In France, employment is not employment at will. Once you hire somebody, after a probabtionary period that person essentially acquires "tenure" in that job and cannot be removed, except for cause. Economic needs of a company are NOT grounds for removal: a company desiring to lay-off workers due to economic recession must have its lay-offs approved by the Labor Tribunals, of whose judges a certain number (a third to two thirds) are appointed representatives of the Unions.
To hire a worker in France is, essentially, to marry him.
Further rigidities are built into the system besides the 35 hour work week, the 6 weeks paid vacation, and the various social insurance programs. Also, in the event of a layoff, the business must pay the employee for two years or so after termination. Also, employers are required to give a "13 month bonus", which is to say, to pay employees an extra month of pay as a bonus every year. This bonus is not paid as a lump sum at the end of the year, but is instead divided into paychecks and paid all year.
That is just a starting indication.
I can't stop laughing! FREE ENTERPRISE DOESN'T EXIST IN FRANCE! No one in their right mind would open a business there, surely?
Goodbye France. Will the last one to leave, turn off the light...whoops, they won't need to, you can read by the flames.
Btw, thanks for the info.