Are you excited to work in the French Alps but unsure if it’s the right place for you? In this article, I’ll share my personal experiences, though that doesn’t mean you’ll go through the same situations I did.
One morning, lying in bed, I thought about wanting to spend the winter season in another country, to gain new experiences, travel, and make some money along the way. I wasn’t particularly concerned about the country, as long as I could leave for those two months before the summer season began.
I started interviewing for various countries: Sweden, Austria, and France. In Sweden, they were looking for a sucker, expecting me to walk 20 minutes in -20°C from the provided accommodation to the workplace, working an 8-hour shift, 5 days a week, for €980 net. No way. In Austria, in the Alps, they wanted a jack-of-all-trades: receptionist, server, housekeeper, kitchen assistant, and ski guide – all for €740. I thought, “That’s it; enough is enough! How can such developed countries offer such low wages for winter seasons?”
Setting up my interview for the role of “Restaurant Runner”
Then came an opportunity to work in the French Alps. I did a phone interview (not a video call), and they described the position and benefits:
- Role: Restaurant runner
- Accommodation: Free
- Meals: Free
- Salary: €1,800 net
- Hours: 8-8.5 hours/day, 6 days/week
- Overtime: Paid
I thought, “Perfect, we’re set!” I booked a flight to Geneva, then took a bus to Avoriaz in the French Alps. From a central ski station, I took a cable car to the highest point, where my home and workplace would be. Upon entering the HR office for the first time, I witnessed a heated argument between an employee and HR.
They fired the guy, called the police, and kicked him out. I thought, “Great, this is off to a fantastic start!” They showed me my accommodation – a small but cozy room, just what you’d imagine if you’ve done seasonal work, with two beds and a nice bathroom.
The next morning, I went back to HR to finalize my placement at one of their restaurants.
HR: “Let’s discuss the benefits. You’ll be paid €1,800, but your days off will be at the end of the contract, and you’ll work one to two extra hours of overtime daily.”
Me: “I assume the overtime is paid?”
HR: (flatly) “No.”
Me: “Oh, okay. And the days off, will I take them at the end or get extra pay?”
HR: “Either at the end or paid extra. Do you have any issues so far?”
Me: “No, no, all good.” (What could I say after traveling so far?)
HR: “Great, here’s the manager. Follow him, and you start today.”
Working at a restaurant in the French Alps
At the restaurant, I met the team and began working. The first four days were 13-hour shifts, with unpaid overtime, of course. Later, I met three Greek colleagues in the staff dining area, who told me that just days earlier, some Greek workers had tried to claim pay for their overtime. They were promptly fired without receiving any extra pay.
The work environment was hit or miss – sometimes good, sometimes terrible, depending on the manager’s mood. After working endless unpaid hours, one day, I arrived at 6:31 instead of 6:30. As I entered the restaurant, the manager said:
Manager: “You’re late!”
Me: “Yeah, by one minute.”
Manager: “Oh! And by the time you take off your coat, it’ll be even more!”
Me: “Yeah, two minutes.”
The barman chimed in: “Apologize!”
Me: “No chance!” And I carried on working, ignoring them.
Later, a customer asked me for mayonnaise. I found all the bottles empty, so I asked the manager:
Me: “All the mayonnaise bottles are empty. Where can I find more?”
Manager (sarcastically): “If you take a box of mayonnaise and refill the bottles, voilà, you’ll have mayonnaise.”
Me: “Sure, but you need to show me where the box is. I can’t guess.”
Manager: “Fine, fine.”
She went to the storage room and brought a new bottle. There was no box. Her attitude was laced with sarcasm and unnecessary negativity. Little things, delivered with lots of malice.
We are two Greeks working at the same restaurant, running and sweating, while the French waiters smoke and watch us. We take on responsibilities that should belong to the French staff, help them with their tasks, and they just watch us handle our own duties.
They don’t assist with carrying out the trash after the restaurant closes because “that’s a job for the Greeks.” They watch, say something in French, laugh, and generally create an atmosphere of mockery and irony, to the point where it feels uncomfortable just being there.
Now, you might say, “Hey, maybe something’s wrong with you, and you’re making this up?” But I hear the same things from other Greeks in nearby restaurants. My friend, who works at the restaurant next door, is experiencing the same. At first, I thought I might be doing something wrong, but the more I get to know people and have conversations, the more I realize this situation is widespread.
The French Alps for a worker such as myself
In general, the French Alps are packed with tourists, tourist accommodations, and restaurants, with a high demand for staff. It’s just like the summer season in Greece. For this reason, they don’t care who you are, how you’re doing, or whether you’re working overtime. You’re just a number that came and will leave. No conscience, no empathy, just work.
The upside to all this is that I’ve had the chance to see such an incredibly beautiful place, hear a foreign language, interact with different people, and gain experiences that are a mix of good and bad.
Unfortunately, in my case, I didn’t know what I was getting into, so I have to endure these conditions for another month and a half until the season ends and I can leave. You’re like a modern-day slave, if you try to demand anything, they whip you with threats of termination and eviction from your accommodation, without caring if you’ll have money to leave or a place to stay.
Let me note here that I came through a job placement agency based in Bulgaria that collaborates with an office in Greece. Unfortunately, I can’t mention their name, but I advise you to be very cautious about where you go and not to believe everything they promise. I thought that in France, the basics would be respected, but I found something very different.
That said, I don’t want to focus solely on the negatives. I’d like to highlight the positives of this experience and how I adapted to create better working conditions without losing my sanity:
- I learned to say “Yes” to every extra task that wasn’t part of my job to stop the negative reactions. Over time, this approach improved how the managers treated me, and the atmosphere became much calmer.
- After building better relationships with the staff, some of the extra tasks were shared, so I ended up with slightly fewer responsibilities. This created a sense of mutual understanding, which is a small glimmer of hope.
- I met amazing people with whom I laughed, went out, drank, and created beautiful memories.
- Despite the promises broken by the agency regarding overtime, the salary is clear, with free accommodation, food, and insurance. It’s a good opportunity to save a significant amount of money.
- As mentioned before, the accommodation is decent, with heating, hot water 24/7, a kitchen, a microwave, and a fridge. Unfortunately, there’s no Wi-Fi.
- I’d never have had the chance to see the French Alps up close or create such beautiful mental images.
Here are a few more photos I took of this magical place:
