OMG the french are lazy

[michaels]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2575364,00.html

They already enjoy Europe?s shortest working week. Now French workers are to be encouraged to have a nap after lunch.

The state-backed siesta is part of a ?7 million (£4.7 million) campaign begun yesterday by the Health Ministry to encourage the French to sleep more and better. A third of the population does not sleep enough, experts say.

Tiredness is blamed for 20 per cent of road and domestic accidents, and for low efficiency at work and school, obesity, depression and many other ills.

?Sleep must not be trivialised,? Xavier Bertrand, the Health Minister, said. The after-lunch nap is to be introduced by volunteer companies and studied for results. It could then be recommended for all employees, the minister said.

?Why not a siesta at work? The question must not be taboo,? Mr Bertrand said. ?But let?s not get carried away. The siesta would be limited to 15 minutes. But if the study enables us to confirm the positive effects on concentration and quality of work, we must not hesitate to promote the concept.?

The benefits of the afternoon ?power nap? have long been known to practitioners, who have included Josef Stalin, Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill.

Southern France used to indulge in the Mediterranean siesta but, despite the 35-hour maximum working week, office workers have long abandoned the traditional two-hour, wine-accompanied lunch. Many city workers have even adopted non-French habits such as sandwiches at the desk.

Combined with stressful commuting, this has contributed to fatigue, the experts say. The Government says that 56 per cent of those complaining of poor sleeping habits report that their work suffers.

To educate tired workers, the Health Ministry has put a ?sleep passport? online at sante.gouv.fr. The site carries a quick test to determine whether citizens are suffering from a lack of rest.

According to Mr Bertrand, who said that he slept four hours a night, it was generally not understood that a driver who had not slept for 17 hours suffered from the same poor reactions as a person with 0.5g of alcohol per litre in the blood, which is France?s legal limit. A full 24 hours without sleep was like driving at twice the limit, he said.

The French, including doctors, have to be weaned off the idea that the answer to manque de sommeil (lack of sleep) is a good pill, the minister said. France is one of the biggest consumers of such medication, with 68 million tubes of sleeping pills bought every year.

By raising awareness over sleep, the Government hopes that French workers, who are among the world?s most productive during their hours on the job, will become even more efficient.

 

[leftyman]

thats a British article. Its well know the Brits are jealous of the French.

 

[biggestmuff]

don't forget about the lifetime jobs!

 

[Lola]

A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

 

[WingZero94]

lifetime jobs? What is that?

 

[DAGTA]

Perhaps they believe more in working to live rather than living to work. The mentality in the USA is to work work work work work then die. That's no way to live. Travel the world and you'll see just how messed up our 'live to work' mentality is in the USA.

 

[miniMUNCH]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

Yeah, but France's economy is on rough water. A lot of companies don't want to set up shop in France because of the labor laws.

But things are more relaxed in some Euro countries. My aunt lives outside Florence, has lived in Italy since she was about 23... pretty awesome there, I must admit.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
Perhaps they believe more in working to live rather than living to work. The mentality in the USA is to work work work work work then die. That's no way to live. Travel the world and you'll see just how messed up our 'live to work' mentality is in the USA.

Err no. The logic behind the 35 hour work week in France is that it will force businesses to hire more workers to cover for the reduced hours. It has nothing to do with the "living to work" mentality. It has everything to do with the European Socialist mentality.

I'm not sure how to take the "power nap" though. Everyone is different. I usually wake up feeling worse after an afternoon nap.

 

[mrzed]

Good for them. The French certainly have productivity problems, but I'm not sure that increasing productivity by increasing work hours American style is the answer. At some point, you have to ask - "What am I working for?"

For me, time with family, good food with friends, a nice summer vacation. Not on the list - a bigger SUV than my neighbour, a bigger TV than my uncle, a bigger house than my brother. I think the Europeans have it right for the most part, and I think the legal minimum for vacation here (Canada in my case, but most of USA is the same) of 2 weeks is criminal.

 

[CraKaJaX]

French Rant.

