I used to work for a German company in the US, and I miss it everyday. German businesses actually treat workers like human beings rather than replaceable parts for a giant corporate megastructure.
well the US is completly capitalistic while germany has quite a few socalistic laws. but once americans hear socialism or even communism they get scared and rather get exploited by capitalism cuz its good. idk.
Bro i havent worker any overhours my life can get vacation whenever i want and if i get sick bam a week at home for small tummy ache on monday if i still have it i can make it 2 weeks they dont even check so who cares
This is so true. As an American and former boss, I can relate. My boss once told us in a meeting that the only valid excuse not to come in to work was that you died and then it was your family's responsibility to bring you in.
Yes, and if someone infects the whole gang in a meeting, then the 'boss' can at least kick everyone out the next day, and (hopefully) himself the day after that. LOL Just a sick attitude to 'work'!
US worker. I lost my grandmother (she passed away overseas)and took a a few days off,… and got fired the next week. If i had known i was so valueless to the company, i would have quit my job earlier and spent the last 3 months of her life with her. Job is just a job, i am a fool for having feared to lose it. There are many jobs out there, but family is irreplaceable. Now i live with the regret of not being able to bid my granny fairwell.
In America your boss can make or break your working experience. I was in management for many years and because I love to travel I never had a problem letting people go on vacation for two weeks straight because I understood the importance of it. But I know many other managers that would never let that happen, because besides the occasional Caribbean cruise, they never traveled. We are so brainwashed here to put the company ahead of everything else.
it's a real shame they can't understand how much it will boost employees productivity, it baffles me how some big companies are stifling unions, that's backwards, almost medieval don't understand how that is actually happening in the so called west.
Never lived in the US, but I spent all my working age in the UK where you could get sacked for being sick twice a year or being late at work for being late at work more than twice a year. Now I live in Portugal. People are getting sick leaves pretty much every month and if you’re late at work, you just simply need to compensate this time by staying late at work which is more than fair enough.
Yes, respecting workers will make them more productive while they work. Why be 24/7 reachable while being 10% effective when you can work 9 to 5 and be at 180% peek efficiency.
Well, the strong econlmy mostly stems from our broad minimum/low wage sector which allowed us to produce export oriented goods relatively cheaply and thus having a better stand in world markets. Sadly we also have one of the biggest wealth and income inequalities in europe
American here. Yes this can happen. My boss fired my coworker for not being reachable over Christmas break. He thought she wasn't dedicated to the company. You can get fired for practically anything here.
That's why the US will break beautifull soon, once great, now getting garbage, pushing and pushing just digging and digging down, not just for immigrants but also for the sons of the land.
Christmas break is a religious holiday. Your friend could sue that company for religious discrimination, since she wasn't given the full time to observe it.
"a whole month" is actually mandatory for companies in the EU. 20 days off each year are a must, and companies often offer more than that. And if you don't use up those days, your boss will call you out on it, stimulating you to use these days. However, abusing the system like dear Hans is doing here, can most certainly get you fired. It's a hassle for companies to do this, but it's definitely possible.
As an American now living and working in Norway I can tell you this is so sadly accurate. :( We do get two weeks paid vacation in America but its like a fight to get them to let you take it. you're expected to let them know far in advance most places. Its frowned upon to take a sick day and some places don't give you sick leave. Many give you only seven days to use. Also not so good to be late (which I understand that), Some bosses are cool others are total dick heads on some sort of power trip. Zero work life balance unless you work for yourself or you just happen to get lucky and land a job at a nice company. They are too few. Some states are right to work states which means they can fire you for almost any reason although there is some paper trail involved. Europe is far nicer in these regards. Norway allows at least four weeks often times five weeks vacation and they aggressively encourage that you take it. You also get plenty of sick leave and other benefits like a year of maternity/paternity leave. More rights for workers. I hope the US can become more progressive in this kind of thinking. Its a great country which I still love very much. Just needs some work.
Because the thing is that you simply will show better results during work time when you have more time off. Tbh so many people just fill in the space with zero effectivity because they hate being there. But bosses seem not to get that. They think they can force you to be motivated which is by it´s face impossible.
Yes all this at the cost of so much tax you pay, you'd never get rich in these countries. Not to mention maternal leave is just another tax burden on the ones that don't want to have children.
I had the usual 20 days in my last job but because I worked on bank holidays, other than Christmas Day, I should have been given them as extra to those 20 days to be taken at another time in lieu. I didn't get them. Most people get 20 days & the eight bank holidays as extra so 28 days in all. In England & Wales there are the eight bank holidays. There were only six bank holidays until the late 70's when New Year's Day & the first Monday after May 1st was added. More people now have to work on bank holidays because shops are allowed to open then. There needs to be one extra for the national saint's day so it would be St David's Day in Wales & St George's Day in England. I couldn't take my days off when I needed them so they would be carried over & I suffered from burn out.
Mixing weekends, public holidays (about 15) and paid vacation days to get the longest continuous vacations is an art form in Germany. And you have to tell your boss early of course before someone else does.
@@jilsephony8403 I always check with my closest coworkers first, we arrange our free days together before even presenting it to the boss. Since I don't have kids I let the ones with kids to choose the best dates first, plenty left for me. Anyway, there are some selfish colleagues, but they are minority.
golden rule that Ive heard from old German people- 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, 8 hours free time. Ive worked there for 10 years. People do take sick leave although they are not sick, but not that much. A week or two. And you combine that with holidays, 30 days vacation days and it ends up with you working less then 10 months per year and recieving 12 full paychecks plus 13. paycheck and vacation bonus. Two weeks skiing in january plus two weeks swiming in the sea in july/august is practically mandatory. Not to mention weekends, you can sometimes buy plane tickets from Germany to Spain for 10 euros so you can release yourself from the stress and in monday you are back at work complaining that you are under stress
Basically, this is the baseline in Capitalism, kind of like the social contract that has been west capitalist economies have adhered to since the beginning of the 20th century. Capitalism doesn't work if you don't have well paid and well rested workers, anything else is either corporatism or extreme capitalism (laissez-faire, free market or for some "pure' capitalism), which, essentially, doesn't work. Capitalism needs both state regulations and social safety structures to remain truly free, even if this sounds contradictory. Because "free" in capitalism, means EVERYONE being "free" from poverty or from malicious competition to reach for their maximum potential. The US and their lobbying system, where companies buy out politicians legally, along with the art form levels of division propaganda (neither the left nor the right make sense in the US), have driven their system straight to corporatism. It is actually devolving to one side of a coin of which the other side is China's export capitalism (capitalism in foreign relations, communism in the interior).
I once had a boss who actually bragged about how she came in to work in a wheel chair and hooked up to an IV after an accident she'd had. She thought it showed how dedicated and tough she was when it came to her job. I just thought it made her sound insane and a little stupid. But trust me, so many other Americans would be applauding her "work ethic".
that's insane >.< Maybe they gave her the hospital bill right away when she left the hospital and thought "damn, I need to work long and hard to be able to pay this" >.
Well I once had a normal work day in the military including a night shift where I was doing guard duty... all with a fractured foot and crutches...but tbh I was forced into it because "it's just a foot you can still keep watch, speak and shoot and we don't want to change shift schedule".
@@DragonlordSVS Correct me if I'm wrong, but a downtown city office job recruiting for law firms is a bit different than being in/training for the military, no?
I lived in Germany, I was shocked how serious they are with their work, it is all their live. They don't even take a 2 hour lunch break like in my country (France). great video man! thxxx
@@rachidb9624 The rest of Southern Europe does because it's so hot in the summer they are unable to work in the middle of the day both indoors & outdoors so work split shifts. I think they revert to more normal working hours in the winter.
Before he even said that I was all ready to comment that no adult American has friends to even wish they could spend time with and if they did those friends would be too tired to see them
As an American who moved to Germany, the first thing my colleagues did was rid me of my American work brain washing. Even my boss was encouraging me to take more vacations. I was blown away.
It's smarter that way - the longer you are happy and healthy, the longer you will be productive and satisfied employee. Life is beautiful and we should all enjoy it together. This is the true win win strategy.
I used to work in Germany, and aslo worked for an American company in Asia. The bosses at that American company were actually quite nice but still it was really hard to really take holidays without having to be bothered by work. I meant it was like the work just comes and you will still be contacted. You could avoid replying, but there will be something happening so if you are a responsible employee, it would be hard to do so anyway. My previous German boss was different. He was very nice, respected to his employees, I could call in sick when I felt unwell (I didn't know that when I first worked in Germany). He also avoided contacting me at weekends. There was one time, he needed to contact me for something very briefly at weekend, and he continuously politely said sorry for that. I actually feel very grateful to him. Even though I did't work there too long, I still remember how kind they were to me 😊.
Took 4 days off to take a professional exam to be more valuable to company after working there for 2 years. Got fired upon return. I actually agree with this video.
Me, a German, hates it, when people misuse the system. So many ppl say on fridays or mondays that they are "sick" to party or what ever. Who has to do their work? The colleagues who do not misuse the system. I know to many ppl that misuse these rules.
