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France's compulsory 35-hour week is no more!
French workers were in mourning yesterday for their cherished but controversial 35-hour week, after Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right party pushed through an employment reform that effectively kills off one of the socialist era's defining policies.
The law, due to come into effect as early as August, will allow companies to decide how many hours and how much overtime their employees clock up every week. Instead of the current maximum of 218 days a year, white-collar workers could be expected to work as many as 235 days.
Sarkozy, who was elected last year with the campaign slogan "work more to earn more", regards the 35-hour week as a major drag on the French economy, arguing that those who want to work more should not be stopped from doing so.
Xavier Bertrand, the employment minister, said yesterday that the vote was a step on France's road to modernisation. "We wanted to put an end to the rigidity of the job market," he told French radio. "Before, you had a situation where employees who wanted to work more couldn't, and they couldn't earn more."
But the law was greeted with scepticism by unions and leftwing politicians, who voted against what one described as a project that would "inevitably lead to the worsening of employees' working conditions". Martine Billard, a Green MP, attacked the "vengeful spirit" of Sarkozy's UMP for getting rid of the flagship socialist policy and effectively authorising a working week of 48 hours. "All those social battles have gone up in smoke," she said.
The 35-hour week, brought in 10 years ago by Lionel Jospin's Socialist government, has retained its popularity among most workers, even though in practice many of them often exceed their limit. Supporters say it has created more jobs and allowed them to maintain a better work/life balance than other countries.
Sarkozy, who came to power promising a "rupture" with France's past, has argued the cap on hours hampers productivity. However, aware that many voters see it as an integral part of their lifestyle, he has not abolished the limit altogether. Rather, the measures allow companies to strike deals with unions and employees on a maximum number of working days and overtime. Employers will be able to negotiate a working week of 48 hours, with every hour over 35 counted as overtime.
Unions said smaller companies would be most affected by the changes because it would be easier to make arrangements between their staff and management. "In the big companies, no one wants to renegotiate the 35 hours and reopen Pandora's Box," said Philippe Jaeger of the CFE-CGC union. "But in the small and mid-sized firms, it will be different."
Also voted into law was a reform which aims to lower unemployment by taking away benefits from anyone who refuses two offers of work that the authorities deem "reasonable". French workers were in mourning yesterday for their cherished but controversial 35-hour week, after Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right par... more -
The French are set to work harder: vote revokes 35-hour week
France's parliament has passed a law which effectively ends the country's compulsory 35-hour working week, the BBC reports.
" The new law will allow companies to strike individual deals with unions on working hours and overtime.
Since coming into office last year, President Nicolas Sarkozy has blamed the 35-hour week for damaging France's economic competitiveness.
Introduced 10 years ago by the then Socialist government, polls show most French still support the 35-hour week."
What would you rather? A statutory 35-hour working week (that's just seven hours a day!) so you didn't have to feel bad for wanting a life as well as a career, or a fiercely competitive stake in the world market?
France's parliament has passed a law which effectively ends the country's compulsory 35-hour working week, the BBC reports. ... more -
One in five UK 16 and 17-year-olds 'doing nothing'
Nearly one in five UK 16 and 17-year-olds are Neets - those neither in employment, education or training.
Official figures say such youths make up 7% of their age group in England. But research by the London School of Economics says 18% across the UK spend most of their time doing nothing.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said: "We are making preparations now for every young person of 16 to 17 to be in education or training." Nearly one in five UK 16 and 17-year-olds are Neets - those neither in employment, education or training. ... more -
Older employees 'happier at work' than the young?
Older workers are the happiest employees, research commissioned by Vodafone suggests.
Seven out of 10 workers aged over 50 said they felt fulfilled compared with half of 25 to 31-year-olds. And 97% of those working beyond 65 said they felt "enabled" in their work against 61% of 31 to 35-year-olds.
The research, based on a survey of 3,800 people, suggested that people in their thirties expressed the most negative feelings about work.
Of this age group, 58% felt undervalued, 49% felt unfulfilled and 43% said they were de-motivated.
The report said that mid-career depression was brought on by the pressures of starting a family. In contrast, older people reported a "second burst" once they got through the pressures of the family life stage.
Mark Bond, director of enterprise for Vodafone, said the report demonstrated that more should be done to empathise with and understand those in the middle of their careers.
