Living
Working Hours
Generally and officially the French working week is 35 hours long. In Paris people generally work from 09:00 to 17:00 with a full hour’s lunch break, while outside of the capital people tend to begin work earlier, starting around 08:00 and finishing around 16:00. Of course hours vary widely depending upon given professions and positions.
People who have completed higher-level studies, such as graduate degrees, tend to be given cadre contracts and are often expected to work far longer than 35 hours per week. Depending upon the employer these cadres are given upwards of seven extra vacation days as compensation.
Those employees without cadre contracts generally work under a worker contract (agent de matrisse), which is a set 35 hour work week. How they’re paid for overtime depends greatly upon their employer.
All French employees are guaranteed five weeks of annual holiday after they’ve worked for their employer for one full year. President Sarkozy has pledged to make the French working week longer than 35 hours and to allow employers more freedom, but general strikes are expected in protest.
People who have completed higher-level studies, such as graduate degrees, tend to be given cadre contracts and are often expected to work far longer than 35 hours per week. Depending upon the employer these cadres are given upwards of seven extra vacation days as compensation.
Those employees without cadre contracts generally work under a worker contract (agent de matrisse), which is a set 35 hour work week. How they’re paid for overtime depends greatly upon their employer.
All French employees are guaranteed five weeks of annual holiday after they’ve worked for their employer for one full year. President Sarkozy has pledged to make the French working week longer than 35 hours and to allow employers more freedom, but general strikes are expected in protest.
