For Russians, a forty-hour work week has become familiar since the days of the Soviet Union. In many countries of the world, the system is similar to the Russian one, but there are states that take a different approach to limiting the length of the working week.
Work week in Europe
The European Union enables countries to determine the length of the work week themselves.
In France, part of the workers work 35 hours a week, from Monday to Friday. Lunch break is determined depending on the collective agreement at the enterprise. At the same time, in a number of professions, for example, in the service sector, contracts are often found implying a 39-hour work week. Special conditions are provided for doctors and nurses - their working week in the case of shifts may slightly exceed 40 hours per week.
In France, the introduction of the 35-hour work week has been a big controversy in the nineties, and some politicians still want to revise their work hours.
In Denmark, the system is largely close to the French. By law, the work week is 37.5 hours. Many civil servants are in a privileged position, since half an hour of a daily lunch break is also included in the opening hours. Thus, employees in similar positions work only 34.5 hours a week.
In the UK, the duration of the work week depends on the contract - it can be 35 or 40 hours per week. For people working in shifts, the number of working hours may vary depending on the week, but should not exceed 48 hours.