This was necessary "not only for their sake but for the benefit of the companies they work for", he said. "These people are, after all, the leaders of tomorrow."
The report also warned that those born since 1980 would face "inevitable disillusionment" as they hit their thirties.
"This young cohort is indeed highly ambitious and wants to succeed in a shorter time frame than ever," said Sonia Abrahams, senior research consultant at Opinion Leader, one of the companies that carried out the research.
"But with these new, higher expectations comes the risk of greater disappointment."
Excellent - I've certainly got a lot to look forward to then! What age group are you, and how do you feel about work? At what point in your life have you felt happiest and most fulfilled by work? Have you ever?
Older workers are the happiest employees, research commissioned by Vodafone suggests. ... more -
Wanted: Neo Nazi with typing skills. Why is the Guardian advertising BNP jobs?
"Fancy a career as a neo-fascist? Want to boast Nick Griffin as a friend of a friend? Think fellow traveller would look good on your CV? Then I hope you are reading the Guardian," says Daniel Finkelstein, a Times newspaper blogger, on hearing that the Guardian's jobs pages are carrying advertisements for positions at the BNP, a notoriously hateful British political party which describes itself as "the foremost patriotic political party in Great Britain".
Ok, so its a rival newspaper slating the Guardian, and quite why the BNP would target Guardian readers for its recruitment campaign I don't know, but is the Times blogger wrong to be so incensed?
Should anyone - hateful, racist, fascist or not - be able to advertise a job anywhere? Did the Guardian do the right thing in running these ads? Free speech is one thing, but by publishing this job advert the newspaper presumably had to make sure it passed their editorial standards, and as a publisher it has control over content, and doesn't have to publish just anything...?
"Fancy a career as a neo-fascist? Want to boast Nick Griffin as a friend of a friend? Think fellow traveller would look good on your C... more -
Spanish-language TV journalists paid less
For the past two ratings periods Spanish-language KDTV's newscast has beaten most of its San Francisco Bay Area English-language competitors in various ratings contests. But when it comes to Spanish-language television news, high ratings don't translate into high salaries.
Many KDTV reporters and producers, like their counterparts at Spanish-language stations across the country, earn roughly one-fourth less in base pay than their competitors at English-language stations.
For the past two ratings periods Spanish-language KDTV's newscast has beaten most of its San Francisco Bay Area English-language compe... more -
Women with business sense are staying at home
Women who earned Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees were more likely to become stay-at-home mums than those with medical or law degrees, according to a business school study, Reuters reports today.
The University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business study of nearly 1,000 Harvard undergraduates found that 15 years after graduation, business school graduates were more likely than doctors or lawyers to leave the workforce.
"Within a field, we find that women who are in family-friendly environments are more likely to stay working," Associate Professor Catherine Wolfram said in a statement.
Wolfram and her colleague Jane Leber Herr of UC Berkeley's economics department speculated that the business world was less female-friendly than the fields of medicine and law.
The workplace environment played a significant role in determining career longevity, said Wolfram.
Doctors, for example, often work in private practices and may be able to work part-time more easily than women in other fields. On the other hand, businesswomen more commonly adhere to the corporate dictate of long hours and heavy travel.
Should business fields be more responsive to women's needs to take career breaks to have children? In this day and age should women really be relegated to professions that are so-called 'woman-friendly'? Or in the modern digital age, should all employers offer flexible working for all their staff, men and women, to improve everyone's lives?
Women who earned Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees were more likely to become stay-at-home mums than those with medical... more -
Dead at 45 - Toyota Motor Company Japan works employee to death!
A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working too many hours, the latest in a string of such findings in a nation where extraordinarily long hours for some employees has long been the norm.
The man who died was aged 45 and had been under severe pressure as the lead engineer in developing a hybrid version of Toyota's blockbuster Camry line, said Mikio Mizuno, the lawyer representing his wife. The man's identity is being withheld at the request of his family, who continue to live in Toyota City where the company is based.
In the two months up to his death, the man averaged more than 80 hours of overtime per month, according to Mizuno. A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working too many hours, the latest in a string of s... more -
Employers cut jobs for sixth straight month; jobless rate holds steady at 5.5 perc...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the economy's fragile state. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent.
