Working in a law firm in Paris: the good, and the bad through the eyes of an expat
Just before the pandemic hit Europe, I found myself working for a law firm in Paris, and, as a first-time Parisian, it was one of the best ways to get thrown straight into the Parisian life!
I learned about the office culture first-hand and was immersed in legal jargon in a language that was not my mother tongue. So here is a day in my life to give you a flavour of my experiences (I have changed all names to preserve anonymity!).
8:30 am:
I set off on my half-hour walk from the 9th arrondissement to the Champs Elysées. The bakeries already have a queue around the block and the cigarette smoke is billowing.
9 am:
I arrive at the office, making sure to greet everyone I see. Unlike in London where people try to avoid eye contact with everyone else in the lift, in Paris, saying bonjour in the morning is awaited, if not expected. I log on to see what tasks I have for that day – within 15 minutes the team is ready and eager for coffee, so we venture downstairs. I put milk in my coffee, and everyone looks askance.
9:30 am:
Then back to my desk to crack on with the tasks coming in far quicker than I could ever hope to complete them.
10 am:
Marie, whom I share an office with, runs into the office wearing sunglasses, clutching a green juice and a pot of fruit from M&S, and looking sophisticated as usual. Her thigh-high boots and chiffon dress rather put my outfit to shame. She runs past the other offices quickly so that it’s not noticed that she’s late.
11 am:
Marie disappears for her nail appointment, a service that the office offers at the bottom of the building, as well as massages and hair appointments. I looked up the prices and saw that for a classic chignon, the price is 75 Euros. My salary alone barely covers my rent for a one-bed studio apartment in the 9th arrondissement, so I think I’ll give it a miss!
Noon:
On mange! It’s lunchtime and the Skype group chat is full of suggestions of where to eat. Should it be Cojean or the Vietnamese place around the corner? Café George or Pain Quotidien? Or should we do le click and collect? In London, I’d be content with a Tesco meal deal, but here in Paris meals are taken much more seriously. After much discussion, a decision is made and we head off, joining the bustle that is the Champs Elysées at lunchtime, our ticket resto in hand. Mustn’t forget to say bon appétit. Every café we go to gives me a tranche of baguette with my meal, something I’m not used to. My colleagues all get a starter, main, and dessert. If it hadn’t been a working day, they would have, undoubtedly, ordered wine too.
1 pm:
Marie returns from her nail appointment and proceeds to have her lunch break because, for some reason, her nail appointment doesn’t count as her lunch break. We sit and eat lunch together downstairs. I was expecting to eat lunch at my desk due to the quantity of work we have to get through each day, but, under Article R.4428-19 of the Code du Travail, employees could face a fine if they eat lunch at their desks. Also, it seems almost blasphemous that the bœuf bourguignon should be consumed while staring at a computer screen, so we enjoy a very leisurely lunch break.
2 pm:
The post-lunch slump has hit and that can only mean one thing: more coffee. The machine is broken, and the concierge gets called as a matter of urgency.
5 pm:
Home time… Must remember to say bonne soirée on my way out. As I wander home, the streets are already lined with Parisians having their apéros.
Of course, this is merely my own experience, but I wanted to share the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of my Parisian internship which taught me so much about the Parisian way of life. There’s more to Paris than meets the eye!
Image credit:
All images public domain.
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