The French work harder....

[Coco]

Or so an economist on the BBC said yesterday.   And I was very pleased to hear someone backing it up with figures.  I get a bit fed up with hearing our British guests coming here and complaining about how lazy the French are and how they're never at work.  When I worked in the UK I used to get pretty p****d off at snide comments made when you came in at 9 and left bang on 5.30.  My argument was always that those that stayed later weren't any more dedicated than me.... just less effective if they couldn't get their work done in a normal working day - or allowing themselves to be taken advantage of by having an unfair workload.  Either way, as long as I got my work done, I saw no reason to hang about trying to appear so conscientious, diligent and hardworking, when a lot of people spent a lot of time taking "fag breaks" or just chatting.

Apparently, the figures show that the average Frenchman works 240 hours a year less than his British counterpart (that's 6 weeks!) and yet France (with a similar population to the UK) is just as wealthy.  The economist's argument was that although the French spend less time at work, they are more efficient when they are there.  Bears out my own observations when working in London and when I've visited any offices in France.   In fact, in the last quarter the UK's economic growth was 0.4% and France's 0.7%.  So long live the French way of life, the lazy b*****ds!

[Teamedup]

I agree about being efficient at work.

What gets me is this french efficiency. Where is this happening? Cashiers at the supermarkets and bank tellers work at the speed of striking slugs well in our bit of France they do.

 

[Deimos]

UK does have very long working hours (in practice) but I agree that in my experience companies are very very inefficient. Can’t really compare to France as I don’t have adequate experience of French side of things.

I don’t know if it is as bad or not in France, but in the UK there seems to be loads of “office politics2 that really hinder progress and efficiency.

Ian

[Alcazar]

Well, I read the first post, agreed with it, then read TU's post and the comment about striking slugs, and promptly sprayed the keyboard with coffee

Anyhow, back to my comment: When we have had artisans working for us, I have done the British thing, and offered coffee etc. So far, not one has taken me up on my offer, and some of them looked at me very strangely when I offered. They just get on with the job.........

Alcazar

[Dick Smith]

Alcazar - how many keyboards have you wrecked this year?

Can I be your supplier, please?

I wouldn't mind the slow speed of the checkouts if every other thing wasn't missing the barcode, so Sylvie has to be called for to go and look for the price, come back and say there aren't any more of the shelves, ask me what I thought the price was an so on...

[0zeb100ddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue]

Hello

I really don't think you can blame the employee, it is a management problem. Most French supermarkets seem to think that they are gods gift to humanity. The culture of putting the customer first just hasn't sunk in. Generally french people do work hard I employ 6 and they all get on with things with a minimum of supervision. Personally I am pleased with their approach to work and I will be giving them a nice bonus at the year end to say thanks for improving our turnover and profit this year.

[vervialle]

As you will know from my other posts I have a huge love affair with the french way of life, but when I have visited my local branch of credit lyonais the pace at which they work is unbeleivable.I have often waited half an hour behind a queue of one, I dont get cross as I always allow plenty of time for the visit, nobody else seems to get annoyed, and always politness itself when at last served almost thankful for just being served. How different in the bank I work in the U.k. if I happen to linger to long with a customer asking after the family(iwork in a small branch and know everybody) I get evil looks from those waiting  as if I have committed a cardinal sin , oh how I envy that cashier in France who takes his time.I am sure if people slowed down a bit in the U.K. they would also enjoy their visits to the bank.Down side would be profits would be non existant and we would be out of business, as we are no longer a service industry.How long will it last in France, I am so glad to have experienced in France what my grandad probably experienced all those years ago when banks shut at 2.30. Regards

[Alcazar]

Dick...........only one wrecked, I now have a cover

I thought it was just me that picked up stuff with unreadable barcodes, as it happens in Tesco too.

It once happened in Safeway, and the girl was so fed up waiting for someone to come to her red light that she told me to take it for free, and turned the light off

Alcazar

[SC]

Other economic commentators may disagree with the BBC's economist in the original post. According to Anatole Kaletsky (The Times, The Economist) conventional comparative productivity statistics give great weight to the manufacture and improvement of goods, and fail to make adjustments for the fact that much of the UK economy is now based on high value services such as law, finance, advertising, IT.

Lack of manufacturing investment also affects productivity, but whereas UK labour laws and company social contributions make it practical to hire (and fire) according to product demand, in France and Germany investment in automated machinery resulting in a lower unit labour outlay is the natural course (almost supply led?). There is also no direct relationship between productivity and profit as many hard working self-employed will testify to. Or turnover and profit - look at Carrefour vs Tesco.

If French labour and company law was similar to that in the UK, I think that many French companies, including some of the flagship ones, would soon be subject to takeovers from abroad, such is the scope in them for efficiency improvements. As it is too many foreign companies have had (are having - eg HP) their fingers burned for having invested in France.

In the meantime, protected French business seems to be indulging in a sort of economic colonialism, taking over companies in the liberal economies that it otherwise despises, the UK, US, Spain, and using them as cash cows. EDF recently took control of 100% of Belgian electricity production prompting comparisons with the French histrionics at the highest political level over the Danone rumours.

Steve

[Tag]

I wonder if these statistics include the productivity of fonctionnaires?

[Miki]

[quote]I wonder if these statistics include the productivity of fonctionnaires ?[/quote]

Nice one

At a quick guess................Not a chance, that would completely wreck the percentages !!

[Jo53]

The economist's argument was that although the French spend less time at work, they are more efficient when they are there.  Bears out my own observations when working in London and when I've visited any offices in France.   In fact, in the last quarter the UK's economic growth was 0.4% and France's 0.7%.  So long live the French way of life, the lazy b*****ds!

No offence Coco but I don't think the French way of life is quite so idyllic for the 10% unemployed (and 25% youth unemployment) who suffer as a direct result of the 35-hour week and the French economic system.

The reason French employees are more efficient per head is that the same amount of wealth is generated by FEWER workers. This is because French companies will only employ someone as a last resort, because of over-regulation and high charges. They would rather invest in machinery than people, whereas in the UK it is often the other way around (result: many small UK companies are very low-tech, not necessarily a good thing). In my opinion a successful economy is one that can provide work for its citizens.

My and my OH's experience of working in a French company is of tyrannical management with no respect for the employees, MEGA office politics and interminable meetings without agendas. This didn't engender efficiency. Of course there are good and bad companies everywhere, but like other posters I don't see much evidence of efficiency in everyday life.

The thing about French workman and their coffee made me laugh. It always seems so puritannical, this incomprehension of why anyone would want a drink while they're working. Remember though, they've taken a 2-hour lunchbreak. Their British equivalents surely deserve the odd cuppa (or 7) after their 20-minute stop for sandwhiches.

Jo

[Will]

I bet anybody who has read 'A year in themerde' will be having a bit of a chuckle at this topic. I know it's fiction based on truth (à la George East) but the truth is there...

And those who claim to have moved to France for its slower pace of life will no doubt be rather diappointed.

And anybody who has tried to get anything done, or a problem sorted out, by a large French company such as EDF or SNCF (other than at a purely local level) will probably not recognise the same work ethic.

 

[Coco]

Have to say Will that my experience of both EDF and France Telecom have been absolutely first class compared to their oppo's in the UK.  And we've had quite occasion to call both out on many more than one occasion, what with farmers pulling down our telephone and power cables by mistake with tractors and woodpeckers eating our telephone lines!!!  They've always been there within 3 working hours of the callout and always managed to sort any problems within another two!  Again, I can only speak of my own experience but perhaps I have found that rose-coloured corner of France!