Labor Ministry officials, taken aback by the aggressive raids of workplace inspectors, acknowledge the need for separate rules for managers. Industry leaders hope to break the straight-line equation between hours and compensation. Instead of paying overtime for hours in excess of the limit, companies would offer a package of benefits, such as training programs and additional vacation days, for a manager's more demanding duties. In 1984, IBM France negotiated an agreement like this. Under it, managers can receive two or three days per quarter in extra vacation, at the discretion of their superiors, for excessive overtime.
French managers are no strangers to overtime.
Imagine how many companies would remain in France then. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.