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Want a ’30-hour work week’? Move to Paris (or Lyon)

Paris and Lyon top the list of major world cities with the shortest work week, according to a new study by a Swiss bank.

Published: 27 May 2016 15:14 CEST

Want a '30-hour work week'? Move to Paris (or Lyon)

Lunchtime in Paris? Photo: reynermedia/Flickr

French workers have faced more than their fair share of criticism, from an American CEO saying all they do is talk to Swiss recruitment firms calling them lazy.

Some of this judgment undoubtedly stems from the infamous French 35-hour work week, and a new study by Swiss bank UBS certainly doesn't help their case.

The study revealed that workers in Paris and Lyon put it the least amount of hours out of 71 major cities around the globe.

The average Parisian work week is 30 hours and 50 minutes, the study found, or about 1,605 hours per year.

Next on the list is the country's gastronomic capital of Lyon, with the Lyonnais working just slightly longer than the Parisians: 31 hours and 22 minutes per week on average.

So how does France compare?

France falls somewhat in line with the rest of Europe, where all of the ten least-working cities are located (see full list below).

The average of all 71 cities is 36 hours and 23 minutes, which is also the exact average weekly shift in New York.

London’s average work week is below the average at 33 hours and 30 minutes per week.

To get a balanced representation of society, UBS looked at 14 different professions, taking into account the average hours worked per year as well as national and paid holidays.

The study didn't take any kind of productivity into account.

France's work habits

So perhaps it's just that the French are extremely effective. It’s true that France is very serious about maintaining a proper work-life balance.

Indeed, one French think tank has even suggested that all businesses should have designated napping rooms to avoid burnout and boost productivity.

And France also advocates for its workers' “right to disconnect”, so employees who don't check emails on their time off shouldn't be penalized.

Who works the longest hours?

If you want to find those who work the most, you need to get out of Europe and look toward Asia. Of the cities that work the greatest number of hours, Asia dominates, with seven cities in the top ten.

Hong Kong's work week is nearly 20 hours longer than that of Paris.

Check out the top ten cities on both ends of the spectrum below.

READ ALSO: Ten reasons why France is a great place to work

By Katie Warren

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How to get a summer job in France

There are thousands of employment offers in France – a simple internet search for jobs d’été came up with numerous jobs boards offering work in France, while the government-backed Centre d’Information et de Documentation pour la Jeunesse (CIDJ) offers advice and information on all aspects of life for young people in France, including finding seasonal work and summer placements.

Sectors including agriculture, hospitality and tourism are always recruiting in the summer, seeking fruit-pickers, holiday camp workers and serving/hotel staff.

But what are the rules for people seeking summer jobs?

READ ALSO Vendange: What you really sign up for when you agree to help with the French wine harvest

Age

Children from the age of 16 (under certain circumstances, the age limit drops to 14) who are legally resident in France can work as long as they have written authorisation from their parents or legal guardians. A model authorisation letter is available here.

Those under the age of 18 cannot undertake certain jobs for health and safety reasons.

In the following circumstances, children as young as 14 or 15 can work during school holidays.

The holidays must last at least 14 days;
The child must work no more than half the days of the holiday – so, if a vacation period is two weeks, they can work for no more than one of those weeks;
The child is given ‘light duties’ that offer no risk to their safety, health, or development;
From the age of 15 and if the child has completed their troisieme education, a minor can register for an apprenticeship.

Salary

Salary is usually paid monthly and will have a payslip. For those aged 18 and over, pay will be at least equal to the minimum wage.

For those aged 14 to 17, who have less than six months’ professional experience, the minimum allowed rate is 80 percent of the minimum wage. For those aged 17 to 18, the rate rises to a minimum of 90 percent of France’s minimum wage.

The minimum wage in France is currently €10.85 gross per hour (€1,645.58 gross per month based on a 35-hour week);
the employment contract is fixed-term and can take different forms (fixed-term contract, seasonal employment contract, temporary employment contract, etc);
Seasonal employees are subject to the same obligations as the other employees of the company and have access to the same benefits (canteens, breaks, etc.).

Under 18s have certain additional protections:

between the ages of 14 and 16, during school holidays, employees on any contract cannot work more than 35 hours per week nor more than 7 hours per day;
They cannot work at night;
Those aged 14 to under 16 working during their school holidays can only be assigned to work which is not likely to harm their safety, their health or development.

Right to work in France

If you’re a French citizen or hold permanent residency in France then you have the right to work, but for foreigners there are extra restrictions.

Anyone who holds the passport of a EU/EEA country or Switzerland, is free to work in France or to travel to France seeking work without needing a visa or work permit.

Most other people will need permission to work in France – even if it’s only for a short period or for casual work such as grape-picking. Depending on your country of origin you may need a visa – everything you need to know about that is here.

In addition to the visa, you may also need a work permit, which is the responsibility of the employer. To employ anyone in France for less than 90 days, an employer must get a temporary work permit – before the prospective employee applies for a short stay visa. This permit is then sent to the embassy at which the employee is applying for a visa.

If you come from countries including the UK, USA and Canada you can spend up to 90 days in France without a visa – but you may still need a work (convention d’accueil) if you want to work while you are here.

READ ALSO Six official websites to know if you’re planning to work in France

Certain countries have specific ‘seasonal worker’ visas on offer, for certain sectors which allows – for example – Canadians to come to France and work the ski season.

Cash-in-hand jobs

Certain sectors which have a lot of casual workers – for example seasonal fruit-picking – do have cash-in-hand jobs, known in France as marché noir (black market) or simply travail au black (working on the black, or working illegally).

This is of course illegal and working this way carries risks – as well as the possibility of losing your job if labour inspectors turn up you are also in a vulnerable position. If your employer suddenly decides not to pay you, or make unexpected deductions from your wages, there is very little you can do about it since you won’t have any kind of work contract.

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