--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: French voters are trying to preserve a…" description: "\"“French voters are trying to preserve a 35-hour work week in a world where Indian engineers are ready to work a 35-hour day. Good luck.”\" — Thomas Frie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/thomas-friedman-1784_good-luck_french-voters-are-trying-to-preserve-a-3_1081642.png" --- # French voters are trying to preserve a 35-hour work week… ![“French voters are trying to preserve a 35-hour work week in a world where Indian engineers are ready to work a 35-hour day. Good luck.” quote by Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/thomas-friedman-1784_good-luck_french-voters-are-trying-to-preserve-a-3_1081642.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/thomas-friedman-1784_good-luck_french-voters-are-trying-to-preserve-a-3_1081642.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e6/thomas-friedman-1784_good-luck_french-voters-are-trying-to-preserve-a-3_1081642.png) > ““French voters are trying to preserve a 35-hour work week in a world where Indian engineers are ready to work a 35-hour day. Good luck.”” [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The comment highlights a clash between rigid labor protections and the flexible, high‑skill work culture of modern tech economies. **In simple terms:** Labor rules may be outdated compared to global tech work habits. Key Takeaway Adapt labor policies to global tech realities. Themes economics globalization labor policy Mood critical analytical Type political economic When to use this quote - tech industry - government regulation - worker rights Key Concepts productivity work‑life balance Questions to Reflect On - Should work weeks be standardized globally? - How can workers retain rights while staying competitive? A Different Perspective Strict hour limits may hinder competitiveness in fast‑moving sectors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Engineers Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers-ready-2748039/) [French Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-voters-2748038/) [Good luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-luck/) [Indian Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian-engineers-2748040/) [Work 35](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-35-487927/) [Work week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-week/) ## Related quotes > [“He now makes $8.80 per hour…He is allowed to work up to 35 hours per week, but is usually assigned fewer, and he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-now-makes-8-80-per-hour-he-is-allowed-to-work-up-to-35-hours-per/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I didn't have to work out before 35 but now I have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/i-didn-t-have-to-work-out-before-35-but-now-i-have-to/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-the-labor-movement-that-helped-secure-so-much-of-what-we-take/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As work weeks get longer and leisure time shrinks, people are becoming sicker, more distracted, absent, unproductive, and less innovative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/as-work-weeks-get-longer-and-leisure-time-shrinks-people-are-becoming/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [A one-hour work-week...would minimize the damage that Congress can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/a-one-hour-work-week-would-minimize-the-damage-that-congress-can-do/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [Most people work all week to get to the weekend. A few work all weekend for years to get to freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/most-people-work-all-week-to-get-to-the-weekend-a-few-work-all/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I feel like the days that I do work in the week I make really busy, so that the rest of the days when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-humes/i-feel-like-the-days-that-i-do-work-in-the-week-i-make-really-busy-so/) [Rochelle Humes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-humes/) > [While the four-day work week is not yet universal, most citizens enjoy the pleasures of added three-day weekends during the year. These extra days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frome/while-the-four-day-work-week-is-not-yet-universal-most-citizens-enjoy/) [Michael Frome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frome/) > [“Be proud of your work week, not your weak work. Monday-Friday you can find me working out. I have the body of a fisherman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/be-proud-of-your-work-week-not-your-weak-work-monday-friday-you-can/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm largely health-conscious and work out during the week, but I don't punish myself at the weekends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudie-styler/i-m-largely-health-conscious-and-work-out-during-the-week-but-i-don-t/) [Trudie Styler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudie-styler/) > [Being consistent is something I take pride in in myself, just being able to put in the work week in and week out, day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leighton-vander-esch/being-consistent-is-something-i-take-pride-in-in-myself-just-being/) [Leighton Vander Esch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leighton-vander-esch/) > [I know I would not be able to work one week if it were not for that continual force coming from Jesus in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-know-i-would-not-be-able-to-work-one-week-if-it-were-not-for-that/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [You've got to put the work in every week. You can't take anything for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-stoops/you-ve-got-to-put-the-work-in-every-week-you-can-t-take-anything-for/) [Bob Stoops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-stoops/) > [Every Friday, I feel like I deserve a flavored latte for all my hard work during the week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-friday-i-feel-like-i-deserve-a-flavored-latte-for-all-my-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You work throughout the week to be prepared for the matches you're called upon to play. If you train badly you go into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willy-caballero/you-work-throughout-the-week-to-be-prepared-for-the-matches-you-re/) [Willy Caballero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willy-caballero/) ## More by Thomas Friedman > [I'm pretty much an open book. I am a fanatic golfer and golf nut. If I have three free hours any day, my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-m-pretty-much-an-open-book-i-am-a-fanatic-golfer-and-golf-nut-if-i/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [The financial crisis just made the hole deeper, which is why our stimulus needs to be both big and smart, both financially and educationally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/the-financial-crisis-just-made-the-hole-deeper-which-is-why-our/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Many jobs at Google require math, computing, and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/many-jobs-at-google-require-math-computing-and-coding-skills-so-if/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Never before in the history of the planet have so many people, on their own, had the ability to find so much information about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/never-before-in-the-history-of-the-planet-have-so-many-people-on/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [When I was growing up, my parents told me, 'Finish your dinner. 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I think it was just the opposite, in fact. I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-don-t-think-the-arab-spring-had-much-to-do-with-energy-i-think-it/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Geopolitics is all about leverage. We cannot make ourselves safer abroad unless we change our behavior at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/geopolitics-is-all-about-leverage-we-cannot-make-ourselves-safer/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Big breakthroughs happen when what is suddenly possible meets what is desperately needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/big-breakthroughs-happen-when-what-is-suddenly-possible-meets-what-is/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [That's right-the striking thing about greenhouse gases is the diversity of sources that emit them. A herd of cattle belching can be worse than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/that-s-right-the-striking-thing-about-greenhouse-gases-is-the/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [There is something more severe than the problem with Thomas Friedman, which can be generalized to represent someone causing action while being completely unaccountable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/there-is-something-more-severe-than-the-problem-with-thomas-friedman/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/pessimists-are-usually-right-and-optimists-are-usually-wrong-but-all/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) [Explore all 208 Thomas Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) ## More Good luck quotes > [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [“Generally speaking, 99 percent of the time life is benign and supportive. 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Alex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/when-sebastian-cearly-delighted-to-be-treated-like-one-of-the-guys/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Retweet this and you'll have good luck and happiness for the rest of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lush/retweet-this-and-you-ll-have-good-luck-and-happiness-for-the-rest-of/) [Matthew Lush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lush/) > [Worst thing in the world? John is completely out of it. Good luck, ladies. He's a freak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/worst-thing-in-the-world-john-is-completely-out-of-it-good-luck/) [Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/) > [Good luck is the gayest of all gay girls; Long in one place, she will not stay:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton-hay/good-luck-is-the-gayest-of-all-gay-girls-long-in-one-place-she-will/) [John Milton Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton-hay/) > [Instead of just being the person that's like: 'Gosh, that's cool that people are doing stuff and good luck. Do you need me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mendoza/instead-of-just-being-the-person-that-s-like-gosh-that-s-cool-that/) [Jessica Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mendoza/) > [Dear you have always been doing well; if you will keep on going you will meet your destination. Good luck to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/dear-you-have-always-been-doing-well-if-you-will-keep-on-going-you/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Epitaphs are cheap, and they do a poor chap a world of good after he is dead, especially if he had hard luck while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/epitaphs-are-cheap-and-they-do-a-poor-chap-a-world-of-good-after-he/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [\[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. 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