In Switzerland, I know someone who was pressured by their employee to take their holidays as they were scared of the possibility of overworking and burn out, also they didnt probably want him to accumulate too many days (they roll into the next year...). He really didnt want to do it because he wasnt overworked and completely ok. So, he didnt take them. Then couple of months later, he had a talk with his boss and eventually the HR ordered him to take holidays in the next few months at most lol Reluctantly he did eventually....
They do in that US as well. This my strategy in fact if the company will allow me to get away with it. I would never take whole months off though. I just want the time there in case I need it sorta like a bank account.
Banking them in case you really need them or to take a longer vacation is one thing, but the work culture is so sick in America that in companies where people actually do have sick days they bank them just to not take them and get paid out, companies hate this because they see it as double dipping, and it’s bad for other employees because even when you are offered sick days there’s still a culture of shame around using them and then the employer will just reduce sick days because no one is taking them. We do this to ourselves because we’re fucked up and fetishize burnout and working while sick even when we don’t have to
Just because you don't feel overworked it doesn't mean you aren't. Stress doesn't always trigger an immune response, and the adverse negative effects of excess cortisol might set in without much of a warning. Like, seriously, this is not a joke and playing tough guy with your health at work isn't just bad for you, it can also be used by the owner to shame other workers with ill intended comparisons into overworking themselves. He could be the exception to the rule where he's better at work than at holidays, which is something that can be looked at with a medical check-up that looks for stress indicators such as the aforementioned cortisol levels. I'm a Spanish person whose country is still struggling to keep our current labor rights while trying to conquer new ones such as the personal worker autonomy when calling sick days in, that people in other countries such as Germany, give for granted, so please, explain to your friend this, so he can understand that he's not being punished for working or some other crap.
@@Thorfinn47. it is optional, if you'd like you can, but if not then do not. May be you meant volunteer's work because it makes more advantages for graduates to go to unversity
@@lmaolol8892 , no that's not what I mean, I am talking about job , I heard that most immigrant kids are not allowed to study engineering and medicine etc , at age 10 only they are forced to go for other lower fields. They don't get chance , by age 10 only they are forced to go for manual jobs like electrician, mechanic , construction worker etc, universities don't allow them even if they have same score as native Germans , and they are raised to replace the labor shortage for Germany , ?? What do u explain about this
That's why a lot of us choose to work in the public sector in the US. They pay is not as good as corporate America, but the benefits are much better. My job in the public sector started out with 15 sick days, 12 vacation days, and 3 personal days, plus 13 holidays. And yes many of us took a two week vacation after the first year. We had a union ,so very seldom would the boss deny us our vacation because we could put in a grievance against him, which would make his life hell. Just to let you know Radical Living that there are some jobs in America, that do have good benefits, although not as good as you have in Germany. I worked in the private sector for 3 years and hated it!! I went back to the public sector for the benefits as I wanted a life outside my job. Thanks for this video Radical Living, as working in most private sector Corporate American jobs, is like what you just showed in this video.
This is why more jobs should unionize in the US, it is the only way besides large-scale reform that workers in the US can have more rights. This is coming from a European though...
Yes, so very true. Public service employment within the United States is very generous with leave. Also, all the holiday time. One of the very few sector that is out of the norm.
The sick days are limited? That sounds pretty awful to me. In Germany you need a sick note, but if a doctor says so you can take time off unlimited. But I guess it's good for US standards. Also something which many in the US should do is follow their contract and actually demand that the companies abide by the labour laws. For example everything after 40 hours per week needs to be compensated by a factor of at least 1,5. If something isn't in the contract you should not do it. And at minimum wage you should give minimum effort.
I'm an American working in the U.S. I work at a laboratory that is a quasi-government-private enterprise. I get three weeks off a year for vacation and I forget how much for sick time. It's a lot, more than three weeks. I use at most a day or two of that each year. I'm maxed out as to how much vacation time I can have on the books (six weeks I think). I don't like being away for too long as it forces your coworkers to do extra work, and even though I'm not in management, I like being there to voice my opinion on matters concerning tasks I'm involved in. Lastly, vacations, if you actually go out of town, are VERY expensive. I took my family to Lake Tahoe, which is only about three to five hours away from me by car, and spent over $2k for five days. We didn't even ski or snowboard. If I were to try visiting another country as many Europeans do, I'm sure it would cost me about $10K, easily.
Idk…🤔 I worked in Germany as an engineer and it was quite rough. BUT, what I respected about Germany vs America was that they challenged me, ALOT, but also mentored and provided a lot of teaching/training opportunities. In America, the corporations are insane, they expect you to literally know everything right out of the box fresh out of college, with zero practical experience. The time I spent at that German engineering firm, showed me, based on their knowledge, work ethic and attention to detail, why they almost took over the world. They are very talented if not a bit overzealous. I went to Australia after my time in Germany & it was the complete opposite, they don’t even know what a clock is.
The reasons for this are quite sad honestly. German workers fought long for their rights. Life was hell during industrialisation. US workers tried too but lost and probably gave up. Execution, murder, assassination were the ways us dealt with unions a century ago to stop them early. Nowadays union busting and marketing campaigns against unionization are much more subtle but just as effective.
I worked both in the US and Germany and this video is sooo true. Now i work in Luxembourg which combines the best of both worlds (American level salaries and European work life balance 😊😊❤❤)
@@AUniqueHandleName444 its pretty much shows the differences pretty accurate. for us germans the situations in america seems so extreme arful when we hear about it, that hans here probably should never show up at work to put that in the right perspective
This was true of the factory, I worked in. In fact, what was worst was that people didn't even know how long they would have to stay that day, till they came to work. They would get told at lunch, that they had to stay two hours late and come in two hours early the next day. They would sometimes be informed on Thursday or Friday, that they must work Saturday etc. And, bathroom breaks were noted by supervisors and if there were too many, everyone would get a talking too. People were penalized (losing their bonus) for having to leave early and chewed out for clocking out 1 minute before the lunch bell. Vacation time.... 20 hours paid vacation for the first year and lot's of people had to use it cause they were sick. I always just took unpaid. I didn't work there long, just 9 months. But, I wouldn't have lasted. I wouldn't play along. I got away with a lot, because I was technically listed as a part-time employee (32 hrs per week). I never stayed late and I never worked weekends and if they had ever told me, I had to or I'd be fired, I would have walked out then and there. But, I think they knew that, so they didn't mess with me. In the end, I left and went on a two week vacation to Germany. 😂
@@scout8112 Actually, in the States, it is still legal to enslave a person if they've been convicted of a crime. Many southern states require that prisoners work without pay, and often it is hard labor. In the rest of the U.S., they'll pay you around 20 cents an hour when they require you to work.
Question for the people from the US: What happens when you are sick for a long time and can't work? Do you get paid? Are they allowed to fire you? Last year i was sick for 5 months due to depression. The first six weeks my employer paid my full salary. After that my healthcare payed me about 80% of my salary. When I was able to work again, I had to make a plan with my doctor on how to start slowly e.g. reduced hours, no work on weekends. It is called 'berufliche Wiedereingliederung'. I also had a talk with my boss about that and she asked me what would help me and made sure that I felt comfortable with starting again. I'm really happy that germany actually takes care of its citizens. Also: The year before that we managed to get a different boss fired, because she created a toxic workplace atmosphere.
We have a British friend (here in the US) who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Because of the chemotherapy, she missed too much work and they fired her. Our health insurance in the US is tied to our employment, so she also lost her health insurance. (There existed COBRA which would have cost more than $2,000/month--difficult to pay if you're unemployed.) Luckily, she kept her British citizenship despite living here for almost 40 years. She went back to England and lived with her sister while she was getting affordable treatment.
I'm American. It sucks to be American. If you take off work for a week for any reason, you will more than likely be replaced. The American mentality is that you as an employee are an asset but if you get sick, you are a liability and you will cost the company money. American laws do not give leeway for employees to take time off. There are laws that should theoretically protect employees from abuse but, they have no teeth (can't really be enforced) because big businesses pay politicians to ignore poor people's rights. My siblings left America and said it was the best decision they ever made. I'm leaving America as soon as I get the chance.
You quit and get a new job. Maybe like if you break your back in a car accident or something and they liked you before you can take unpaid leave and then reapply at the same company and be given preferential treatment in re-hiring. No one would even dream of taking 5 months for depression unless they live with their parents. And you would never tell the company that. If you need to not work for 5 months because of depression you quit and get a new job and you lose your housing and move in with family, if you don’t have anywhere to go you just keep working. Don’t even think of getting one unpaid day for depression, you lie and say you have the flu and maybe if you haven’t called in yet this year they’ll let you have like 1-2 unpaid days. I’m sorry but I’m actually a communist American and “I took 5 months off work for depression” sounds like a made-up strawman from the right like “well if we let anyone have medical leave people will abuse it and take 5 months off work for depression” and the left would be like “oh my god no one would ever do that, that’s ridiculous, all we’re saying is you should get 4 weeks leave if you break your back and can’t walk” (and we all understand without saying that if you want leave for mental health you have to just lie and say it’s something else if you want to come back without being bullied). And then Germany enters the chat like “well we do that” like what the fuck is going on over there?
