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French meetings: Eight things you need to know

A recent study found French managers spend on average 16 years of their lives holed up in meetings. So given that you could face such a lengthy period of your expat life in a French 'reunion' here's a guide on everything you need to know about meetings in France.

Published: 24 February 2014 13:05 CET
Updated: 25 February 2014 13:05 CET
French meetings: Eight things you need to know
French meetings don't have to be endless and confusing. Photo: Mads Nissen/AFP

If you have been stuck in a meeting in France for so long that you considered digging an escape tunnel, there are a few things that you should know before you reach for the shovel.

Yes they tend to go on longer than an average French lunch break, yes every point seems to have to be discussed over and over again and then once more, and it may feel like everyone must have a say.

But there is no reason to stress about all this. You are simply experiencing one of the more acute differences in Anglo/French working culture. 

The good news is that you can take a few simple steps or to prepare yourself in order to avoid a meltdown or at least to stop you making unfortunate faux pas that may insult your colleagues or hosts.

The bad news of course is that you are still going to have to attend meetings in Fraace. 

We spoke to Franco-American business consultant James Dillon and Anoine Dorin a marketing manager at French online meeting consultants Perfony to put together a series of tips to help you know what to expect and how to get through a typical French meeting.

Dillon sums up the essence and importance of French meetings is one precise point. “The meetings can go on and on, especially if it's more of a traditional company,” he told The Local. “Time is important, but relationships are what really matter.”

1. ‘Get to the point’ is the ultimate cultural insult in a French meeting

The French may seem to spend an excessive amount of time in meetings introducing how a project started and its subsequent phases, but to them the explanation is crucial. They believe the background is essential to decision making. To rush through the details is to offend the speaker. “How can you discuss business when you don't know the context?” Dillon says. “You have just demonstrated the worst stereotype French people have about Americans.” 

2. It’s OK if everyone is late

The meeting is not going to start, or for that matter, end on time. So you should give yourself some scheduling flexibility. Trying to rush the meeting will mean skipping parts or short changing the participants, which could be seen as rude. Besides, the French don't like being in meetings forever either. In fact they have coined the term “reunionite”, which basically means “meeting-itis” to describe their dislike ofthe ritual  Antoine Dorin, marketing manager at online meeting management company Perfony, told The Local.

“I think you have the same thing in the United States. There are people in Silicon Valley that are trying to do away with them completely,” he said. “We just think the time could be used a little more wisely.”  

3. The preliminaries are important

 The French will take time before getting to business to talk about who is in charge of what and who is who. This is not wasted time. Pay attention to where the centres of power lie in order to avoid offending or embarrassing your French counterparts. It may seem obvious as looking at the arrows on a flow chart, but the true politics of a company are vastly more complex.

4. Beautiful concepts are valued

For French managers it’s more valued to come up with a beautiful, perfect concept in a meeting than a plan to make money. They may look to the Anglos, who have a reputation in France for asking tough questions, to dig into the practical questions. Your French counterparts may defer to you on these matters. 

Looking for a job in France? Consult The Local's job section here.

5. They like analysis, not action

At a typical meeting in France you will see a love of discussing a problem or question at great length on display. However, the French aren’t huge fans of deciding how to get their idea to the next step. “The verb ‘to do’ is not as important as the verb ‘to be,’” said Dillon. “It sounds funny, but it's true.”

6. Things are changing 

Some French computer engineers have adopted meetings where everyone stands, instead of sits, in an effort to keep the gatherings short. Also, younger folks are bringing their iPads and smart phones to meetings and may fire off emails during a lull in the action. Their older, more traditional colleagues see this as disrespectful and it is a source of friction, Dillon says.

7. English is a foreign language

A charming and intelligent Frenchman can go monosyllabic during a meeting in English. It is important to remember you may not be seeing all of a person because they are afraid they look ridiculous when speaking English. “I’ve seen people lose a job because of this issue,” Dillon said. “It's a real problem.” So make the effort to speak French or at least speak English clearly.

8. Not everyone will speak up

In more traditional or larger French companies people may be afraid to offer up their ideas during a meeting. Whether as a means to save face or not offend a superior or ally, some workers will simply clam up. It can be useful to network with people before or after meetings to get a broader perspective.

Can you tell our readers any more about what to expect in French meetings and how to survive them? Let us know in the comments section below. 

Do you really hate meetings? See our ten tips to be a successful freelancer in France

FIND A JOB: Browse thousands of English-language vacancies in France 

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WORKING IN FRANCE

The rules on working from home in France

Working from home is increasingly common in France and Paris residents are being urged to consider it during the Olympics - so what rules and protections are in place for employees and employers?

Published: 26 April 2024 13:03 CEST
The rules on working from home in France

The pros and cons of homeworking were thrown into sharp relief during the Covid-19 pandemic – and it seems there are more pros than cons for many employees, who avoid having to commute to work one or more times per week.

For employers, the advantages are sometimes less clear, if articles about the benefits of going into the office are accurate. However, the fashion in France seems to be for a form of hybrid working, with those workers able to do so spending part of the week in the office and the rest working remotely.

Meanwhile some people just do it as needed – for example to avoid transport disruption during a strike or during the Paris Olympics for people who work in areas close to Games venues.

If you do want to work remotely in France – or if your employer has asked you to – are as follows:

Negotiate

Private sector employees can negotiate an agreement to work remotely full- or part-time. If you ask to work from home for any number of days per week on a long-term basis, your boss has the right to refuse, but must give a reason. 

Your boss can also ask you to work from home. In normal circumstances, you can refuse and don’t have to provide a reason. However, in the event of exceptional circumstances (such as, for example, a pandemic), remote working may be imposed on employees without their agreement.

Either way, it’s considered sensible to have the agreement down in writing so that everyone knows where they stand. It also means that no one will get shouted at during any health and safety inspection.

It’s a good idea to check any conventions collectifs – collective agreements – that exist in your profession or workplace. They may well have covered remote working already, so it is well worth checking out what this covers before beginning negotiations – as well as working time, the agreements may also cover things like whether your company will buy you a special chair and whether you can put in an expenses claim for extra electricity used on your work-from-home days.

The remote-working rules for public sector workers are different and slightly more complex.

Contract conditions

Assuming you are not a self-employed contractor, you remain an employee of the company with the same rights and responsibilities you have when working in the office. But if you switch to home-working permanently, your employers must provide written conditions of your working practices.

Among these must be a protocol for working hours and workflow regulation.

Employer and employee must also agree – before you start remote working – times when your boss can contact you at home, in order to preserve your right to a private life. This will usually be during office hours, obviously. But it also means your boss can’t assume you’ll be tied to your desk permanently just because you don’t have a commute.

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In all other aspects, the employee is under the same obligations as if they worked in the office full-time. You must respect your employer’s instructions, working hours and rules on using office equipment or systems.

Work equipment

Speaking of which… when an employee is working from home, the employer must provide, install and maintain any necessary equipment.

If the employed remote worker uses their own equipment, the employer has to ensure it is appropriate for the job and is maintained. Be aware, self-employed contractors, such as remote-working freelances, will often be expected to have and use their own equipment.

For employees who work from home, however, setting up home-working should not entail any personal additional costs. Employers must supply and maintain equipment that you reasonably need. How that equipment is supplied – whether it’s direct from the employer, or by reimbursement of the cost of setting up a work-station at home, can be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Rules on the use of company equipment at home – including, for example, limits on personal use – will likely remain the same as those in the office, but you should get this in writing before you start any shifts at home.

READ ALSO Micro-entrepreneur: How to set up as a small business in France

Allowances and expenses

Working from home will mean that personal electricity bills rise as workers use their own electricity for lights, coffee machines/kettles and computers.

Any fixed expenses – such as stationary, phone calls, printer cartridges, for example – can be claimed back from your employer on the production of receipts.

You are also entitled to ask your employer to share some of the cost of utilities like electricity, internet and heating.

If you work in a job where you receive restaurant vouchers, these cannot be withdrawn if you switch to home-working.

Data protection

The employer has an obligation to protect any customer and company data used and processed by its employees, including remote workers, whether the worker uses the employer’s equipment or their own.

Health and safety

If you are working at home, your residence becomes your workplace for that day, with all that implies legally. For example, if you fall down your own stairs on a day you are working from home, that could count as a workplace accident and your employer could be liable.

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