this fast. I don't know how you can talk for 90-95% of the population? I try to give a positive feedback. Not all your viewers are native American ! speaking. There is a difference between English and American.

[@fabricehaubois2442]

Awful

[@bernardbouzon5499]

Vous avez de la chance d'avoir de la bière et du vin gratuitement dans votre restaurant d'entreprise. Mais je me trompe peut être.

[@UnintentionallyFrenchified]

Hello Bernard! Nous avons du vin et de la biere, mais c'est pas gratuit! Il faut quand meme payer! 😜

[@bernardbouzon5499]

@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Merci pour la précision.