As a Russian guy who moved to Germany, I have to say that I like how good labour rights are protected here. But for me, an issue is the 6 months probation period in which you can be fired any time without a reason. That makes me anxious
On the other hand, in Russia the probation is 1 to 3 months, but your employer can easily press you into quitting "by your own wish", and that's how most layoffs happen there
@@Klash1100 That's life, my Russian comrade. Some people always gonna get an advantage of you, until you stop this by yourself. The truth is that Russian labour law protects employees from the case you described, but it up to employee to protect themselves by this law. So forcing an employee to quit "by your own wish" is no more than a threat without anything behind it. It's a pity that not many people know this.
As someone from a neighbouring (to Russia) country currently "freelancing" for a Russian company (I would probably considered an employee by German standards), that tracks, but it's way worse in Central Asia. The 3 months probation period is only there so that your employer can pay you less, and you have to mess up _a lot_ to be fired during the probation period, but at any time your superiors can ask you to resign, and if you don't, you can be sure your work life would turn into utter hell. And if you try protecting yourself in court, remember that your company has more money to hire lawyers and give a few strategically important gifts.
However, Germany isn't perfect either.....I have a friend in Germany who is a Notfallsanitäter (Paramedic). Last time, I was in Germany, he couldn't hang out on the weekend, because he worked 28 hours straight [and got near constant calls] and was so exhausted that he slept pretty much the entire next day. So, there are overworked Germans. I also have a friend who is a teacher over there and she spends many of her weekends grading papers. However, both my friends do get multiple paid weeks a year and have time to travel and recover.
It’s not just Germany, but basically all of Europe. In some way, the US missed out on a lot of crucial cultural developments regarding social systems and especially workers rights in the last decades because of the cold war and the red scare. Anything regarding social stuff was instantly flagged as communism. So America’s working conditions now are basically Europe’s working conditions from the 1940s.
As someone in the US I was actually relieved I was between jobs when my Grandma passed away so I didn't have to worry about using one of my 2 PTO days.
I had the chance to go to the US and Germany, i guess I did the right choice to come to germany, not that I want to be lazy or get paid without working, but I work with human beings here, not selfish disgusting bastards that want to enrich themselves on my expense.
I managed restaurants working ten hour shifts with no breaks. I would get exhausted and quit or get exhausted and say something ugly to my boss and get fired. Many jobs here in the U.S. do not give any paid vacation. You might get one week unpaid vacation. Cashiers have to stand all day. Only Aldi allows cashiers to sit.
@@maroszukaro9082 I've been wanting to move there for a few months now, it started when I wanted to move in with my ex gf, but then we broke up over a month ago, but that didn't stop me wanting to move there. Finding this channel recently only made me love germany more
I'd like to go and explore Germany as well :) this channel really made me more excited than ever haha Would you like to live anywhere in Germany, or Berlin specifically, like this guy? ^^
@@MerryMoss well after seeing him, berlin is probably a very cool place and would be nice to live in, but I don't really mind where, I've also been thinking of moving to bavaria too as I know someone from there
Tha's why when you're working in a European company, and you hear that an American company is acquiering your workplace, its the worst news you can hear.
Still remember my old boss trying to tell me I couldn't take 3 weeks off to go to Japan because I would "miss too much" while I was gone. As if pregnant people don't leave and come back after that long. American work culture is definitely toxic if you have bad managers. My current boss however is way more understanding, so it's not all bad.
Well, in case you don't see the difference in your situation vs being pregnant, you aren't spending hours in pain and then another who knows how long pushing a human out of you or getting the human taken out, and then you might need stitches depending and then that human is there so you have to take care of it and it hurts to walk and go to the bathroom and you might need to have emergency surgery after you have the baby on top of all that. But yeah, pregnant people don't at all need over a week off...
@@HollowWaterso Nothing in my comment was a knock against pregnancy. My point is that people can obviously be gone for 3 weeks and come back to the company just fine. Anything you choose to read into it beyond that is your own perception and nothing to do with my intent.
@@TheAntinowherelane you do know there are jobs you can get where you have more than three weeks off at a time? Without asking? Also, there’s while some jobs don’t let you take more than a week off, at least jobs let you take multiple days off throughout the year(which is the kind of job I currently have). I’m just saying there’s a big difference between going to Japan for 3 weeks and being out on maternity leave, even if they say you will miss too much. If you think being denied that is toxic (as 2 weeks should’ve been what you tried to ask for), then like I said, there are other jobs that offer longer vacation times.
I know a guy working for a German company who has 60 paid vacation days per year. Plus he pretends to be sick for about 30 days each year, too. If he combines it with bank holidays and his shifts, he can be on vacation twice a year for about 5-6 weeks straight plus a few additional weeks. He still complains that he has so few vacation days.
This is what sucks about working in America. You're expecting to always be available and be a great employee, but they don't really value you. Although, it really depends on your boss. Some bosses are cool. This is why I recommend working part-time or finding flexible work. Watching this really makes me want to leave the United States.
This is so accurate with American companies.Before Brexit I worked for Microsoft in UK and we often had meetings with our American colleagues.I remember it was Thanksgiving and the Americans colleagues wanted the holiday off and the boss was telling them.if they did show up for work on that day that they better not bother show up at all after as they would be fired.I was in utter shock and disgust.Then I mentioned on that I booked that day off as holiday from my 25 day allotment,a d as I was in UK, they couldn't tell me off because we use to have the same rights as Germany. Not sure how it is now post Brexit. Another time I was off sick recovering from Surgery,and the boss has the audacity to call me to come into work as my colleague took a sick day as well. I told him flat, I written off as sick and even if I feel a bit better, I am not coming to work and it was illegal to ask me to cut my sick day short to come I to work.All these American companies treat workers like slaves, but they can do do it in Europe
This was absolutely hilarious. I laughed so hard. It's so very true regarding the vacation days/ sick days between German and U.S. workers. United States corporate system of paid time off is beyond abysmally terrible. However, at the County, State, or Federal sector of employment, from my understanding. Leave time is extremely generous and can be used at one's discretion. Also, the United States has eleven paid holidays for certain segments of workers. All in all though, the paid time off leave situation for the vast majority of American citizens is deplorable.
Yes, there're exceptions but leave time and other benefits are very generous in order to compensate for the lower salaries one would get working in the private sector.
I worked for country government for a good while. I had great bosses...until I didn't. My good boss left and one of my peers got the job. He and I are both German-American and we got along like oil and water. I swear that bastard plotted all weekend on how to make my week suck. I left to work in the private sector and made almost 20k more from day one. That was great...I had another German-American boss and we got along just fine....until he got replaced and the shit started all over again. Now I work for myself and don't have to put up with anyone's crap.
Living in Germany for 8 years now. In my first year here, I've got sick during my vacations, bad flu and was in bed for 1 week. When I came back to work I was telling a colleague that I spend a whole week very sick. He then proceed to explain to me that I should have gone to the doctor and get a paper that I was not fit for work that week and that my vacations would have be credited back to me. I was blown away ... Since then It did happed once that I was sick during vacation and applied the lesson. I'm sure never leaving here.
@@RadicalLiving We are treated more like a cog in a machine than a human being in many places in the US. Getting vacation days is rare and it’s frowned upon from many bosses. You’d be extremely lucky if you get more than a week off a year for vacation. I don’t even work yet because I’m 16 but this is what I’ve observed from many people.
Two weeks vacation is a luxury at best. You have to be employed at most places for a full year before qualifying for 1 week vacation a year, which is standard. Sadly, I’ve seen employees get fired for extended leave over 1 week, vacation and sick days unapproved (and you most definitely better have a legit dr excuse note for each day “sick”) or in many states, employers legally don’t have to provide a reason to fire someone.
There were a american reporter who went in front of camera in wedding dress, because while her wedding there was a earthquake or something like that. The comments were full of american people saying how great she is. I was thinking what a horrible Person she is. She wanna marry a guy, what means he is his Family. Right at the beginning being a family, work is more important. Hope she don't wanna have kids (even if the husband is full time housman, the kids won't have anything from her). Also i'm sure divorce will also be comming pretty soon.
I live in Siberia, in the Far North. Our vacation lasts 52 days by law. Usually it is divided into two or three parts per year. A two-week vacation is modern slavery, I can’t imagine :-(
Meanwhile in Indonesia : "Boss,i have cancer gotta go to chemo session this week" Boss : "well you ain't dead yet aren't you? Get your arse here,you lazy bump!!!"
same in Latin America (when working for an American or Canadian company) , I had a cooworker who has getting his Chemo sessions and working the very next day.
