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Working time policy in France

Author

Listed:
  • 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 - 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-00400703v1
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    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00400703v1/document
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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:1/2012:y:2012:p:99-118 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Raluca Meda ANTAL & Ioan SUMANDEA SIMIONESCU, 2012. "The Directive 2008/88/CE an Uncertaine Future? Comparative Study," Acta Marisiensis. Series Oeconomica, "George Emil Palade" University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu-Mureș, România - Faculty of Economics and Law, vol. 1, pages 99-118, December.
    3. 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.
    4. Virginia Tsoukatou, 2019. "Examination of the Correlation between Working Time Reduction and Employment," Papers 1912.01605, arXiv.org.

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