Familiarities within the French working culture

With welfare at the forefront of French working culture, working hours have reduced, public holidays are encouraged; the working etiquette is one of a kind.

More me time

Although us Frenchies may be used to it, expats may struggle adjusting to the different working culture. If you’re from the UK, working 4 days a week is unheard of, or usually casts a gasp completed with a  look of dismay across one’s face. With 35 days of vacation our quality of life with respect to the work/life balance is very high. Ranking 1/38 of countries measured (OECD Better Life Index), from an everage of 16.4 hours of leisure time per day, I think that’s something to be proud of.

In the French working culture, Politeness is key

Not only do we French remember our p’s and q’s, but the way in which we address our peers is very important. For many of those outside of France, the way you address your manager is often the same way as you’d address your friend, and you wouldn’t think twice about how you addressed your colleague. Still working in a very hierarchical structure, it’s very important to be aware of who you’re speaking to. If you don’t know the difference between ‘tu’ and ‘vous’, all I can say is good luck ‘tu’ vous.

50 shades of black and grey

Renowned to be one of the world’s fashion capitals, it comes as no surprise that our Parisian friends take working attire very seriously, by that we mean black Grey if you’re feeling adventurous. Reserved, neutral and understated. Maybe it’s a way of saying i’ve got sh*t to do, or maybe it’s a way of saying I take my job seriously, either way, 9/10 of you should do it too. So you should probably reconsider the pink pants and trainer combo you were planning (unless you’re working at Spaces of course).

May the loudest man win

Settling in France can of course have many perks. If you’re new to our culture, It may take a while to become accustomed to our patriotic ways, but there’s something quite nice about sharing your love and passion for a country, and your way of thinking. This however can cause some issues if you’re not used to two people standing their ground in an office shouting match. Whilst other cultures may make use of our private phone booths or meeting rooms to have it out over a working dispute, it’s quite common in France to do it in front of colleagues. After all, a little encouragement from an audience only brings out the best in you, so maybe it’s worth a try.

Whether it’s the entertainment of an office rally, or the freedom to to follow through with that pink pants and trainers combination, then maybe Spaces is just the place for you. Check out our new locations in Paris.