Real talk: I work from home, which affords me many luxuries but I literally work from the time I wake up in the morning (0750) until about a halfhour before a lot of things close. I also get NO paid sickleave and NO unpaid sickleave. We only have 80 hours (2 weeks) of C-19 (You know the one) per YEAR and in order to use them you have to test positive. We also only get 7 paid holiday days off a year (specific holidays that the company picked). So to sum up I work from the time I wake up until it's too late to do a lot. I can't go see doctors, yet I have to pay for insurance and I only get Saturdays and Sundays off (which I am grateful for don't get me wrong).
@@Quotenwagnerianer They would not only shred the contract, but also courtmarshal the boss for violating german worker rights. If an entire company would operate like that, it could close afterwards.
In most work places, sacrifice and loyality never is reciprocated. They fire you not matter how much overtime you worked at any point if this makes sense in some spreadsheet calculation or just out of a whim.
I am a European who has worked in the USA for many years. Sadly, this video is 100% accurate. In the state I currently work there are no laws that mandate a minimum of how much paid vacation, sick time and holidays an employer has to pay. So an employer can give none.There are no laws that mandate paid maternity leave. It’s an at will state. This means employees can be let go at any time, for any reason, with no notice and no severance has to be paid. If you’re a blue collar worker, they don’t want to give you a full-time position. That way the employer does not have to pay you benefits. If you’re white collar, there is no legal limit as to how many hours your work week can have. 60 hours, 70 or 80+. Of course white collar also does not get paid any overtime.
There are good companies to work for and bad companies to work for in the USA. If you have a job with a shitty manager and bad work culture its best to keep your resume updated and keep your eyes open for better opportunities so you can jump ship when the time is right.
You're definitely not the only one who's attracted by the working conditions and therefore, the waiting time for even getting your first appointment for a visa is sometimes over a year, the backlog is huge. Some people uproot their whole lives and get stranded while waiting for a reply, it's super congested.
The German government is actually working on a reform for the process of immigration to make it easier for foreigners to get a job here , because we have huge need for skilled workers basically almost every sector is held back because they don't have enough people to get the work done. The debates are still ongoing, it's not certain yet how their new concept is going to look like, but it is meant to make things easier and quicker.
And just to clarify the video, you have 6 weeks of sick-time in a row with full salary paid by your employer, if this exceeded you still won't lose your job, but then your health insurance will pay you part of your salary until you get back to work. And what happens when you get sick again in the same year, well again up to six weeks of full payment and so on. In case let's say in the time your sick, still less than six weeks, you get another issue not allowing you to work, this would be seen as a new reason to stay from work giving you another 6 weeks with full salary. But expect your employer to demand some kind of investigation to proof that it is actually a new illness or whatever and in case you could not , things go as described in the beginning. At some point though you still could lose your job because you simply miss too often, but still it's pretty difficult for employers to get you fired for that.
The unpaid leave thing is 100%. Out of a 40 hour a week “full time” job I get 5 days unpaid vacation/sick days a year. That means if I am sick more than 5 days a year I get 0 vacation days. If you are lucky enough to get holidays off, there are usually only about 5 days a year. (Typically, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day.) This doesn’t apply to retail workers who usually have zero paid leave, and usually work holidays. You do have to show up no matter what. I have had to go to work in a blizzard that dumped 3-5 feet of snow several times in my life. I missed my grandmothers funeral too. I couldn’t even get unpaid leave. Oh year there really isn’t unpaid leave either. If you use up all your sick/vacation days, you risk being fired if you don’t show up to work,
In my company it is strongly encouraged to use your vacation. For leaves above week you got bonus days of vacation. It was common to have 5/6 week paid leave from work. :)
The work culture in the US has a lot of chatter during the day. Often at one site where I worked management would go on daily outings to bars to meet for lunch. Some groups took hour to hour and a half lunches on Fridays. At one place where I worked colleagues would go out to have relations during their lunch hour. I think that we had about four couples at any given time "parking" in the local rural area for "assignations". I never played on the company dime. I'm told that in Germany people come to work, and then they work. No chattering. I would love to know the German meeting culture. Hopefully it does not involve the muscle flexing and chest thumping of US meetings.
Compared to European workplace culture, US one is hellish. Compared to East Asian workplace culture, US one is heavenly. In Japan, workers are known as "shachiku” which literally means the company's livestock. In Taiwan and Mainland China, so many companies require employees to burn the midnight oil regularly and be on call for work anytime where failure to do so would be regarded as being not dedicated. In South Korea, it's even worse whereby bullying of lower ranking employees by superiors is merely seen as a norm. EU is indeed a paragon of this world when it comes to human rights.
I struggle with the concept that there can be a limit on paid sick days, like being sick is somehow your fault. I'm lucky in that sick days do not affect my pay regardless of how many I take. I wouldn't survive in the USA, so little holiday and I bet they work all day on a Friday too, I get 6 weeks annual leave and what's more I am allowed to authorise it myself. #treatedlikeanadult.
@blackroserevolution3989 I finish at 1pm on a Friday but if there is no work to do I will try and get away before lunch. I'm a manager of aircraft mechanics and if there is no work to do then I send my staff away when I can and I'll be the last to leave.
The US will never be like that. The system is designed to squeeze people without any limits. The good thing is you can decide to let them squeeze you or not. Say No, and put the boundaries once you see squeezing machine show starts. Also, you can make the squeezing machine work and earn money for you. This is a great mechanism depending of how you think you can or cannot use it. The airports are always open 24/7 to be back to a beautiful, modern, developed and dear Europe, when you want to.
You hit the nail on the head. The U.S. system is designed for ruthless egotists, who want nothing but to get rich on the back of those who are less ruthless. That's why you get the highest number of millionaires at the expense of having no proper social net.
On my dad's first job in the late-1940's he asked for "tomorrow off." His boss answered, *_"Sure, in fact, take 'em all off!"_* And that was the end of his first job!
As a German, I actually don’t take all my vacation days every year which allows me to use them in the following year. That’s when u can plan some big trips for sure 🙌
Not all American companies are like that, We get 4 weeks paid vacation and 2 weeks sick days off, not to mention now we have Critical Care giver 4 weeks holidays in case someone in your family needs critical care. Also, you should've mentioned how much the salary differences are between Germany vs USA. I've lived in both and salary difference was 3x-4x. P.S: 12 weeks paid Maternal/Paternal holidays too. It's not so bad all over America, some companies do abuse employees but they also do in Germany just in a different way.
Hahaha, "God bless America." I was recently out from work with Covid, (which I presumably got from a coworker, bc we don't call in sick until we're coughing up blood) and when I got back after ~10 days everyone was like "we thought you were dead." Damn, I wish...
that is so true, ich kann nur bestätigen )) especially about "overworking" hours exchange for extra weekend, my colleagues had about 2 months vacation last year due to "overtime" hours, that's really quite insane
My husband and I (Americans) went to New Zealand and did volunteer work on farms. One family we worked for said when they started getting volunteers, they looked for Germans and definitely didn't want Americans. They thought the Germans would have a good work ethic. They didn't. Now they look for American volunteers 🤣🤣🤣
Can you tell me, please, on which site did you find a job on a farm in New Zealand? And what was the name of your employer. I would also like to work in this beautiful country!
Only those who want to do more travel than work go to the other side of the world... There would be enough work here in Germany too. A bit of naive thinking from the New Zealanders.
At my company here in Texas (aerospace industry), I need special permission to take 2 weeks vacation together. I used to work in Germany (for 15 years), it is an employee paradise.
I love Germany! 😁 Work 4.5 years as Software Engineer here and I must admit I progressed a lot in my career. You are very well protected and it serves as a good motivation. Many people from outside don't know those protection laws and rules actually motivate people and they do not feel scared. It increases efficiency. At least for me. 😁
What can I say, but yup, that's working in America. Always on edge about even taking too many bathroom breaks, let alone what little sick time we get. That's okay though because I'm moving to the EU anyway. 😛✈🌍
It is not like this in all of the EU. Some places have less workers right than America even if on paper it seems like they have more. Stick to Northern Europe.
That’s why you need to give us Americans a bit of a break when we are tourists in your country. Realize that we have chosen to spend the 5 days off we have a year visiting your country. Many Americans will never have a chance to visit Europe until we retire simply because we don’t have enough time off to go there. Retirement is our vacation.
America: the employees are encouraged to dedicate their life to the company, have TOPS two weeks holiday and eventually not take any. .... Japan entered the chat ... Hold my beer America.
We have so many German tourists here in New Zealand and not so many American tourists. I swear it's because Americans only get 2 weeks of holidays (if they're lucky).
My Boss asked someone to cancel the 2 days they had approved PTO the week of Christmas. They agreed, under the condition that those 2 days rolled over to the next year. The days didnt roll over, and they received no holiday pay either. When they brought the issue up our boss responded with, dont worry there will be more opportuities to work overtime. Edit: working in the US really sucks. There is this odd space where only a handful of people make enough money to be happy and are insignificant enough to be able to take off time. Once you pass a certain level of management, every vacation becomes a working vacation.
