Did you know...? In France, it is illegal to name a pig 'Napoleon'.
It is common to greet each other with a short handshake, in which each other’s hands are rather pressed than shook. The greeting by cheek kisses (‘bises’) is a private matter and therefore not used in official business. Small talk helps to develop a good relationship with your co-workers. You can talk about culture, sports or French food. As many French companies are hierarchical, it is common to address each other by surname. Although, the division between the managers and the workers are strong, personal relations and contact are very important for French business and the working environment.
Politeness is essential for French communication. Therefore, it is uncommon to directly pass critique. That not only makes it difficult to communicate a problem, it is also hard to understand the subtle criticism from a French person.
Food is a big part of French culture and therefore of French working life, too. Lunch breaks at work, school or university often have different courses and can take a long time. French businesses often follow a parallel timetable. That means that appointments and deadlines can be moved. Delays are also quite common, although, it should not happen too often and the delay should not take longer than fifteen minutes.