LanguaTalk Slow French: Episode Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: LanguaTalk Slow French: Learn French With Gaëlle
Episode: 35h et RTT en France
Host: Gaëlle (LanguaTalk.com)
Date: October 8, 2025
Language Level: A2–B1 (basic to lower intermediate)
Theme:
This episode explores the French workweek, the legal limit of 35 hours ("les 35 heures"), and the RTT system ("Réduction du Temps de Travail"), all within the broader context of work-life balance and French social policies. Gaëlle traces the historical evolution of working hours in France, explains the motivations and consequences behind these laws, and discusses their effects on workers, companies, and the wider economy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Anecdote & Introduction

• Gaëlle opens with a story about her father telling her he now has "9 weeks of vacances" (6 weeks of paid holidays plus 3 weeks of RTT) due to his new job, prompting her curiosity about these generous French benefits.
• She frames the episode as an "épisode économique", promising simple explanations and clear language for learners.
• [02:00] – “En France nous avons un système assez unique, assez particulier, par rapport à la durée légale du travail.” (Gaëlle)

2. Historical Context: Evolution of Working Time in France

• Before Industrialization:
  • Work time wasn't measured; people worked as needed, mostly in agriculture or crafts.
• Industrial Age (19th Century):
  • With factories, time began to be recorded for workers.
  • In 1870, French workers averaged 61 hours/week (about 10 hours/day, 6 days/week).
  • By 2025, average is 36 hours/week (7 hours/day, 5 days/week).
  • [05:50] – “On voit, il y a une réduction très très importante du temps de travail.”
• Key Labor Laws and Milestones:
  • 1841: First child labor law – max 12 hours/day for children.
  • 1900: 11 hours/day limit for everyone.
  • 1906: One mandatory day of rest per week.
  • 1919: Standard workday reduced to 8 hours.
  • 1936: First paid holidays and max 40-hour week; major social progress under left-wing government.
  • 1982: Workweek reduced to 39 hours.

3. Les 35 Heures: The Iconic French Workweek

• What Are ‘Les 35 Heures’?
  • In 2000, France set the legal weekly working time to 35 hours (law known as “La Loi Aubry”, named after Minister Martine Aubry).
  • Previously, the limit was 39 hours.
  • France became unique in developed countries for such a short legal workweek.
  • [15:13] – “C’est un énorme progrès si on compare aux 12 heures au 19ᵉ siècle. Oui, là, nous sommes à 7 heures [par jour]!” (Gaëlle)
• Purpose & Justification:
  • Principal aim was to reduce unemployment by spreading the total available work amongst more people.
  • Surprising to Gaëlle: the primary reason wasn’t worker well-being, but job creation.
  • [16:50] – “La raison principale, c’était pour réduire le chômage.” (Gaëlle)

4. Implementation and Characteristics of the ‘35 Heures’ Law

• Key Features:
  • No salary reduction: Workers earn the same for fewer hours.
  • Quick, mandatory change: All businesses (big or small) had to comply within two years.
  • Financial support: Government reduced employer social contributions (cotisations sociales) to ease the burden and encourage hiring.
  • [18:50] – “L’État a décidé, avec la loi des 35 heures, d’aider les entreprises et donc de réduire les cotisations sociales.”
• Intended Effect:
  • More hiring, less unemployment (though results were and remain hotly debated).

5. Results and Debate About the 35-Hour Workweek

• Positive Consequences:
  • Better work-life balance for many workers; more time for family and leisure.
• Negative/Unexpected Consequences:
  • Some companies required employees to do the same amount of work in less time, increasing workplace stress for some.
  • Highly debated economic impact: economists disagree whether unemployment was reduced and if the law helped or harmed the economy.
  • [21:40] – “Je ne peux pas vous dire quelle est la conclusion parce que les experts, les économistes, ne sont pas d’accord.” (Gaëlle)
• Political Controversy:
  • Regularly challenged by right-wing governments who see it as expensive and rigid.
  • Example: In 2016, Emmanuel Macron (then economy minister) argued for more flexibility.

6. RTT: Réduction du Temps de Travail

• What is RTT?
  • RTT stands for “Réduction du Temps de Travail”.
  • Created to compensate workers who, by contract, work more than 35 hours/week (e.g., 39). These extra hours aren’t paid as overtime but are converted into extra paid time off.
  • For someone working 39 hours/week, this can mean roughly 24 additional days off per year.
  • [25:23] – “Et donc, on se retrouve avec des personnes comme mon père qui a six semaines de vacances normales et trois semaines de vacances en plus dans l’année grâce à ce système et grâce aux 35 heures.”
• Who Benefits Most?
  • Especially advantageous for professionals (“cadres”) whose real working time has always exceeded the legal maximum, now gaining extra vacation days for long hours worked.

7. Summary & Reflections

• France has a long tradition of reducing working time, moving from unregulated, very long workweeks to tightly regulated, shorter ones.
• The 35-hour law radically changed the landscape, motivated primarily by unemployment reduction rather than work-life balance (though the latter is a positive side effect).
• Economists remain divided about its effectiveness.
• RTT provides a unique safety net for those working beyond the official limit, contributing to the French reputation for generous paid leave.
• [27:00] – “Pour répondre à notre première question, est-ce que les Français ne travaillent pas beaucoup? Ce n’est pas vrai. … On ne travaille pas moins que nos voisins. Par contre, on a effectivement cette chance d’avoir un système pour compenser.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Shock at 19th-Century Child Labor:
  • “Vous vous rendez compte ? … 12 heures par jour pour des enfants de 12 ans par exemple. Moi je trouve ça absolument incroyable.” [09:44]
• On Law Objectives:
  • “Mais non, ce n’était pas la justification. La justification, c’était vraiment pour réduire le chômage.” [16:53]
• On Economic Debates:
  • “Les experts, les économistes ne sont pas d’accord. Je vous avoue, quand j’ai lu ça, je me suis dit que vraiment, l’économie, ce n’était pas du tout une science, mais … une histoire d’opinion.” [22:00]
• About RTT's Impact:
  • “C’est vraiment beaucoup. … Ce système existe depuis les années 2000, et on a vu que les gouvernements … ont régulièrement essayé de le modifier, … mais ça n’a jamais été supprimé.” [26:20]
• On French Reputation and Productivity:
  • “Les français sont plus productifs que des pays où on travaille plus.” [27:20]

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Gaëlle’s introduction and anecdote about her father’s surprising number of vacation weeks | | 04:40 | Historical overview: Agricultural vs industrial work and recording working hours | | 07:30 | Milestones in French labor law, including first regulations on working time | | 13:40 | Introduction to “Les 35 heures” and its iconic status in France | | 17:00 | Justification for the law: Fighting unemployment by sharing available work | | 19:10 | Key features and immediate consequences of the 35-hour law | | 21:10 | Mixed economic results and ongoing political debate | | 23:56 | What is RTT? Explanation and calculation of extra days off | | 25:23 | Who benefits most from RTT, especially “les cadres” | | 27:00 | Summary: French work culture, advantages, and misconceptions |

Conclusion

LanguaTalk Slow French, Episode 35 demystifies the French workweek and holiday system in simple, accessible French. Gaëlle connects history, economics, and daily life, explaining how the 35-hour workweek and RTT shape both perceptions and realities of working life in France—revealing both the benefits for workers and ongoing debates among politicians and economists.

For more language support: Read interactive transcripts and find French tutors at LanguaTalk.com/frenchpod.