This is just a mini-post to share the beauty (and what must be maddeningly annoying to french employers) of the French vacation system.  In 1936, conges payes, or paid vacation, was democratized by law.  No longer was it only the rich who took vacations, but all of France could take vacations. In fact, each french employee was required to take off 2 weeks a year (and get paid for it).

Then, they decided that wasn’t enough, so in 1956, it was changed to 3 weeks of paid vacation.

In 1969, in the year after the student protests in France, they changed it again to 4 weeks of paid vacation, required by law.

That still wasn’t enough, so in 1982, every french person received 5 weeks of paid vacation.

And I must mention that this is only what’s required by LAW, ie: the minimum number of weeks possible.  My host mom gets NINE.  That, plus not being able to work more than 35 hours a week?! I mean sheesh, I know this system has a lot of problems of its own, but from where I’m standing, working in france is looking pret-ty good at the moment.