From the Guardian:
"The deputy chief executive of France Telecom today resigned in the wake of a spate of staff suicides that unions have blamed on a bullying management style and brutal approach to restructuring.
The former state monopoly, now Europe's third-biggest phone company, has seen its brand name, Orange, suffer a public relations disaster as 24 workers have killed themselves in shocking circumstances in the last 18 months, with at least a dozen others making failed attempts to take their lives. Some staff were found dead in their workplace or left harrowing notes blaming the company for "management by terror" and bullying.
In the latest death, a 51-year-old threw himself off a bridge in the Alps after being moved from a back-office job to one in a call centre. Previously, a 32-year-old jumped from her office in front of colleagues at the end of the working day. Both left notes blaming unbearable working conditions and enforced job changes."
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So, why are the French really killing themselves? Because they finally have to work for a living. No more 30-35 hour work weeks, no more 30-90 day vacations, shucks, life is hell. (Well, they still have that stuff, but not for much longer)
Although the under 35 crowd in America would not know a good days work if it bit them in the ass, the United States as a whole is still at least twice as productive as other countries.
In less than 200 years from the Declaration of Independence, we have gone from musket technology to developing the technology and infrastructure to put a man on the moon.
Meanwhile, cave paintings discovered in France indicate a human presence in that area for at least 13,000 years; and in that entire span of time the French have learned how to do three main things: Stomp grapes, make a souffle and invent gay porn movies.
Yet, for some reason, the world is enamored with French culture--of which there really isn't any. (If only von Choltitz had carried out his orders)
I particularly have to laugh at the fact the French are pissed that McDonalds wants to open a restaurant at the Louvre as it is seen as an insult to French culture. Yeah, I guess those French produced golden shower videos are so much more high culture than a Mickey D's.
This illustrates why we never should have rebuilt an ungrateful Europe after WWII.
One also has to wonder about any country where their females do not know how to use a razor. Men do not find hairy legs or armpits particularly appealing. (Though some French chicks do shave now--progress)
Frankly, it's pretty pathetic that you have people killing themselves over a changing job assignment because it is too stressful. Ask any American small business owner, many of whom work 12-14 hrs./day 7 days a week, about stress. Ask any American salesman who works on straight commission about stress. We aren't jumping out of windows because we have learned how to develop a thick skin and understand what it is to work for a living, unlike much of Europe.
Even in the midst of a horrible economic situation, most of us Americans are bucking up and dealing with it as best we can.
If you French want to keep killing yourselves 'cause y'all finally have to work for a living and may be losing that big government tit to suck on (I'm not talking about a safety net), then go ahead and keep up the good work.
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It is a sad day when anyone feels compelled to commit suicide and seems very odd concerning that particular company, that so many came to that point. Could it be that they feel their country is being lost, from within? They aren't replacing themselves fast enough and there are many foreigners coming in. Their culture and identity is at risk. And, they are no threat to us, so, a little sympathy is called for.
rated:)
Do you pay French taxes? Then quit bitching about how the French choose to apportion their tax revenues among their citizens.
I take it you've never actually been to Europe if you call it ungrateful for American help in rebuilding after WWII. My grandfather, who was part of the Normandy invasion, visited France and had ordinary French people thanking him and buying him drinks when they learned he had been an American soldier...45 years AFTER the fact.
Also, google "french anti-american sentiment"
Most of Europe is still jealous of us and hates us. A few French WWII era types still appreciate our efforts but those folks are quickly dying out.
F***in' French pussies.
BTW, Grandpa was quite surprised that a good number of the people thanking him, buying him drinks, etc., had been born post WWII.
Also, a McDonald's inside an art museum is just plain tacky. I wouldn't want to see one inside one of the Smithsonian's galleries either.
NotWhoYou'dExpect, the difference is that we will selflessly sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. The French assistance we received during the Revolutionary War was for completely self-serving reasons.
Leeandra, if there are some post WWII French that appreciate our efforts, that is a good sign. Also, It's going to be a McCafe instead of a McDonalds, so no tackiness.
Although generalizations are, of course, suspect, I think it is fair to state that as a rule, the French are somewhat misanthropic (even to the French!), and sullen. As far as cultural contributions are concerned, the music can be agreeable, but hardly profound, and the art, tepidly inoffensive.
However, they do know their way around a kitchen, and a French woman with virtually no resources, can do more with couture than the Queen of England can do with all the money in the world.
Too bad the always reliable JdeM could not have commented without vulgar references to female body parts.
1. From 1992 to 2001, a total of 2,170 workers died from suicides that occurred while the decedent was at work. These fatal self-inflicted injuries accounted for 3.5 percent of the 61,824 overall workplace fatalities over the period.
Over the period from 1992 to 2001, a total of 2,170 workers died from suicide or fatal self-inflicted injuries that occurred while the decedent was at work.1 These on-the-job suicides accounted for 3.5 percent of the 61,824 total workplace fatalities that occurred over the period. An average of 217 workplace suicides occurred each year, and in no year did the actual number deviate from the mean by more than 6 percent. These data are from the BLS Census
Continued from the Bureau of Labor Statistics about America:
Still, a person at work has a greater likelihood of being killed from homicide than from suicide, whereas in the general population the opposite is true.
You condemn a company that tries to deal with the issue. Yet, this happens every day in America and all over the world. But, do you care to learn, or care to understand the complexity of suicide?
No, you just want to pluck a story from the headlines that justifies your xenophobic and economic world view.
Next time you are thinking about writing something like this ask some questions:
1. French Telecom is one of the largest employers in the world.
2. What if any stats are there on this for other nations?
3. How common place is work place suicide and is this an outlier.
Try it, it's educational.
