Britain is balking at 48-hour-caps on the workweek and mandatory minimum of four weeks vacation. They lost the option for an opt-out (in which workers would be allowed to work more than that, and businesses would be allowed to ask nicely for people to work more, but workers could not be penalized for refusing to work more than that -- and in which non-senior managers could put in more than 48 hours a week in their own company, and in which a doctor or intern or resident could be on call (yet asleep at his house near the hospital) -- or a fireman on call yet asleep at the station -- more than 48 hours a week), unfortunately.
France? 35 hours, as we all know. As we all also know, it backfired, damaging small businesses and having only a temporary effect on unemployment. In March, amid much protest, they made it more flexible, to prevent total economic collapse, and are now at an average of just above 40 hours a week. And they, along with Germany, secured themselves an opt-out for medical and emergency personnel.
Unemployment? Under 5% in the UK, about 10% in France and 12% in Germany (and nearly 9% across all the Euro-using countries).
A CEO friend in a major company once told me that those people he saw most successful in business were those who voluntarily worked about 60 hours a week. Their dedication to their job, which was their life's focus (not necessarily a bad thing if you love your job and aren't thereby ignoring a family), would propel them to the top. If this takes effect, there will be no way to distinguish yourself in that way, by being willing to make sacrifices elsewhere for your job, because, well, it will be illegal to make sacrifices elsewhere for your job.
Not covered (probably because they're simply not coverable): the self-employed. I don't know how it's worked in France, but I predict an upswing in three things: off-the-book employment, self-employment, and (perish the thought) outsourcing.
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