Work
-
France-Germany
35 hour working week under attack, still
4 January 2011PresseuropLa Tribune -
Romania
IMF imposes 60-hour week
12 October 2010PresseuropAdevărul -
Job market
Those work-shy Europeans
19 July 20101De Groene Amsterdammer Amsterdam -
29 March 2010Respekt Prague
-
European of the week
Miriam Meckel, life after burn-out
19 March 20101Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Frankfurt -
Crisis
Farewell to fixed incomes
12 March 20102Il Sole-24 Ore Milan -
Romania
Work, but at what price?
12 March 2010PresseuropGandul -
Employment
The work-life imbalance
29 September 20091Le Monde Paris
Long holidays, short working weeks, early retirement: in the US, Europeans have a reputation for being allergic to work. Nothing could be further from the truth, declares the Groene Amsterdammer, though if we want to keep our social benefits we will have to knuckle down. 
A permanent job, a rock-solid employment contract and fixed hours are gradually becoming relics of the past. It’s bound to be a rougher ride from here on in. That will open wide the realm of possibilities – but also a whole Pandora’s box of uncertainties, heralds the Czech weekly Respekt. 
Until her nervous breakdown, Miriam Meckel, a high profile professor, broadcaster, and PR agent, was widely considered a role model in her native Germany. Her bestselling book about the experience warns of the perils of a non-stop communication society, and has reignited the debate about Germany's much vaunted work ethic. 
Battered by the economic crisis and drowning in deficits, several EU states have opted to cut public sector pay rather than devalue their currency. The choice is unpopular but not unprecedented, reports Il Sole 24 Ore. 
24 employees of France Télécom have committed suicide over the last 18 months. The deaths have been linked to the lack of job security, isolation within the company and increasing demands for employee flexibility. In French daily Le Monde two sociologists examine the story in the wider context of a society, where the meaning of work is undergoing significant change.