Re: [Pen-l] Michael Lewis on Sarkozy

[Laurent GUERBY <laurent@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 2008-08-10 at 15:34 -0700, raghu wrote:
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_lewis&sid=azEdlWcgsj5M
> -------------------------------------------------snip
> In case you missed it, Nicolas Sarkozy, the new French president, 
> has decided that the French need to become more productive. 
> He eliminated the law forbidding work weeks longer than 35 hours, 

I've always been amazed by this affirmation which is repeated and
repeated in all USA medias "forbidding work weeks longer than 35
hours". 

It's just a flat lie.

The 35 hours workweek just means that  hours worked after 35 hours must
be paid more in the normal case (about 25% more). But the 35 hours law
also introduced possibility to annualize hours worked, you can work 40
hours one week and 30 hours the next one. So this was a win-win law,
something for employers (flexibility) and something for employees
(working less), and most analysis showed a positive impact.

But of course only employers not employees decide to make more work
hours available. Only 37% of companies operating in France paid for
hours above 35 in 2007.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heures_supplémentaires

Laurent

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