Stella.........and your point? We have alot of people and a lot of guns here, there will, of course, be the occasional problem.
That's the thing asianshoebox, there is no culture in French culture. It's like studying roadkill...roadkill is roadkill, you do not need to spend time getting a PhD in roadkill analysis to analyze it.
Stella, as to your last reply, that number of suicides in such a relatively short timespan is atypical. As to teen suicides, I did a post a while back that indicated the suicides are up worldwide. As the world economy gets worse, suicides will increase. The larger issue is why are people feeling so hopeless?
So are you saying this Nazi general should have carried out Hitler's orders and exterminated Paris, which both the Allied armies and the French resistance movement sacrificed so much to capture?
Explain.
I'm still not sure what the point of this post is, other than to cheer on the fact that Americans have to work more hours and get less vacation time than other countries.
Why would anyone be proud of that?
Why are people feeling hopeless?
People always killed themselves, now we report it. Before, it was a sin in the eyes of the church and shame to the family, so suicides were never reported. The Scandinavians never had the issues with suicide, so the moronic right wingers always thought it was due to socialism.
Again, although I understand the necessity of military action, it sickens me that a single life should be lost to war---no real reason, in theory, why we cannot iron out our differences at the bargaining table. Personally, I do not think the French are worth defending, however, in the broader sense, efforts should be made to stop violent aggression of any type. (even when it involves the French)
Having said the above, you do not disobey a direct order from the Commander-in-Chief. (I have the feeling though that if Obama does not get his act together, and really puts us in a pickle, we might just see a military coup here in the U.S.)
I will continue to ignore or comment according to my own lights, certainly not yours.
If you read on the issue, people are not killing themselves because of the hours, it's because of the relocations. The French are not a nomadic people. Such moves are not a daily affair.
If you really care about workplace issues, lets talk about the stress in American families from the debt load, who do you think is reporting that data honestly in America? Who is reporting home violence, drug and alcohol addiction due to the economic situation in America?
Your comment that "the French are not a nomadic people" and the fact that they are having to relocate is causing them to off themselves really does make the case for natural selection.
Yes, American families are under stress, and some of those people will kill themselves and their families, but it has only been fairly recently that most Americans have gotten away from the idea of self sufficiency and on to the idea that others should care for them.
You have entire societies in Europe, and now in America, where the populace, regardless of their chronologiacl age, are infants or children, at least emotionally. Now, that is not to say we should not have safety nets to catch those who experience certain difficulties and I also agree that universal health coverage is a necessity in a modern society, and despite my conservative bretheren's assertions to the contrary, there are successful examples of nationalized health care for everyone.
Contrary to what the left thinks, most issues are not that complicated. Most Americans will be able to deal with their problems in a way Europeans cannot. (Not to say that we aren't going to be in for a really rough time though.)
Obviously you've never been to France or you'd realize that they have several technological advantages over us, e.g., the TGV, and not only that, they are healthier, live longer and are happier. So what if they don't want to work 40 hours a week. And what exactly makes 40 the magic number? It's about quality, not quantity. The French prefer not to have a Walmart view of life.
Lastly, you completely ignored the ""management by terror" and bullying" bit which says more to why suicide is happening than any of the other shallow tripe you've presented here.
Oh yes, I'm well aware of the real French record on resistance, no illusions there (for a real eye-opener, get a hold of the documentary film "The Eye of Vichy"), it never really amounted to anything in terms of actual results, but after the Allies landed the French did start getting their act together, most notably in Paris. Yes, maybe it was all too little too late, but I hope that I and the rest of us who congregate here would do at least that much if we were ever put in the situation of having to stop tanks with Molotov cocktails.
@rwnutjob
Hmm, somehow your statement on how Nazis really were duty-bound to obey Hitler's orders disturbs me. Do you consider Stauffenberg a traitor for trying to blow him up? Most of his contemporaries thought so, but people have been trying to move on since then.
I have more of a clue about history than you and i do not ignore the facts I do not like.
Each case must be looked at on it's own merits, but I think Stauffenberg was justified.
Take for example "women and shaving". First of all there are more techniques in the world than shaving.
Your world view is stuck in the "French women don't shave" (which is not true). This is some ignorant GIs binary of American and European women that you have stayed stuck on for decades. Yet, you repeat this tidbit as if it's an indication of some kind of virtue or standard or feminine allure. Repeated generation after generation till your mind is numbed. "French women do not shave...French women do not shave".
Culturally, if shaving is your standard for femininity then Moslem women should be the American male ideal. By the way, they do not shave they use sugaring or the string method. Techniques developed for thousand years, shaving is frowned upon cause it causes ugly bumps. So, even something as simple as women having hair and how they remove it, is not simple. But you need the simple moronic binary to survive.
As for Dien Bien Phu, leave it to the French to locate a base in a valley, making it easy for the Viet Minh to surround and annihilate them.
I also apologize for my spelling errors in my replies.
Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Both the United Kingdom and France immediately declared war on Germany, even though neither country was directly attacked.
The U.S. did not enter WWII until declaring war on Japan on December 8th, 1941. We did not declare war on Germany and Italy until December 11, 1941...and then only because they declared war on us first.
Churchill's famous "we shall fight on the beaches" speech ends with a plea for the U.S. to come to the aid of the British in their fight against the Nazis. It was delivered on June 4, 1940, a full year and a half before we entered the war.
Based on the relationship Churchill nad FDR had, there was no doubt we would come to their aid. The Brits and French had no choice but to declare war on Germany.
More on that later.