Life “work, play, play” of the Germans: Go to work without surfing Facebook, go home for 11 hours, the boss also sends mail!

Germany is a country with an admirable economy. As an economic engine of the EU, Germany is not only Europe’s leading manufacturer, but also helped the region from collapsing in 2012. Owning such a remarkable achievement, but Germany is home to hours of hours work much shorter than other neighbors.

Having to work only 35 hours a week and also be granted 24 days off a year, Germans are still incredibly productive.

Working hard

In a German working culture, employees should do nothing but focus on their work when they arrive at the company. Surfing Facebook, chatting with co-workers, pretending to open work pages when the boss passes … are considered unacceptable behaviors for German workers.

In the BBC documentary “Make Me German”, a young German woman was shocked by the culture when she came to England to work. She was surprised by the comfort of her English colleagues.

“I went to the office and found people talking all day about very personal things, like ‘Are there any plans for tonight?’ They also drink coffee all the time,” she recalls.

The woman also said that Germans are not allowed to use Facebook at work for any reason. Even private emails are banned.

Play hard

When Germans work seriously like this, they do the same when they rest. At the end of each working hour, they will rest for an instant of 11 consecutive hours, without being disturbed by work.

In today’s technological age, bosses can completely communicate with employees by smartphone. To prevent this, the German government has enacted a ban on working or receiving work-related emails after 6pm.

Because of this serious working environment and culture, Germans don’t often hang out with each other after work. They always put a clear boundary between private life and work.

In their free time, they often go to clubs to meet people with similar interests. Germans are passionate about sports, singing, hiking, taking care of animals … Instead of watching TV all night, most of them will interact with people in the community and learn together.

Germans also have the highest number of vacation days in Europe. Each year, they are allowed to take 25-30 days off and still be paid in full. As a result, families can enjoy long vacations together, rent an apartment near the beach to relax or travel far to a new and attractive city.

Straightforward and objective

Germans speak very frankly and clearly. If Americans often gossip to create a fun atmosphere, Germans are very rarely around. They are willing to talk directly to the manager about the ability assessment, participate aggressively in meetings, frankly ask not to use polite words.

If an American says “I would be happy if you could hand this in before 3pm” then the Germans simply “I need this before 3pm”.

When Germans work, they will be very focused and hardworking, so they can achieve high performance in a short time.

On time

Germans are also famous for being on time all the time. For them, “being on time” means coming 10 minutes early. Germans always get things done on time, including projects like building an international airport. In their personal life they also maintain this habit, as evidenced by the public transport such as trains, buses, airplanes … in Germany are always on time.

Therefore, being late in this country is considered an act of disrespect and impolite.

Respect the rights of parenting

Germany is one of the developed countries with the most supportive policies for parents. During the maternity leave, both parents can receive a lot of benefits, which can help them feel assured to contribute to their career before and after returning to work.

Anyone with a contract of employment over 12 months is entitled to this benefit, including a 3-year leave to stay home to care for their children, as long as they commit to returning to work after taking a leave. During these 3 years, they will be paid 1 year and be allowed to work part time for up to 30 hours.

In addition, to maintain workers ‘contracts, the government will pay 67% of workers’ wages (about 1800 EUR / month ~ VND 41 million) within 14 months of vacation. Parents can divide these 14 months at will. Even gay couples enjoy this benefit.