French Work

I read an article the other day about France raising its retirement age from 60 to 62 in order to help maintain its budget, afford its services. I can understand that, since we have the same problem in America. I just had to both laugh and shake my head at some of the comments to this article. People that didn't understand why the French were protesting the raise, complaining that French workers don't work hard like Americans, that people have to keep working into their 70s and 80s or otherwise they get bored, etc. Some laughed that the French planned more protests, but only after the August vacation season.

People forget that the French live longer than most Americans and yet they still are able to afford pretty good retirement benefits, plus the ongoing health care, shorter work days and long vacations. The French have learned that work isn't the "end all, be all" of everyone. Sure, some people will always want to work for their entire lives, but that doesn't mean that those that don't are wrong. Most people can enjoy their work and still have other things to do outside of work. That doesn't mean they just "collect a paycheck." The French know that to enjoy life, you have to experience more of it than just your cubicle.

You think that Americans wouldn't be healthier and happier if we had more time to exercise, buy and cook fresh food, enjoy time with our families, educate ourselves after your college years are done? People always marvel at how the French live longer despite drinking wine every day and eating rich foods. Perhaps its the lack of stress and ulcers because they don't have to put in 60 hour work weeks 50 weeks a year. They get a good amount of vacation time to relax and recharge. They can go home and enjoy a nice meal with their families without thinking that they have to go back to work immediately afterwards. They don't have to worry about being taken care of when their retire, or being able to pay to see a doctor when they're sick, or having to choose between medicine and food.

Its really amazing how a pleasant work environment can change one's attitude, even about work. My last job was incredibly stressful. My boss was a micro-manager, always criticizing, always cutting my billable hours yet yelling at me because I wasn't billing enough, and was stingy in providing work to boot. He'd complain if I was 5 minutes "late" to work or left before 6pm even though he knew I had to pick up my kids at 6pm. At that job, I'd bristle over every little .10 that I wasn't allowed to bill for whatever reason, or when I had to take work home.

At my current job, my boss gives me a long reign to work as I see fit. He doesn't criticize every little thing (some things, yes, but not every thing). I come and go as I need. I bill for what I do and he rarely, if ever, cuts my time. Sometimes, pretty rarely, a client will complain and he'll compromise, but he sticks up for the work I've done and the time I've spent. He only compromise because its good business. I don't mind taking work home. I don't mind the occasional times that I spend more time and effort doing a project that I was authorized to bill and therefore cut my own time. For the most part, I take what days off I want or need.

Ok, there is one partner, not my direct boss, with whom billable hours, vacation/sick/family time is more of an issue, so I have to juggle that. But I'm (mostly) better able to handle the stress from that partner because my boss isn't so stress-inducing. So its not quite as good as working in France, but its far better than most of my prior jobs.

Its like my secretary. I don't really mind the time she needs to take off for family and such. I just wish she was a better worker when she was here. But because she's not that good a worker, sometimes I get annoyed at her time off. I like to think that my boss doesn't mind the times I not in the office because he knows I'm doing good work and a lot of the time, I'm doing work at home to make it up. The less stress makes me a better worker.

Perhaps if more businesses treated their employees better, paid more, gave more sick/vacation time, provided more respect, the employees would work so much harder and better that these extra benefits wouldn't hurt the bottom line. Plus they'd have healthier, happier employees to boot.

Even so, not everyone is living to work. Some people still like to enjoy life outside the office. So just because some people want to retire at 60 shouldn't mean that their lazy or living off other hard working people. There's so much more to see and do and learn, its no life to be cooped up forever.