Drop that fork! Why eating at your desk is banned in France
What the French history of the leisurely lunch break can teach us about separating work from rest.
This story is adapted from the latest episode of Rough Translation. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or NPR One.
Eating a salad at your desk may not be the most memorable kind of lunch, but at least you can get some work done. In France, that's forbidden.
The French labor code prohibits workers from eating lunch in the workplace. The solo work lunch is also shunned in a culture that prizes a change of pace — and scenery — during the midday meal.
