NOEL KING, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Noel King. COVID-19 has brought the end of an era for French workers. To promote social distancing, they'll now be allowed to eat lunch at their desks. Unlike in American offices, where the sad spectacle of a working lunch is pretty common, the pause dejeuner is sacred in France. In fact, labor codes forbade meals in the workplace but no more. To our French friends, we simply say, c'est la vie. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.