Case study on France: Pioneers of woking time reduction

Abstract

[EN]This chapter explores the evolution of working culture in France in the last decades. In 1998, France introduced the 35-hour workweek policy (Aubry Laws), aiming to lower unemployment and promote a better work-life balance for employees. The idea behind this pioneer French legislation was that, by promoting the reduction of the standard working hours from 39 to 35 hours per week, employees will have more time for leisure, family, and personal activities, leading to improvement in well-being and quality of life. This chapter provides an analysis of innovative policies on working time arrangements in the public and in the private sector in France. In this chapter two case studies are addressed. The first case study focuses on the activities undertaken by the CFE-CGC (trade union of executives/managers, technicians, and supervisors) through a project aimed to developing management and work organization in light of the expansion of teleworking and hybrid working and auditing the evolution of managerial practices dealing with the risks and challenges of that model of work. The second case study focuses on the public sector: in particular, on innovative flexible working time arrangements/reduction of working time in the local and central administration sector (municipalities and ministries). France has enacted laws to progressively regulate working time. The French legislation on the right to disconnect, along with the 35-hour workweek, have shaped societal attitudes towards work and influenced the role of human resources departments in facilitating and supporting flexible work arrangements and reducing working hours. In conclusion, France exemplifies an innovative approach to flexible working time arrangements through various approaches explained in this chapter.