After spending 4 months in France, I still think that the single thing that surprised and shocked me the most is the way in which people work and the differences they have compared with the American work ethic. In France, people seem to have a less strict and less demanding work life, where they are able to take time off to be with family as well as take breaks during the day. I find this very beneficial to their society as it allows people to recharge more often and eliminates the problems caused by burnout. It is also very helpful for the worker’s mental health as it allows them to destress and live a more calm lifestyle.
This experience shed light on how differently other cultures deal with every day issues and responsibilities and allowed me to understand why the United States is seen as such a hard working society. This label is not necessarily good as it is clear that a very large portion of the workforce in America is mistreated and exploited and many people suffer from work related stress disorders and experience burnout as well.
When talking about this issue with French people, they all shared their concerns with the American work culture but also had a level of admiration for the American worker, labeling the American work ethic as problematic but also efficient. In France, the typical work week consists of 35 hours and there are even regulations in place that prohibit employers to have their employees working for more than 37 or 40 hours a week. In America the 40 hour work week is always set as the minimum with many people working overtime. Another thing I found very interesting is how the French use their vacation time. French workers are given about 35 days of paid time off every year as a minimum, allowing them to take vacations, spend time with their families and work on themselves. This is also something that is unheard of in America, where not even maternity leave is guaranteed for workers let alone this amount of vacation time.
What really shocked me the most about this issue was how the French work ethic allowed for so much leisure and yet continued to be productive whereas American work culture is dependent on overworking employees in order to be productive. This cultural exchange to me allowed me to see many problems in our society but also gave me examples of how a different society adresses these issues.