UK WORKERS BEHIND FRENCH AS 'WORST WHINGERS'

May 14, 2007 (Telegraph) - Britons are among the biggest whingers in the workplace, a report claimed yesterday.

But, of course, they are not the worst whingers.

A study of work attitudes among almost 14,000 employees in 23 countries showed that the French were most unhappy with their pay and working hours, with staff from Britain and Sweden joint second.

The study by research group FDS also covered how employees felt work impinged on their private lives. Charlotte Cornish, the managing director of FDS:

"The French come out on top - it seems unlikely that Nicolas Sarkozy's election and the likely shift to more Anglo-Saxon economic practices will make workers in France any more happy with their lot."

The top three workplace whingers are socialist paradises, First-place France and tied Britain and Sweden. America came in third. Holland has the least whingiest workplace.

Among the top whingers French workers are the least discommoded by work:

According to an index compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average number of hours "effectively" devoted to work is only 617 yearly for France, as against 801 in Britain and 865 in the United States.

They also enjoy the greatest combined paid holiday and vacation days, thirty-nine business days. [Pause.] Just shy of eight weeks off -- two months.

How do the French endure the mild afflictions, the light burdens of their easy lot? Oh, the rotten luck of the good life! The humanity!

The French insist at all costs that their special "social model" be preserved. And still they are among the unhappiest, gloomiest, most heavily medicated, complaining, and dissatisfied people of privilege on the planet. Well, these certainly are worthy distinctions to defend on the barricades.

Although France cannot provide the world easy drugs, jobs, short work hours, paid holidays and vacations. or featherbeds -- things she also cannot provide 9% of the French -- nonetheless, she is ready -- always ready -- ready and anxious! -- to share with all her complaining culture.

PFFT (What is this?): Weeping for afflicted France 0 | Rayonnement français 0