It’s hilarious that the idea of taking two weeks off fits into the over exaggerated, satirical video of American work culture. But it’s so accurate, I cringed when he said that because you would be so screwed if you actually tried to request it. That’s unthinkable here for most jobs
I don't understand this sentiment. It's like some Tik Tok cringe. I've never had an issue with taking vacation time nor was it ever denied to me for any reason.
I've worked on project basis with US people, they were really down to earth and didn't rush me, communication was flawless as they spoke their mind and told me what they don't like, even gave me bonuses on successful projects. Also I've had 2 clients from Germany, they were incredibly polite and I think shy to ask for more needed revisions as well. But hey this was back in 2013
I am going to enjoy my 3 weeks holiday in spring and 5 weeks in Oktober/November this year. Plus, two another extended weekends when I will be in Oslo and London ;) There are some colleagues (especially the ones with kids) that take their entire yearly holiday at one stretch, usually summer when kids are out of school for almost two months.
I have family in Germany and they have done that numerous times. they've seen far more of the U.S. than I could ever hope to see in my lifetime and I was born here.
I worked for a giant financial institution in the USA. Once I took 1 week vacation and the promotion I received a few week prior to the vacation got revoked once I came back from it. Either way, the promotion didn't include a pay raise. Then after working for 7 yrs there with constant overt time at not extra pay, I got completely burned out and sick, only to get fired in the middle of the Covid pandemic with 0 dollars of severance package.
I've always had and took at least 4 weeks off sometimes 5 plus holidays in the US so I can't relate to this video. My team was completely remote even before the pandemic, and we have unlimited time off, so I guess I've just found good companies to work for in this sense.
But they will make you work all hours if you are salaried. 12/14 hours, weekends? Doesn't matter as the employee doesn't get anymore pay and they work you to death until "the job is done". No protections in the US and unions here are seen as "promoting socialism".
Hear my (American) bf’s work stories a lot and it boggles my mind how he still goes to work with severe illnesses and has maybe 5 days off and that unpaid Oo
@@francoislechanceux5818 German worker rights exist since far longer then the last 20 years. They already existed when germany still had a massive army and not few date back to the german empire when germany had the worlds most power army. It has more to do with culture and not military.
@@axell964 The only time Germany had the most powerful army was during the nazi period. There were also a lot of forced labor in Germany. Do you know that? Also, the USA has never had a dictatorship since its existence more than 250 years ago.
I wonder when the government will start paying me for promoting socialism.
Well it's socialism they expect you to it for free and remember you will do it as patriotic as you can the more cringeworthy the better
With potatoes or money
First they should start their own UA-cam. Or you can try promote it by using paper mail or fax.
@@cane6171 that they r both equally nonsense
@@user_sysroot980 Hi Elon!
As an American who just got denied 1 week vacation avfter working for 22 years for same company...this feels true.
my condolences! 🙈
Scumbags. Find a another place to work. That's not normal
we must protest
How does it feel being a willing slave?
@@x12_79 are you french ? 🤣🤣🤣
I used to work for a German company in the US, and I miss it everyday. German businesses actually treat workers like human beings rather than replaceable parts for a giant corporate megastructure.
In the US you are just a number in any company whether big or small
Really?
Sounds god, i have suspected that german "global players" do the same shit, like evry global player.
same with french companies but denmark and sweden best work conditions in the world in my opinion
You know you can quit right?
well the US is completly capitalistic while germany has quite a few socalistic laws. but once americans hear socialism or even communism they get scared and rather get exploited by capitalism cuz its good. idk.
When a boss tells you we're a family, run as fast as you can!
VERY ACCURATE LOL
Bro i havent worker any overhours my life can get vacation whenever i want and if i get sick bam a week at home for small tummy ache on monday if i still have it i can make it 2 weeks they dont even check so who cares
'Im from Austria theres only small changes from Germany "( our wifi is better)
@@reinsama5436 love the Mehlspeisen
@@reinsama5436 If austria is better than germany why do so many austrian painters wants to immigrate to germany
This is so true. As an American and former boss, I can relate. My boss once told us in a meeting that the only valid excuse not to come in to work was that you died and then it was your family's responsibility to bring you in.
Yea we were told something of that nature before
Yes, and if someone infects the whole gang in a meeting, then the 'boss' can at least kick everyone out the next day, and (hopefully) himself the day after that. LOL Just a sick attitude to 'work'!
No wonder so many people want to be entrepreneurs or freelances
hahaha omg how is this real life?!
@@RadicalLiving Facts! They keep telling us that we have it so good.
US worker. I lost my grandmother (she passed away overseas)and took a a few days off,… and got fired the next week. If i had known i was so valueless to the company, i would have quit my job earlier and spent the last 3 months of her life with her. Job is just a job, i am a fool for having feared to lose it. There are many jobs out there, but family is irreplaceable. Now i live with the regret of not being able to bid my granny fairwell.
That’s a pity. I know what living with regret feels like.
In America your boss can make or break your working experience. I was in management for many years and because I love to travel I never had a problem letting people go on vacation for two weeks straight because I understood the importance of it. But I know many other managers that would never let that happen, because besides the occasional Caribbean cruise, they never traveled. We are so brainwashed here to put the company ahead of everything else.
Yes then there is all the big tech companies popping out in the US, nowhere else, and people wonder why!
@@liloolo these companies just eat people. It's self enforced slavery.
it's a real shame they can't understand how much it will boost employees productivity, it baffles me how some big companies are stifling unions, that's backwards, almost medieval don't understand how that is actually happening in the so called west.
@@liloolo Spotify is from Sweden;)
Same is true in Germany...the negative impact of a bad boss is universal
Never lived in the US, but I spent all my working age in the UK where you could get sacked for being sick twice a year or being late at work for being late at work more than twice a year. Now I live in Portugal. People are getting sick leaves pretty much every month and if you’re late at work, you just simply need to compensate this time by staying late at work which is more than fair enough.
Well in UK it depends on where you work, my workplace was fine about lateness and sick leaves.
and that's why portugal is poor :)
@@echochamber1234 you’d be surprised when you find out how much they’re paying for their rent xD
@@echochamber1234 Poor in money, rich in happy people :)
@@Knitschi656 ill take that over corrupt monopoly in America.
The best thing about this is Germany is able to achieve a strong economy with good labour protection.
It's because german work ethics are super high employer and employees respect each other
@@MHG796 Genau
Yes, respecting workers will make them more productive while they work. Why be 24/7 reachable while being 10% effective when you can work 9 to 5 and be at 180% peek efficiency.
Elon Musk will straight up destroy that...
Well, the strong econlmy mostly stems from our broad minimum/low wage sector which allowed us to produce export oriented goods relatively cheaply and thus having a better stand in world markets. Sadly we also have one of the biggest wealth and income inequalities in europe
American here. Yes this can happen. My boss fired my coworker for not being reachable over Christmas break. He thought she wasn't dedicated to the company. You can get fired for practically anything here.
Keep whining
😮😮😮
woow..
That's why the US will break beautifull soon, once great, now getting garbage, pushing and pushing just digging and digging down, not just for immigrants but also for the sons of the land.
Christmas break is a religious holiday. Your friend could sue that company for religious discrimination, since she wasn't given the full time to observe it.
"a whole month" is actually mandatory for companies in the EU. 20 days off each year are a must, and companies often offer more than that. And if you don't use up those days, your boss will call you out on it, stimulating you to use these days. However, abusing the system like dear Hans is doing here, can most certainly get you fired. It's a hassle for companies to do this, but it's definitely possible.
As an American now living and working in Norway I can tell you this is so sadly accurate. :( We do get two weeks paid vacation in America but its like a fight to get them to let you take it. you're expected to let them know far in advance most places. Its frowned upon to take a sick day and some places don't give you sick leave. Many give you only seven days to use. Also not so good to be late (which I understand that), Some bosses are cool others are total dick heads on some sort of power trip. Zero work life balance unless you work for yourself or you just happen to get lucky and land a job at a nice company. They are too few. Some states are right to work states which means they can fire you for almost any reason although there is some paper trail involved. Europe is far nicer in these regards. Norway allows at least four weeks often times five weeks vacation and they aggressively encourage that you take it. You also get plenty of sick leave and other benefits like a year of maternity/paternity leave. More rights for workers. I hope the US can become more progressive in this kind of thinking. Its a great country which I still love very much. Just needs some work.
Are you ok? two weeks vacation? how can you not get burned out. I'd seriously collapse if I had only two weeks vacation.
Because the thing is that you simply will show better results during work time when you have more time off. Tbh so many people just fill in the space with zero effectivity because they hate being there. But bosses seem not to get that. They think they can force you to be motivated which is by it´s face impossible.
Yes all this at the cost of so much tax you pay, you'd never get rich in these countries. Not to mention maternal leave is just another tax burden on the ones that don't want to have children.
I had the usual 20 days in my last job but because I worked on bank holidays, other than Christmas Day, I should have been given them as extra to those 20 days to be taken at another time in lieu. I didn't get them. Most people get 20 days & the eight bank holidays as extra so 28 days in all. In England & Wales there are the eight bank holidays. There were only six bank holidays until the late 70's when New Year's Day & the first Monday after May 1st was added. More people now have to work on bank holidays because shops are allowed to open then. There needs to be one extra for the national saint's day so it would be St David's Day in Wales & St George's Day in England.
