Based on a recent survey, the “hustle culture” was popularized by the Americans, yet French CEOs are the ones that engage in the most excessive amounts of labor.
A survey conducted by Bupa Global says that nearly four in ten French business leaders admit to working intensely long hours without taking regular breaks. This figure is significantly higher than the 25% global average and outpaces the rates found in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Executives in France also reported the highest levels of worry regarding their own individual work performance compared to executives in any other country studied. According to the findings of the survey, the authors of the study have a tendency to be workaholics because of their worries about the ability of their organizations to weather the current economic instability and their unwillingness to work remotely in comparison to their colleagues around the world.
According to Anthony Cabrelli, managing director of Bupa Global, which caters to expatriates, executives, and other high-net-worth individuals, “this combination of external economic pressures and a tendency to take responsibilities upon themselves could contribute to French executives binge working the most.”
In view of France’s working policies and general way of life, the findings might come as a surprise to some people. The typical workweek for blue-collar and service workers is less than 35 hours, and vacation time can eat up a significant portion of the month of August. In 2017, France was the first country in Europe to implement a law pertaining to the “right to disconnect,” which mandates that businesses must forbid employees from receiving emails, calls, or other forms of office intrusion beyond specific hours. The trend toward working remotely during the epidemic has inspired new countries to adopt legislation that is analogous to what was already in place. The French labor code has made it illegal for employees of any company to have lunch at their workstations for many years. However, this rule was temporarily relaxed during the height of the pandemic.
Based on the findings of a poll conducted by Bupa between August and September 2018, which questioned 2,439 high-net-worth individuals in eight different locations, binge working was more prevalent among executives who went into the office full-time compared to those who worked remotely.