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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/09/new-work-life-balance-france-sweden-laws-countries-better-job-hours-work
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Work-life balance: what changes could help improve yours? | Work-life balance: what changes could help improve yours? |
| (3 days later) | |
| New | New |
| labour laws in France now protect some workers in the | |
| digital and consultancy sectors - including the French offices of | digital and consultancy sectors - including the French offices of |
| Google, Facebook, Deloitte and PwC - from having to respond to work emails outside of workign hours. | |
| Companies must ensure that their | |
| employees come under no pressure to look at work-related emails or | employees come under no pressure to look at work-related emails or |
| documents on their tablets or computers to ensure they receive the full minimum rest periods already mandated in employment regulations. | |
| France's labour laws saw Apple | |
| fined for making staff in France work nights last year, as the law | fined for making staff in France work nights last year, as the law |
| forbids shifts between 9pm and 6am unless the work plays an important | forbids shifts between 9pm and 6am unless the work plays an important |
| role in the economy or is socially useful. Its 35-hour week, introduced in 1999, has come under threat from the | role in the economy or is socially useful. Its 35-hour week, introduced in 1999, has come under threat from the |
| increasingly widespread use of smartphones. | increasingly widespread use of smartphones. |
| Chairman | Chairman |
| of the General Confederation of Managers, Michel de la Force, said: "We must also measure digital working time. We can admit | of the General Confederation of Managers, Michel de la Force, said: "We must also measure digital working time. We can admit |
| extra work in exceptional circumstances but we must always come back | extra work in exceptional circumstances but we must always come back |
| to what is normal, which is to unplug, to stop being permanently at | to what is normal, which is to unplug, to stop being permanently at |
| work." | work." |
| A | A |
| Swedish city council announced this week that it's trialling six-hour workdays with full pay for its staff in Gothenburg. The experiment is | Swedish city council announced this week that it's trialling six-hour workdays with full pay for its staff in Gothenburg. The experiment is |
| based on the theory that after six hours, employees become tired and | based on the theory that after six hours, employees become tired and |
| productivity is reduced. | productivity is reduced. |
| Deputy mayor Mats Pilhem | Deputy mayor Mats Pilhem |
| told the Swedish edition of The | told the Swedish edition of The |
| Local | Local |
| that a six-hour workday produced positive results at a | that a six-hour workday produced positive results at a |
| car factory in the city, and he hopes that the trial will reduce | car factory in the city, and he hopes that the trial will reduce |
| inefficiency and create more jobs. | inefficiency and create more jobs. |
| The left-wing Social Democrat and Green | The left-wing Social Democrat and Green |
| parties' initiative has been called a "dishonest and populist | parties' initiative has been called a "dishonest and populist |
| ploy" by the Gothenburg council’s main opposition – the | ploy" by the Gothenburg council’s main opposition – the |
| Moderate party - ahead of local elections this year. | Moderate party - ahead of local elections this year. |
| Full time workers in Austria and Greece work an average of 43.7 hours per week, the longest in Europe, with workers in the UK spending 42.7 hours | Full time workers in Austria and Greece work an average of 43.7 hours per week, the longest in Europe, with workers in the UK spending 42.7 hours |
| a week | a week |
| at the office according to ONS figures from 2011. | at the office according to ONS figures from 2011. |
| What's | What's |
| work-life balance like in your country? Does your industry require | work-life balance like in your country? Does your industry require |
| you to work outside office hours, or do you switch your phone off | you to work outside office hours, or do you switch your phone off |
| and hope for the best? Are you benefiting from the new rules in | and hope for the best? Are you benefiting from the new rules in |
| France and Sweden? Or | France and Sweden? Or |
| will | will |
| the law change hinder your ability to communicate with your | the law change hinder your ability to communicate with your |
| colleagues effectively? What initiatives would make the biggest improvement to your life? | colleagues effectively? What initiatives would make the biggest improvement to your life? |
| Let | Let |
| us know what it's like for you by commenting in the thread below | us know what it's like for you by commenting in the thread below |
| • This article was amended on 12 April 2014. An earlier version stated | |
| that the labour deal would require | |
| staff "to switch off their phones after 6pm". The deal obliges staff to | |
| "disconnect" from work calls and emails after working hours to ensure | |
| they receive the full minimum rest periods already mandated in French | |
| employment regulations but there is no particular time at which they are | |
| required to do so. |