I couldn't take my days off when I needed them so they would be carried over & I suffered from burn out.
Ugh! This the american dream everyone is talking about?!
Mixing weekends, public holidays (about 15) and paid vacation days to get the longest continuous vacations is an art form in Germany. And you have to tell your boss early of course before someone else does.
We do the same in Croatia😂😂😂
Portugal too😁. Public holiday on tuesday or thursday absolutely sure a day of paid holidays on monday or friday.
yeah, and when you do it each year you can be sure that your colleagues won't appreciate that.
@@jilsephony8403 I always check with my closest coworkers first, we arrange our free days together before even presenting it to the boss. Since I don't have kids I let the ones with kids to choose the best dates first, plenty left for me. Anyway, there are some selfish colleagues, but they are minority.
@@jilsephony8403 but not always the same person, during the year. And depends the place you work, 2 or 3 can do it at the same time.
golden rule that Ive heard from old German people- 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, 8 hours free time. Ive worked there for 10 years. People do take sick leave although they are not sick, but not that much. A week or two. And you combine that with holidays, 30 days vacation days and it ends up with you working less then 10 months per year and recieving 12 full paychecks plus 13. paycheck and vacation bonus. Two weeks skiing in january plus two weeks swiming in the sea in july/august is practically mandatory. Not to mention weekends, you can sometimes buy plane tickets from Germany to Spain for 10 euros so you can release yourself from the stress and in monday you are back at work complaining that you are under stress
Basically, this is the baseline in Capitalism, kind of like the social contract that has been west capitalist economies have adhered to since the beginning of the 20th century. Capitalism doesn't work if you don't have well paid and well rested workers, anything else is either corporatism or extreme capitalism (laissez-faire, free market or for some "pure' capitalism), which, essentially, doesn't work. Capitalism needs both state regulations and social safety structures to remain truly free, even if this sounds contradictory. Because "free" in capitalism, means EVERYONE being "free" from poverty or from malicious competition to reach for their maximum potential. The US and their lobbying system, where companies buy out politicians legally, along with the art form levels of division propaganda (neither the left nor the right make sense in the US), have driven their system straight to corporatism. It is actually devolving to one side of a coin of which the other side is China's export capitalism (capitalism in foreign relations, communism in the interior).
@@TheRealTopGunZ Capitalismo bonzinho e malvado. Sempre dando a volta para justificar.
I once had a boss who actually bragged about how she came in to work in a wheel chair and hooked up to an IV after an accident she'd had. She thought it showed how dedicated and tough she was when it came to her job. I just thought it made her sound insane and a little stupid. But trust me, so many other Americans would be applauding her "work ethic".
that's insane >.<
Maybe they gave her the hospital bill right away when she left the hospital and thought "damn, I need to work long and hard to be able to pay this" >.
Yikes. That mindset is slowly changing here.
How pathetically sad!
Well I once had a normal work day in the military including a night shift where I was doing guard duty... all with a fractured foot and crutches...but tbh I was forced into it because "it's just a foot you can still keep watch, speak and shoot and we don't want to change shift schedule".
@@DragonlordSVS Correct me if I'm wrong, but a downtown city office job recruiting for law firms is a bit different than being in/training for the military, no?
I lived in Germany, I was shocked how serious they are with their work, it is all their live. They don't even take a 2 hour lunch break like in my country (France). great video man! thxxx
Uhhhh I think france is the only country which takes a lunch break longer than 1 hour
Germans are very efficient. They get their work done quickly & well so can then afford to work shorter hours. Or that's what we get told.
@@rachidb9624 The rest of Southern Europe does because it's so hot in the summer they are unable to work in the middle of the day both indoors & outdoors so work split shifts. I think they revert to more normal working hours in the winter.
@@lemsip207 Efficient? Work done quickly? You probably never lived in Germany :D
@@ev-olution8597 When it comes to construction work, yes, they don't get work done quickly 😂
"Friends are a luxury for the poor" 🤣🤣
Rich has money to spend for family but no time to spend with them
@@musafir123 Material things will replace your family((
Before he even said that I was all ready to comment that no adult American has friends to even wish they could spend time with and if they did those friends would be too tired to see them
The "using colleagues as substitute friends" really rings true
Then I must be doing something wrong... I am poor and I have no friends :D
As an American who moved to Germany, the first thing my colleagues did was rid me of my American work brain washing.
Even my boss was encouraging me to take more vacations. I was blown away.
Germans are so sweet, aren't they? 🫒💚
welcome to the place where people actually matters not the money first.
It's smarter that way - the longer you are happy and healthy, the longer you will be productive and satisfied employee.
Life is beautiful and we should all enjoy it together. This is the true win win strategy.
Sounds like a big culture shock
Did you told them that time is money and work hard play hard?
that sounds so so nice.
I used to work in Germany, and aslo worked for an American company in Asia. The bosses at that American company were actually quite nice but still it was really hard to really take holidays without having to be bothered by work. I meant it was like the work just comes and you will still be contacted. You could avoid replying, but there will be something happening so if you are a responsible employee, it would be hard to do so anyway.
My previous German boss was different. He was very nice, respected to his employees, I could call in sick when I felt unwell (I didn't know that when I first worked in Germany). He also avoided contacting me at weekends. There was one time, he needed to contact me for something very briefly at weekend, and he continuously politely said sorry for that. I actually feel very grateful to him. Even though I did't work there too long, I still remember how kind they were to me 😊.
Makes my day when this guy uploads😂
Took 4 days off to take a professional exam to be more valuable to company after working there for 2 years.
Got fired upon return.
I actually agree with this video.
Unbelievable
Or maybe they were afraid that you would ask for more money 😂
Me, a German, hates it, when people misuse the system. So many ppl say on fridays or mondays that they are "sick" to party or what ever. Who has to do their work? The colleagues who do not misuse the system. I know to many ppl that misuse these rules.
That bottle of beer next to pretzel pillow is the perfect German nest though. 😆
In Switzerland, I know someone who was pressured by their employee to take their holidays as they were scared of the possibility of overworking and burn out, also they didnt probably want him to accumulate too many days (they roll into the next year...). He really didnt want to do it because he wasnt overworked and completely ok. So, he didnt take them. Then couple of months later, he had a talk with his boss and eventually the HR ordered him to take holidays in the next few months at most lol Reluctantly he did eventually....
They do in that US as well. This my strategy in fact if the company will allow me to get away with it. I would never take whole months off though. I just want the time there in case I need it sorta like a bank account.
Banking them in case you really need them or to take a longer vacation is one thing, but the work culture is so sick in America that in companies where people actually do have sick days they bank them just to not take them and get paid out, companies hate this because they see it as double dipping, and it’s bad for other employees because even when you are offered sick days there’s still a culture of shame around using them and then the employer will just reduce sick days because no one is taking them. We do this to ourselves because we’re fucked up and fetishize burnout and working while sick even when we don’t have to
He could've used the Days off to Visit like, Greece or something.
I had the same issue here in Texas. I was told to take a vacation, as it was mandatory.
Just because you don't feel overworked it doesn't mean you aren't.
Stress doesn't always trigger an immune response, and the adverse negative effects of excess cortisol might set in without much of a warning.
Like, seriously, this is not a joke and playing tough guy with your health at work isn't just bad for you, it can also be used by the owner to shame other workers with ill intended comparisons into overworking themselves.
He could be the exception to the rule where he's better at work than at holidays, which is something that can be looked at with a medical check-up that looks for stress indicators such as the aforementioned cortisol levels.
I'm a Spanish person whose country is still struggling to keep our current labor rights while trying to conquer new ones such as the personal worker autonomy when calling sick days in, that people in other countries such as Germany, give for granted, so please, explain to your friend this, so he can understand that he's not being punished for working or some other crap.
True 😂 but as an engineer, I love working in Germany. Everything is scheduled and you have your family time also
I heard that immigrant kids are forced to work manual jobs in Germany when they grow up is it true???
@@Thorfinn47. no
@@lmaolol8892 , explain
@@Thorfinn47. it is optional, if you'd like you can, but if not then do not. May be you meant volunteer's work because it makes more advantages for graduates to go to unversity
@@lmaolol8892 , no that's not what I mean, I am talking about job , I heard that most immigrant kids are not allowed to study engineering and medicine etc , at age 10 only they are forced to go for other lower fields. They don't get chance , by age 10 only they are forced to go for manual jobs like electrician, mechanic , construction worker etc, universities don't allow them even if they have same score as native Germans , and they are raised to replace the labor shortage for Germany , ?? What do u explain about this
That's why a lot of us choose to work in the public sector in the US. They pay is not as good as corporate America, but the benefits are much better. My job in the public sector started out with 15 sick days, 12 vacation days, and 3 personal days, plus 13 holidays. And yes many of us took a two week vacation after the first year. We had a union ,so very seldom would the boss deny us our vacation because we could put in a grievance against him, which would make his life hell. Just to let you know Radical Living that there are some jobs in America, that do have good benefits, although not as good as you have in Germany. I worked in the private sector for 3 years and hated it!! I went back to the public sector for the benefits as I wanted a life outside my job. Thanks for this video Radical Living, as working in most private sector Corporate American jobs, is like what you just showed in this video.