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The latest snapshot of business conditions, released by the Labor Department on Thursday, showed continued caution on the part of employers who are chafing under high energy prices and are uncertain about how long the economy will be stuck in a sluggish mode, reflecting fallout from housing, credit and financial troubles.
And yet the republicans refuse to admit we are in a recession.I know it doesn't meet the tech. definition but... WASHINGTON (AP) -- Employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the econo... more -
Does Being An "Ethical" Corporation Pay? MIT Study Says YES.
For corporations, social responsibility has become a big business. Companies spend billions of dollars doing good works—everything from boosting diversity in their ranks to developing eco-friendly technology—and then trumpeting those efforts to the public.
But does it pay off?
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This study is interesting in light of recent conversations on Current on the topic of corporate responsibility vs. greed, CEO vs. worker pay, etc. My contention all along has been that corporations, bound by their duty to provide shareholders with maximum return on their investments, will only act responsibly when consumers start to reward them when they do and punish them when they don't.
So let this serve as another reminder to keep the pressure on EACH OTHER -- as consumers -- to demand more of the companies that serve us, and then watch as the corporations eventually follow suit. For corporations, social responsibility has become a big business. Companies spend billions of dollars doing good works—everything fro... more -
An un-holy affair? Priest sues Catholic Church after being sacked for affair
Joseph Creegan, a former Scottish priest, is to sue the Catholic Church for sacking him over an 18-year affair with a woman.
Creegan was suspended earlier this year after evidence of an affair surfaced. He now wishes to take the Catholic Church to court in order to claim for lost wages via an employment tribunal.
However, church lawyers will attempt to have the case thrown out, arguing the clergyman did not work for them but for God. If they are successful, the case will fail as only employees can go to a tribunal. One senior priest and legal expert insisted priests are not employees: "There is no employer/employee relationship. Once a priest is incardinated into a parish, he is on his own. A priest can walk away, disappear any time he likes, there are no 'priest police' to bring him back.
If church lawyers are successful and the case does not proceed to an employment tribunal then Mr Creegan has the option of appealing, which could see the claim taken to the House of Lords. Peers would then have to rule if the clergy are employees with the same rights as other workers.
Joseph Creegan, a former Scottish priest, is to sue the Catholic Church for sacking him over an 18-year affair with a woman. ... more -
Tackling High Unemployment Rate for Disabled
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67% of people with disabilities are unemployed, making them the largest unemployed population in America. In order to create employment opportunities for this population, Disaboom, an online community designed for people touched by disabilities, has a unique step by hiring its own online community members in order to help build the Marketplace for products and services that serve their own community. The new program, Marketplace Opportunity Brokers, enables Disaboom members and others the opportunity to earn significant commissions by selling business listings to local and national businesses and organizations that the community members know are accessible and supportive of people touched by disabilities. “People touched by disabilities represent a large percentage of the unemployed population in America. These are individuals with the talent and the motivation, but often require jobs that are flexible and accessible - jobs that meet their unique lifestyles,” says founder, Dr. Glen House. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67% of people with disabilities are unemployed, making them the largest unemployed population in ... more
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Technology: It's Where the Jobs Are
A new survey shows growth across the country, with higher-than-average pay. And with the number of tech grads falling, demand will only rise. A new survey shows growth across the country, with higher-than-average pay. And with the number of tech grads falling, demand will onl... more
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Jim Cramer: I have never seen things this bad.
We’ve had some tough times: the 1987 stock-market crash, the collapse of the once-all-powerful Drexel Burnham Lambert, the immolation of Long Term Capital, the post-9/11 calamity, and the dot-com implosion. Every one of these events rocked the Street, causing pay cuts and layoffs and creating a sense of doom. But this time is different; it’s doom itself. We’ve had some tough times: the 1987 stock-market crash, the collapse of the once-all-powerful Drexel Burnham Lambert, the immolation ... more
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Disaboom Offers Jobs to Community Members to Tackle High Unemployment for People w...
