Work habits of Americans who do not understand in other countries
'18.05.2021'
Source: Rusbase
Americans have different working habits that workers from other countries do not understand. For example, employees in America send working letters at night and do little communication with colleagues outside the office. Which of these habits are considered worst in other countries?
Overload yourself with work
The most famous habit of American employees is to work too hard, writes Rusbase with reference to Business Insider. According to the Gallup report, the average person in the United States runs 47 hours per week, which is one of the highest rates in the world and significantly higher than in Western Europe.
For example, in Europe, the Working Time Directive gives employees of the European Union the right to work no more than 48 hours per week. According to Cary Cooper, an American professor at the Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom, some countries, such as Germany and Sweden, work around 35 hours a week.
Craig Storty, author of Communication in All Cultures, said that Europeans consider the typical American workload as an inefficient use of time.
Rarely take a vacation
Most companies in America offer about two weeks of paid vacation per year. Despite the fact that this is already a small time, Americans do not always use it. According to research, the average American employee uses only 54% of the time from the proposed vacation period annually.
Compare this to Sweden, where employees get five weeks of paid vacation per year. Not surprisingly, they reject the American system. "American companies do not look at the evidence of the importance of rest in terms of performance," said Cooper, who believes burnout is the most serious problem in the United States.
Do not go on maternity leave
The United States does not guarantee paid maternity leave. After replenishing the family, Americans get much less time to care for a child than parents in many other countries. This is due, among other things, to the cultural stigmatization of women, who allegedly prioritize home life, while the man devotes himself to work.
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Dine at your desk
A survey conducted in 2015 showed that most Americans eat while continuing to work. In addition, millions of Americans skip lunch so as not to be distracted from work. In France, Spain, Greece and other countries, lunch breaks can last more than an hour and rarely occur in front of a computer screen.
Do not take breaks
Even at lunchtime, Americans rarely go out to take a break. Meanwhile, in Sweden, employees often take a daily respite from work. For example, a coffee break during which people can just chat.
And not in vain, because studies have shown that such interruptions help increase creativity, restore attention and absorb information.
Send letters after business hours
One of the worst habits of Americans is to send emails and respond to them after the end of the working day. In other countries it is not accepted. For example, in France, employees have every right to ignore work-related letters sent after the end of the working day.
Do not communicate with colleagues
According to a University of Michigan study, Americans have very little contact with their colleagues outside the workplace. When they meet with other employees outside the office, it happens for some reason. For example, if someone was promoted.
And also in vain, because, according to a survey of the Accountemps agency, almost two thirds of employees and 57% of managers believe that productivity increases when colleagues are friends with each other.
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Don't be proud of your work.
American employees are not particularly proud of what they are doing. In Japan, those who love their work are highly valued. There, employees perform their duties well to hone the craft. It is important for employees to belong to something meaningful, and not just to make money.
Do not strive for job satisfaction
Other countries are ahead of the US when it comes to employee satisfaction with their work. According to Universum ratings, the United States ranks 36 in the world in terms of this indicator among countries such as South Africa, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, the top five include Denmark, Norway, Costa Rica, Sweden and Austria.
Afraid to argue with the bosses
Americans tend to shy away from problems with people who are higher on the business ladder. In contrast, employees from Denmark expect equality between colleagues, regardless of position. According to Danish-American author Kay Xander Millish, they are less afraid to challenge their bosses.
“The Danish employee expects the management to open doors, where he will be given the opportunity to tell what is on his mind,” she wrote on LinkedIn. "If he disagrees with the strategy or the manager's point of view, he will say so."
The obsession of American bosses with everything that happens
American bosses seem to be obsessed with everything that happens in the company, and they want to be aware of every little thing. And in Denmark, managers, as a rule, work independently and only check with the team, if necessary, without going into details of the work process of subordinates.