NSFW

 

[yowolabi]

I encourage every business I work in to set up a "nap room" and preach loudly about the benefits of a power nap.

It's yet to work. Thankfully I now can walk home from work in 5-10 minutes, leaving me time for a comfortable 30 minute nap any day I want.

 

[miniMUNCH]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
Perhaps they believe more in working to live rather than living to work. The mentality in the USA is to work work work work work then die. That's no way to live. Travel the world and you'll see just how messed up our 'live to work' mentality is in the USA.

The "live to work" mentality is pretty crazy.

Even the "work hard now so I can retire when I'm fifty" mentality is stupid, IMO. You'll be fifty... probably with bad health if you've been doing 60+ hour weeks all your working life. I'd rather have 10 hours a week to have fun now than 100 hours a week 20 years from now.

Enjoy life now (spend time with family and friends, go hiking, go to concerts, etc.) because this is the only life on this planet that you have and you'll only be young once... for all you know you could be dead in five years... or tomorrow.

 

[Aikouka]

I donno.. I always feel tired after lunch anyway and sometimes doze off for a bit .

 

[IceBergSLiM]

The Europeans got it right. Working to live not living to work. I need to get out of the rat race.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

I dunno. I personally enjoy life in the fast lane. I kinda get a rush out of being stressed and then accomplishing my goals regardless. There's a personal sastifaction there thats hard to beat. That's not to say I don't enjoy a day or so of relaxation a week, or a vacation (outside of ATOT terminology); but there's "smelling the roses", and then there's "a boring existance", and in my experience theres a fine line between the two.

 

[EKKC]

/packs up and goes to france

 

[Darthvoy]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

same her

 

[sygyzy]

And yet other countries are more productive than the US...

 

[ElFenix]

i don't think i could get to sleep in 15 minutes. and i think i'd be pissed off if i was woken up after 15 minutes.

 

[Jeff7]

I'd sure love to work there, and many of you know you would.
Damn Americans without your 7 day 12hr/day workweeks, working in climate-controlled environments, with most working-class people even owning their own car.

I also find it amusing for Americans to be calling anyone else lazy.

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

Exactly, none of this damn, "Work faster you worthless drones! Don't forget, your job and work defines you, without it, you are a hollow husk of a person!"

I worked at Walmart, and I put in my 40hrs a week, and that was usually it. I worked so that I could have the luxury of having as much time as possible to spend away from work. I don't like being rushed, I don't like being stressed. For instance, I rather like doing my grocery shopping on weekends - plenty of time to just saunter around and browse for things that look good, or things I might need. A few days ago, I had to shop between classes because of rather sketchy weather conditions other times. I was hurried. I didn't like it. It suddenly became a chore, a burden to have to do quickly just to get it done. Being hurried just sucked the fun right out of it.

Our lifespans are so much longer than they used to be, yet we seem to be in a bigger hurry than ever. What's the rush?

 

[spidey07]

I think this is a great idea. They already take like a 3 hour lunch break...it's like the entire country shuts down for lunch.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
And yet other countries are more productive than the US...

yeap.

i put most of the blame on the fact people/company's think you need to wrok 50-60 hour work weeks.

I would rather work 6 hours of productive work then 10+ of semi productive work.


i think to many work the long hours and get tired and worn out. day after day of that is not going to help

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
A lot of European countries do the same thing.
Spain still closes businesses from 2-5 for a siesta so, why not in france?
I am envious of the European lifestyle. Very relaxed and they are made to enjoy life.

Mmmhmm.

 

[freegeeks]

the whole lazy thing is bs, research shows that the average American is not more productive then the average French

GDP Per Capita Per Hour

I live in Belgium, we have a 38 hour work week and I like my 32 days of paid vacation

 

[40Hands]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
Perhaps they believe more in working to live rather than living to work. The mentality in the USA is to work work work work work then die. That's no way to live. Travel the world and you'll see just how messed up our 'live to work' mentality is in the USA.

:thumbsup: