An astonishing new profession is emerging in France: loaded with happiness. But what does this unique position consist of?
There are all kinds of unusual or surprising jobs in France: chick sexer, slide tester or even gumologist… We can now add happiness manager to the list. If, for several years now, we have sometimes heard of Chief Happiness Officer in companies, this role is not quite the same. Explanations.
In Saint-Séverin, a small town in Charente, Claire Simonet became Happiness Manager. The idea for this post? Bring happiness back to retirees, especially those in a situation of isolation. And this is often the case in small villages. Here, it is the mayor of the town, after hearing about a similar initiative launched in a village in Savoie, who decided to test this new model in turn, reports The Dispatch.
He therefore decided to hire this woman to become Happiness Officer within the municipality. This mission takes the form of a civic service contract, a voluntary commitment to serving the general interest, open to young people aged 16 to 25 and up to 30 for people with disabilities. The volunteer generally receives a monthly allowance of around 620 euros, paid by the State, to which is sometimes added a supplement of around 120 euros which would be paid, in this case, by the town hall.
In fact, the person recruited carries out regular visits to elderly people, initiates a conversation, shares a game or an outing and thus helps to break the loneliness. It is the intermediary between the municipality and isolated residents and can also participate in mobilizing associations, transport, activities, so that retirees find a presence and feel seen and heard.
Claire Simonet originally had an eight-month contract, but the mayor is so satisfied with her services that he wants to perpetuate the position and thus transform it into a real salaried job… which could become more and more widespread within the municipalities and eventually become a real profession!
