France is studying another arrangement for divorced officials

The French government is considering the possibility of applying a differentiated working week for its workers, which would be useful especially divorced parents to enable them to take better care of the children they are responsible for.

The idea was revealed today by La Tribune du Dimanche newspaper, adding that it will be discussed at a government seminar called by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal for the following day, the 27th.

The plan explores several ideas, such as having officials work four or four-and-a-half days a week, though without reducing effective working hours, and allowing them more days off.

That would make it possible to divorced parents with minor dependent children and alternatively shared custodythat (the usual system) they work four days a week in which they have their minor children.

IN France, primary schools and most secondary schools do not have classes on Wednesday afternoons. If implemented, the system would allow parents to better care for their children when they are not at school.

A four-day week, although with the same number of working hours, Attal already tried in the Ministry of Finance when he led that department from May 2022 to July 2023.

In his inauguration speech last January, Attal already indicated that one of his goals “do better” and asked the ministers to experiment with this system in their departments.

In France, in case of separation or divorce, both parents continue to have rights and obligations towards their children, known as “parental authority”.

On the other hand, France has had a 35-hour work week for more than 20 years, which generally came into effect on January 1, 2002.

This measure was implemented by the socialist government of Lionel Jospin and became a benchmark for other European countries.