Je réponds à une observation. Désolé, Francophones, mais je ne masacre pas la langue Française quand mon Anglias est complexe. Donnez-moi un peu mois(ou ans?).
I am highly reticent as a guest of this country to have strong political opinions on France's Affairs, but I will say this: France's problem is the polaric opposite of America's, in my opinion. France has protected its own workers to the point of near-paralysis (Am I wrong to think that France is shit-scared of having another May 1968 or 1995-96?), while America provides little to no safety net for people who find themselves without a job and don't have health coverage as a result of losing that job. There is no requisite system of contracts as there it exists in France (although mid-to-upper-level executives do oftentimes sign contracts, mainly as a means of lawsuit prevention), and companies are oftentimes free to fire people whenever they want as long as there is no harassment, entrapment, or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin, veteran status, and in some states and localities sexual orientation and gender expression. There is some union presence in America, but it is a rare case indeed in which issues or hiring and firing cause an uproar as the CPE has done.
The prevailing belief is that the company should have the freedom to determine what benefits it bestows on employees that are laid off or fired, and that has brought about a world of poverty, ruined careers, ruined families, and endless stories of injustice. A common example: A fired executive I knew who made over $200,000 per year was left with no severance pay, a bill of $750 per month to provide his family with health insurance for a term limited to six months, and state-sanctioned unemployment benefits of only $200 per week that lasted three months. The unemployment benefits barely covered his insurance before any living costs!
The French system of job protections and contracts is so complex that I would not even begin to claim I have a full understanding of the details and the reasons these protections came about, but I will say from my experience in the French office and my partner's experience as management that the protections, while seemingly just and bent on protecting the worker from many of the horrors I mention above, have become so restrictive that every hiring decision becomes a painful risk and every employee that doesn't work out can become a chronic headache that drains productivity and growth – and I've seen several unscrupulous employees hide behind the web of rules to get away with just about anything they want (within certain parameters) in the workplace. The problems with employment rules, as I see from my limited view, run far deeper than the recent flap concerning the CPE. The entire French employment contract system is screaming for an overhaul – via honest, rational, and compassionate dialogue with politicians that are a bit more in touch with the everyday worker and management – that protects employees from abuses in the name of profit (and I am of the belief that there are some things that are more important than profit), financial peril and career ruination – but also give employers more flexibility than they currently have to develop their businesses and create more jobs. I am deathly afraid that if France does not confront the inherent problems within her employment protections, they will be left with fewer choices about employment protections in the future...and I don't think France needs all of the bullshit that came with Margaret Thatcher, so I hope everyone comes to their senses soon. Things just can't go on like this.
If I had to choose between the two systems as they exist, though, I would choose the French over the American. In my opinion, the consequences of the American system are far more dire than that of the French.
I'll write about prosperity, perception, and the American middle class in my next post.
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