This is why more jobs should unionize in the US, it is the only way besides large-scale reform that workers in the US can have more rights. This is coming from a European though...
This is what I want to do when I graduate college tbh
Yes, so very true. Public service employment within the United States is very generous with leave. Also, all the holiday time. One of the very few sector that is out of the norm.
The sick days are limited? That sounds pretty awful to me. In Germany you need a sick note, but if a doctor says so you can take time off unlimited.
But I guess it's good for US standards.
Also something which many in the US should do is follow their contract and actually demand that the companies abide by the labour laws. For example everything after 40 hours per week needs to be compensated by a factor of at least 1,5. If something isn't in the contract you should not do it. And at minimum wage you should give minimum effort.
I'm an American working in the U.S. I work at a laboratory that is a quasi-government-private enterprise. I get three weeks off a year for vacation and I forget how much for sick time. It's a lot, more than three weeks. I use at most a day or two of that each year. I'm maxed out as to how much vacation time I can have on the books (six weeks I think). I don't like being away for too long as it forces your coworkers to do extra work, and even though I'm not in management, I like being there to voice my opinion on matters concerning tasks I'm involved in. Lastly, vacations, if you actually go out of town, are VERY expensive. I took my family to Lake Tahoe, which is only about three to five hours away from me by car, and spent over $2k for five days. We didn't even ski or snowboard. If I were to try visiting another country as many Europeans do, I'm sure it would cost me about $10K, easily.
Idk…🤔 I worked in Germany as an engineer and it was quite rough. BUT, what I respected about Germany vs America was that they challenged me, ALOT, but also mentored and provided a lot of teaching/training opportunities. In America, the corporations are insane, they expect you to literally know everything right out of the box fresh out of college, with zero practical experience. The time I spent at that German engineering firm, showed me, based on their knowledge, work ethic and attention to detail, why they almost took over the world. They are very talented if not a bit overzealous. I went to Australia after my time in Germany & it was the complete opposite, they don’t even know what a clock is.
Interesting, what field did you work in in Australia?
thank you. your videos put a smile on my face , every time!!
I'm so glad!
Working for an US company in EU is kinda weird. You have like 10% chance that you will have a manager with american attitude to taking a time off.
I worked for a German company in the US and it was relatively chill. But still if you took one whole week off that was considered a long time.
You're a comedy genius! I'm practicing my English and I haven't found something like this for a long time, it's absolutely my taste of humor
Wow, thanks! Glad you enjoy what I put out there 😸
Now do France, no matter what the boss says you just set cars and public property on fire
The reasons for this are quite sad honestly.
German workers fought long for their rights. Life was hell during industrialisation. US workers tried too but lost and probably gave up.
Execution, murder, assassination were the ways us dealt with unions a century ago to stop them early. Nowadays union busting and marketing campaigns against unionization are much more subtle but just as effective.
I worked both in the US and Germany and this video is sooo true. Now i work in Luxembourg which combines the best of both worlds (American level salaries and European work life balance 😊😊❤❤)
You guys can talk about employment system all you want.
For me, it's the PRETZEL SHAPED PILLOW! 🤩
Me too, I was looking for this comment :))
As a Canadian I worked almost half my life away.
Luckily I retired at 54 in Mexico. Here the pay is crap but they value family time over working. ❤🇲🇽
so you live in an inferior country Mexico instead of CANADA ?
@@chillis8267 nah you got that backwards
It's called Chinada now.
@@2GringosOnTheGulf so the presence of Chinese people disturb you ?
this pretzel pillow is all I need now
As an American, I can say this may have been meant to be comical but it is scary how accurate it really is.
😂😂😂
It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not that much.
This is not even remotely close to accurate
@@AUniqueHandleName444 its pretty much shows the differences pretty accurate. for us germans the situations in america seems so extreme arful when we hear about it, that hans here probably should never show up at work to put that in the right perspective
This was true of the factory, I worked in. In fact, what was worst was that people didn't even know how long they would have to stay that day, till they came to work. They would get told at lunch, that they had to stay two hours late and come in two hours early the next day. They would sometimes be informed on Thursday or Friday, that they must work Saturday etc. And, bathroom breaks were noted by supervisors and if there were too many, everyone would get a talking too. People were penalized (losing their bonus) for having to leave early and chewed out for clocking out 1 minute before the lunch bell.
Vacation time.... 20 hours paid vacation for the first year and lot's of people had to use it cause they were sick. I always just took unpaid.
I didn't work there long, just 9 months. But, I wouldn't have lasted. I wouldn't play along. I got away with a lot, because I was technically listed as a part-time employee (32 hrs per week). I never stayed late and I never worked weekends and if they had ever told me, I had to or I'd be fired, I would have walked out then and there. But, I think they knew that, so they didn't mess with me.
In the end, I left and went on a two week vacation to Germany. 😂
I thought slavery was over in the States.
@@scout8112 Not in this particular factory. 😅 It's a slavery of mindset. People allow themselves to be bullied and used, because they are afraid.
Was there no union in your Factory?
@@scout8112 Actually, in the States, it is still legal to enslave a person if they've been convicted of a crime. Many southern states require that prisoners work without pay, and often it is hard labor. In the rest of the U.S., they'll pay you around 20 cents an hour when they require you to work.
I like how Hans politely drops the hint to his boss not to deny him his request for leave
One is exploiting his boss and the other is getting exploited by his boss. Interesting.
Thou i think the german side is a little exeggerated.
Question for the people from the US: What happens when you are sick for a long time and can't work? Do you get paid? Are they allowed to fire you?
Last year i was sick for 5 months due to depression. The first six weeks my employer paid my full salary. After that my healthcare payed me about 80% of my salary. When I was able to work again, I had to make a plan with my doctor on how to start slowly e.g. reduced hours, no work on weekends. It is called 'berufliche Wiedereingliederung'. I also had a talk with my boss about that and she asked me what would help me and made sure that I felt comfortable with starting again. I'm really happy that germany actually takes care of its citizens.
Also: The year before that we managed to get a different boss fired, because she created a toxic workplace atmosphere.
We have a British friend (here in the US) who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Because of the chemotherapy, she missed too much work and they fired her. Our health insurance in the US is tied to our employment, so she also lost her health insurance. (There existed COBRA which would have cost more than $2,000/month--difficult to pay if you're unemployed.) Luckily, she kept her British citizenship despite living here for almost 40 years. She went back to England and lived with her sister while she was getting affordable treatment.
I'm American.
It sucks to be American. If you take off work for a week for any reason, you will more than likely be replaced. The American mentality is that you as an employee are an asset but if you get sick, you are a liability and you will cost the company money.
American laws do not give leeway for employees to take time off. There are laws that should theoretically protect employees from abuse but, they have no teeth (can't really be enforced) because big businesses pay politicians to ignore poor people's rights.
My siblings left America and said it was the best decision they ever made. I'm leaving America as soon as I get the chance.
You quit and get a new job.
Maybe like if you break your back in a car accident or something and they liked you before you can take unpaid leave and then reapply at the same company and be given preferential treatment in re-hiring. No one would even dream of taking 5 months for depression unless they live with their parents. And you would never tell the company that. If you need to not work for 5 months because of depression you quit and get a new job and you lose your housing and move in with family, if you don’t have anywhere to go you just keep working. Don’t even think of getting one unpaid day for depression, you lie and say you have the flu and maybe if you haven’t called in yet this year they’ll let you have like 1-2 unpaid days.
I’m sorry but I’m actually a communist American and “I took 5 months off work for depression” sounds like a made-up strawman from the right like “well if we let anyone have medical leave people will abuse it and take 5 months off work for depression” and the left would be like “oh my god no one would ever do that, that’s ridiculous, all we’re saying is you should get 4 weeks leave if you break your back and can’t walk” (and we all understand without saying that if you want leave for mental health you have to just lie and say it’s something else if you want to come back without being bullied).
And then Germany enters the chat like “well we do that” like what the fuck is going on over there?
As a Russian guy who moved to Germany, I have to say that I like how good labour rights are protected here. But for me, an issue is the 6 months probation period in which you can be fired any time without a reason. That makes me anxious
On the other hand, in Russia the probation is 1 to 3 months, but your employer can easily press you into quitting "by your own wish", and that's how most layoffs happen there
@@Klash1100 That's life, my Russian comrade. Some people always gonna get an advantage of you, until you stop this by yourself. The truth is that Russian labour law protects employees from the case you described, but it up to employee to protect themselves by this law. So forcing an employee to quit "by your own wish" is no more than a threat without anything behind it. It's a pity that not many people know this.
