HauteHippie Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070131/ap_on_...ce_naps_at_work French health minister seeks nap study Wed Jan 31, 8:25 AM ET PARIS - The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job. France launched plans this week to spend $9 million this year to improve public awareness about sleeping troubles. About one in three French people suffer from them, the ministry says. Fifty-six percent of French complain that a poor night's sleep has affected their job performance, according to the ministry. "Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject," Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said Monday. He called for further studies and said he would promote on-the-job naps if they prove useful. France's state-run health insurance provider will send letters explaining the importance of good sleep. The Health Ministry's Web site offers tips on how best to get a good night's rest. The ministry's online "Passport to Sleep" recommends cutting down on coffee, tea, colas, and athletic activity after 8 p.m., shunning TV time or working late in the evening, and listening better to the body's own sleep signals, such as yawning. Bertrand said sleepiness causes 20 percent to 30 percent of highway accidents across France each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 PARIS - The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job. It's not just the French that benefit, it's us Ex-Pats living in France. However, the 35-hour working week is a myth. We all work more than 35 hours as it is. However, we do get a few free days (about one a month) extra holiday because we work 37-40 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 It's not just the French that benefit, it's us Ex-Pats living in France. However, the 35-hour working week is a myth. We all work more than 35 hours as it is. However, we do get a few free days (about one a month) extra holiday because we work 37-40 hours. I just think it must be really nice to have such a strong, stable economy that they can consider napping at work. Oh.... wait.... Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I just think it must be really nice to have such a strong, stable economy that they can consider napping at work. Oh.... wait.... Nevermind. Yeah, your Economy does suck at the moment. The weak dollar must really be hurting. Never mind, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yeah, your Economy does suck at the moment. The weak dollar must really be hurting. Never mind, eh? True, the weak dollar is really kicking our butts. I'm just not sure how much more of this low unemployment and good job growth we as a nation can withstand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I work 60 hours a week and enjoy every minute of it. Really gives you a sense of purpose when your company NEEDS YOU for 60 hours per week. Plus business is booming and I'm making tons of money. Don't envy the French at all. Couch warming and wine drinking all day doesn't excite me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jraines87 Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 I work 60 hours a week and enjoy every minute of it. Really gives you a sense of purpose when your company NEEDS YOU for 60 hours per week. Plus business is booming and I'm making tons of money. Don't envy the French at all. Couch warming and wine drinking all day doesn't excite me. I work about 50 hrs a week and hate it I wanna be French and warm a couch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Hallelujah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 50 to the occassional 60 a week here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 50 to the occassional 60 a week here... I do over 40, and I'm in France. Counting Freelance, I can do well over 60 a week some weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 (edited) As an expat I can give you the corporate scoop. I am allowed 5 weeks vacation right off the bat when I came over here. On top of that I get 17 extra days to compensate that I am working 40 hours a day in a 35 hour a day country. The extra 17 days allows for an additional 3 weeks vacation and plus few days. That plus another week or so for national holidays and I get at least 9 weeks vacation a year. The hard part is finding time to take that much time off but I learned quickly. I like the French system a lot. Usil Edited February 2, 2007 by Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FasTTaP Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 It's not just the French that benefit, it's us Ex-Pats living in France. However, the 35-hour working week is a myth. We all work more than 35 hours as it is. However, we do get a few free days (about one a month) extra holiday because we work 37-40 hours. Well... all state worker work 35h/week, lots of them do much less... 'up' to 29h... The dark side is that the country is going bankrupt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhead Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Well... all state worker work 35h/week, lots of them do much less... 'up' to 29h... The dark side is that the country is going bankrupt... It is a great work/life balance concept.. the issue is that in a global market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the french, germans and italians to live that life style and compete with asian countries such as china and india who have people working longer hours and producing more . In fact I believe I read somewhere that , that in terms of GDP, China currently ranks 6th amoungst world economies but is expected to leapfrog UK, France, Italy and Germany by 2008 and push into the third position behind the US and Japan. In terms of PPP or purchasing power China currently ranks 2nd Globally only behind the US. India has and will continue to make similar strides. While work/life balance is a great concept and certainly popular in the short terms politically, in the long term, it may not be the best course to follow, especially for countries who aspire for maximum geopolitical influence where money talks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasng Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 My schedule was 60 hours at least every week back when I was a Chartered Accountant, and during tax season, I frequently had 100 hour work weeks too. (I literally had to go in Sunday-Monday 7am-10pm) I was able to get long vacations here and there, otherwise I had very long days in a downtown Toronto office tower. Most people in hte office towers leave at 4 or 5pm, but everyone in my firm left at 7pm almost everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryyannon Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Well... all state worker work 35h/week, lots of them do much less... 'up' to 29h... The dark side is that the country is going bankrupt... Going? Is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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