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Working time policy in France

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  • Pierre Boisard

    (IDHE - Institutions et Dynamiques Historiques de l'Economie - ENS Cachan - École normale supérieure - Cachan - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Working time has always been considered in France to be an area of responsibility for the State. TheActs on the 35-hour working week come therefore from a long tradition of State intervention toregulate employment and working conditions. This particular configuration is not found in otherEuropean countries.In this paper is presented the French specificity: a work sharing logic supported by the State. The aimat generating employment through a legal reduction of working time brought the government to drawup an extremely complex set of Acts. These one are not restricted to defining legal work duration;they also advocate reductions in social contributions and give a precise framework to negotiatecollective agreements.A synthesis of the consequences of the 35-hour Act shows that the effects on employment are limited(creation of 300,000 jobs), that social relations did not improve and that inequalities amongemployees were accentuated

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre Boisard, 2004. "Working time policy in France," Post-Print halshs-00400703, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00400703
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00400703
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruno Crepon & Francis Kramarz, 2002. "Employed 40 Hours or Not Employed 39: Lessons from the 1982 Mandatory Reduction of the Workweek," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(6), pages 1355-1389, December.
    2. Bruno Crépon & Rozenn Desplatz, 2002. "Fiche de lecture. Une nouvelle évaluation des effets des allègements de charges sociales sur les bas salaires," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 81(2), pages 301-315.
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    1. repec:pmu:oecono:v:1:y:2012:p:99-118 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Allard E. Dembe, 2011. "Factors shaping the development of working time regulation in the United States and Europe," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 419-429, December.
    3. Raluca Meda ANTAL & Ioan SUMANDEA SIMIONESCU, 2012. "The Directive 2008/88/Ce Un Uncertaine Future? Comparative Study," STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS PETRU MAIOR SERIES OECONOMICA, Petru Maior University, Faculty of Economics Law and Administrative Sciences, vol. 1, pages 99-118, December.
    4. Virginia Tsoukatou, 2019. "Examination of the Correlation between Working Time Reduction and Employment," Papers 1912.01605, arXiv.org.

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