Their three-hour lunch breaks have long been the envy of workers in neighbouring countries, their business meetings often start late and millions of them rarely get to bed till well after midnight.
But now Spaniards face growing pressure to give up their siestas, bring their working day into line with the rest of western Europe – and switch their clocks to the same time zone as Britain.
A parliamentary commission has called for fundamental reform to traditional working hours and practices as part of Spain’s effort to break out of recession and reduce
thechronicunemployment that has dogged its
economy for the best part of a decade.
I ? Word Understanding
Fundamental reform ? very important improvement
Chronic ? happening for a long time
II ? Have Your Say
1. The Siesta has existed for thousands of years and was previously regarded as a physical necessity rather than a luxury. Studies show it can reduce stress and the risk of heart disease by 34%
2. Punctuality is the soul of business – Thomas Chandler Haliburton
3. Productivity depends on several factors: motivation, talent, training,
work environment, support from others, time management, luck…
201 Time’s up for siestas, delayed meetings and late nights, Spaniards told in effort to make them work better
