ESCUELA UNIVERSITARIA DE ESTUDIOS EMPRESARIALES EN ZARAGOZA
INGLES EMPRESARIALES
FRANCE
1. Specific habits in business
Making appointments
Generally, people should strive to be punctual but arriving for business
appointments 10-15 minutes after the scheduled time is not considered late and is
therefore acceptable in France. French employees get five weeks of vacation, and
take at least three in July or August. Moreover, France practically 'shuts down' in
August. With the mandatory reduction of the work week to 35 hours, executives are
getting additional vacation in lieu of shorter working weeks (14 to 16 extra days every
year). It results in a lot of offices being practically deserted during Christmas and
Easter school closings. One should take this into account when planning business
trips to France. Typical office hours are from 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 or 7:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday. In midday there is a break for lunch. In Paris, lunch begins at
1:00 p.m. In the provinces, lunch begins at noon or 12:30 p.m. Lunch may last for two
hours or more. So the best time to schedule meetings is usually 11:00 a.m. or 3:30
p.m. The French have a great respect for privacy. It is necessary to knock and wait
before entering into a room. Additionally, do not "drop in" unannounced.
Businesspeople should always give notice before their arrival.
Greetings
A business meeting should begin and end with a brisk handshake accompanied
by an appropriate greeting and the exchanging of business cards. In accordance with
French business protocol, use first names only when invited. Use of first names has
become common for colleagues at work. This is less frequent when the age or
position gap is very large. Outsiders, ...