Just as I’m about to go on the dole again

One of the current bestsellers in France is a book on how to do the least amount of work while still staying productive. Bonjour Paresse (Hello, Laziness) is a hit–except for the author, whose employers aren’t terribly amused:

Those who dedicate their professional lives to idleness should do so with discretion if they hope to keep their jobs.

This is one useful message in Hello Laziness – The Art and the Importance of Doing the Least Possible at the Workplace, an anarchic anti-business bible published in France.

It is advice the author, Corinne Maier, a senior economist at Electricité de France, failed to follow. She faces a disciplinary hearing next month, accused of attempting to “rot the system from within”.

Naturally, Maier begs to differ:

Maier, who works part-time, has been with EDF for 12 years. She said she wrote the book on her days off.

France’s unions yesterday rallied to her cause, saying EDF was threatening free speech.

“They cited the pettiest offences in the letter summoning me to face a disciplinary review,” Maier said. “The real reason is that they don’t like my book.”

Maybe she should pay just a bit of attention to the ongoing Reuland v. Hynes case–or perhaps not.

(link from TMFTML, who we understand works for the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company, though he would neither confirm nor deny the allegation when prompted.)