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, making them the largest unemployed population in America. To create employment opportunities for this population, Disaboom (OTCBB: DSBO; www.disaboom.com), the largest online community designed for people touched by disabilities, has taken a unique step by hiring its own online community members. Perhaps a first in the world of social networking, Disaboom is offering its members jobs to help build the Marketplace for products and services that serve their own community. Disaboom’s new program, the Marketplace Opportunity Brokers, enables Disaboom members and others the opportunity to earn significant commissions by selling business listings to local and national businesses and organizations that the community members know are accessible and supportive of people touched by disabilities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, making them the largest unemployed populat... more
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Class of 08: Job Hunt
Its "The Graduate" updated for our times--what does the future hold for the Class of 2008 as they attempt to make their way in this world under an increasingly darker economic cloud. Will the high oil prices sink their prospects or will younger workers replace older more expensive ones as the children of late 80s finally get to work? Its "The Graduate" updated for our times--what does the future hold for the Class of 2008 as they attempt to make their way in this wo... more
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Time in the saddle means time off work for Portland company
so sweet.
Share your ideas, this is a great incentive and solution for multiple issues.
Everybody loves paid time off.
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way to go Mr.Chris King!!
PORTLAND- Chris King Precision Components is a company that has built its reputation on going above and beyond.
From the first headset he made back in 1976, Chris King has proven that he sets his own standards and then keeps pushing them higher. But what many people don’t know about this privately held company is that King’s high standards go far beyond his products.
Take for instance the company’s approach to encouraging bike commuting. Chris King Precision Components has what might be the most comprehensive and aggressive encouragement program in the country.
Here’s a breakdown of what the company provides to its employees:
* Secure, indoor parking for every employee as well as a dedicated entry way for bikes.
* Contemporary locker room facilities for men and women with private shower stalls and changing areas.
* Full size lockers for every employee. (These lockers were salvaged from an older building and reconfigured with a custom designed ventilation system. Air is constantly circulated and drawn from the lockers to keep clothes and towels dry and smelling fresh.)
* Loaner bicycles, locks and lights available for checkout by any employee.
* Route mapping advice and instruction from our commuting coordinator.
* One-on-one meetings with all new hires to discuss transportation options and commuting strategies.
This past May alone, 81 vacation days were earned as part of the special bike commuter challenge. But employees didn’t just help themselves, their choice to ride instead of drive resulted in (based on 11,468 miles ridden)
- - - click link for full inspiring article - - - so sweet. Share your ideas, this is a great incentive and solution for multiple issues. Everybody loves paid time off. - ... more -
Children's Hospital launches groundbreaking bike program
evenn if it takes saving you 4$ out of your wallet to feel happier pedaling, ride on!
will save you plenty more down the road.
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for all you sleepless in Seattle.
SEATTLE - Gas prices are already prompting people to look for other ways to get around town. Now, Seattle Children's Hospital is taking some groundbreaking steps to get employees out of their cars and onto bikes.
They are offering loaner bikes for employees to grab and go. They're taking so many positive steps, their bicycle program leader has been asked by Governor Chris Gregoire to be a part of her Climate Action committee.
"I notice a happier, endorphin rush as I run into work. So it's great for me," said Cook.
Children's Hospital is also partnering with the University of Washington on something they're calling Flex Bike. It's similar to the Flex Car program. Starting in September, anyone who signs up will be able to check out a bike at several different locations at the University of Washington or at Children's Hospital. The first half hour is free, after that there will be a small fee. evenn if it takes saving you 4$ out of your wallet to feel happier pedaling, ride on! will save you plenty more down the road. - ... more -
Las Vegas: The Green Living Expo 6/20-6/21
The Green Living Expo is exactly as it sounds. With attractions such as an eco-fashion show, a green kid's zone, educational workshops, a green career fair, and an entire section dedicated to sustainable building techniques and materials, the Green Living Expo presents an inspiring day of fun and learning for the whole family. Admission is free.
The Green Living Expo is exactly as it sounds. With attractions such as an eco-fashion show, a green kid's zone, educational workshops... more -
Blogging or emailing at work? Your employer is watching you.
Do you use email to do your job? Ever wrote a personal message with your employee email account? Your company is reading it and not only are they checking it for inappropriate or proprietary content but they may expose or fire you over it. 40% of companies read your email messages and 26% have fired people because of what they've written according to the companies surveyed by Proofpoint. Do you use email to do your job? Ever wrote a personal message with your employee email account? Your company is reading it and not o... more
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Employment