@@Klash1100 The same happens in Germany a lot. For some ugly cases don't forget to get Rechtsschutzversicherung :)
As someone from a neighbouring (to Russia) country currently "freelancing" for a Russian company (I would probably considered an employee by German standards), that tracks, but it's way worse in Central Asia. The 3 months probation period is only there so that your employer can pay you less, and you have to mess up _a lot_ to be fired during the probation period, but at any time your superiors can ask you to resign, and if you don't, you can be sure your work life would turn into utter hell. And if you try protecting yourself in court, remember that your company has more money to hire lawyers and give a few strategically important gifts.
I mean in America they can fire you at any time so it's a lot better and usually if you fit into the company the 6 months go by rather quickly.
However, Germany isn't perfect either.....I have a friend in Germany who is a Notfallsanitäter (Paramedic). Last time, I was in Germany, he couldn't hang out on the weekend, because he worked 28 hours straight [and got near constant calls] and was so exhausted that he slept pretty much the entire next day. So, there are overworked Germans.
I also have a friend who is a teacher over there and she spends many of her weekends grading papers.
However, both my friends do get multiple paid weeks a year and have time to travel and recover.
It’s not just Germany, but basically all of Europe. In some way, the US missed out on a lot of crucial cultural developments regarding social systems and especially workers rights in the last decades because of the cold war and the red scare. Anything regarding social stuff was instantly flagged as communism. So America’s working conditions now are basically Europe’s working conditions from the 1940s.
As someone in the US I was actually relieved I was between jobs when my Grandma passed away so I didn't have to worry about using one of my 2 PTO days.
I'm in the US watching this on a Sunday...while working. Because everything in the video about the US is 100% true.
I had the chance to go to the US and Germany, i guess I did the right choice to come to germany, not that I want to be lazy or get paid without working, but I work with human beings here, not selfish disgusting bastards that want to enrich themselves on my expense.
I managed restaurants working ten hour shifts with no breaks. I would get exhausted and quit or get exhausted and say something ugly to my boss and get fired. Many jobs here in the U.S. do not give any paid vacation. You might get one week unpaid vacation.
Cashiers have to stand all day. Only Aldi allows cashiers to sit.
Germany seems very chill, I'd love to go there at least once
Thats probably the first time anyone ever said that about Germany :)
@@maroszukaro9082 I've been wanting to move there for a few months now, it started when I wanted to move in with my ex gf, but then we broke up over a month ago, but that didn't stop me wanting to move there. Finding this channel recently only made me love germany more
I'd like to go and explore Germany as well :) this channel really made me more excited than ever haha
Would you like to live anywhere in Germany, or Berlin specifically, like this guy? ^^
@@MerryMoss well after seeing him, berlin is probably a very cool place and would be nice to live in, but I don't really mind where, I've also been thinking of moving to bavaria too as I know someone from there
Just don't be late to a meeting/appointment ;)
Tha's why when you're working in a European company, and you hear that an American company is acquiering your workplace, its the worst news you can hear.
haha true
US companies sometimes have a worse reputation than Chinese ones, and that's frightening
@@Habakuk_ Very embarrassing... I would move to Europe or some other country but I love it here warts and all too much to leave.
Still remember my old boss trying to tell me I couldn't take 3 weeks off to go to Japan because I would "miss too much" while I was gone. As if pregnant people don't leave and come back after that long. American work culture is definitely toxic if you have bad managers. My current boss however is way more understanding, so it's not all bad.
Well, in case you don't see the difference in your situation vs being pregnant, you aren't spending hours in pain and then another who knows how long pushing a human out of you or getting the human taken out, and then you might need stitches depending and then that human is there so you have to take care of it and it hurts to walk and go to the bathroom and you might need to have emergency surgery after you have the baby on top of all that. But yeah, pregnant people don't at all need over a week off...
@@HollowWaterso Nothing in my comment was a knock against pregnancy. My point is that people can obviously be gone for 3 weeks and come back to the company just fine. Anything you choose to read into it beyond that is your own perception and nothing to do with my intent.
Pregnant people only go away for 3 weeks??? In EU its a year minimum...
@@Martlns they usually go for a few months in the US, depending.
@@TheAntinowherelane you do know there are jobs you can get where you have more than three weeks off at a time? Without asking? Also, there’s while some jobs don’t let you take more than a week off, at least jobs let you take multiple days off throughout the year(which is the kind of job I currently have). I’m just saying there’s a big difference between going to Japan for 3 weeks and being out on maternity leave, even if they say you will miss too much. If you think being denied that is toxic (as 2 weeks should’ve been what you tried to ask for), then like I said, there are other jobs that offer longer vacation times.
I know a guy working for a German company who has 60 paid vacation days per year. Plus he pretends to be sick for about 30 days each year, too. If he combines it with bank holidays and his shifts, he can be on vacation twice a year for about 5-6 weeks straight plus a few additional weeks. He still complains that he has so few vacation days.
What he didn mention:
in germany: if you're ill during your vacation then you will keep your vacation days. ;)
This is what sucks about working in America. You're expecting to always be available and be a great employee, but they don't really value you. Although, it really depends on your boss. Some bosses are cool.
This is why I recommend working part-time or finding flexible work.
Watching this really makes me want to leave the United States.
“Friends, family? We are all family here in this office”
This is so accurate with American companies.Before Brexit I worked for Microsoft in UK and we often had meetings with our American colleagues.I remember it was Thanksgiving and the Americans colleagues wanted the holiday off and the boss was telling them.if they did show up for work on that day that they better not bother show up at all after as they would be fired.I was in utter shock and disgust.Then I mentioned on that I booked that day off as holiday from my 25 day allotment,a d as I was in UK, they couldn't tell me off because we use to have the same rights as Germany. Not sure how it is now post Brexit. Another time I was off sick recovering from Surgery,and the boss has the audacity to call me to come into work as my colleague took a sick day as well. I told him flat, I written off as sick and even if I feel a bit better, I am not coming to work and it was illegal to ask me to cut my sick day short to come I to work.All these American companies treat workers like slaves, but they can do do it in Europe
This was absolutely hilarious. I laughed so hard. It's so very true regarding the vacation days/ sick days between German and U.S. workers. United States corporate system of paid time off is beyond abysmally terrible. However, at the County, State, or Federal sector of employment, from my understanding. Leave time is extremely generous and can be used at one's discretion. Also, the United States has eleven paid holidays for certain segments of workers. All in all though, the paid time off leave situation for the vast majority of American citizens is deplorable.
That's why Americans have been protecting germans since the last 80 years and germans have no army to protect themselves even against Poland.
Yes, there're exceptions but leave time and other benefits are very generous in order to compensate for the lower salaries one would get working in the private sector.
I worked for country government for a good while. I had great bosses...until I didn't. My good boss left and one of my peers got the job. He and I are both German-American and we got along like oil and water. I swear that bastard plotted all weekend on how to make my week suck. I left to work in the private sector and made almost 20k more from day one. That was great...I had another German-American boss and we got along just fine....until he got replaced and the shit started all over again. Now I work for myself and don't have to put up with anyone's crap.
Living in Germany for 8 years now. In my first year here, I've got sick during my vacations, bad flu and was in bed for 1 week. When I came back to work I was telling a colleague that I spend a whole week very sick. He then proceed to explain to me that I should have gone to the doctor and get a paper that I was not fit for work that week and that my vacations would have be credited back to me. I was blown away ... Since then It did happed once that I was sick during vacation and applied the lesson. I'm sure never leaving here.
Your acting is so enjoyable and funny😂. I can't stop my laughter. Such an amazing person you are.
Thank you so much 😀
@@RadicalLiving We are treated more like a cog in a machine than a human being in many places in the US. Getting vacation days is rare and it’s frowned upon from many bosses. You’d be extremely lucky if you get more than a week off a year for vacation. I don’t even work yet because I’m 16 but this is what I’ve observed from many people.
Having worked in Germany, I realised something.
The US lives to work.
Germany works to live.
exactly
> our company was acquired yesterday
> oh not again
I feel you bro
Two weeks vacation is a luxury at best. You have to be employed at most places for a full year before qualifying for 1 week vacation a year, which is standard. Sadly, I’ve seen employees get fired for extended leave over 1 week, vacation and sick days unapproved (and you most definitely better have a legit dr excuse note for each day “sick”) or in many states, employers legally don’t have to provide a reason to fire someone.
There were a american reporter who went in front of camera in wedding dress, because while her wedding there was a earthquake or something like that.
The comments were full of american people saying how great she is.
I was thinking what a horrible Person she is. She wanna marry a guy, what means he is his Family. Right at the beginning being a family, work is more important. Hope she don't wanna have kids (even if the husband is full time housman, the kids won't have anything from her).
Also i'm sure divorce will also be comming pretty soon.
That's just madness
I live in Siberia, in the Far North. Our vacation lasts 52 days by law. Usually it is divided into two or three parts per year. A two-week vacation is modern slavery, I can’t imagine :-(
Meanwhile in Indonesia :
"Boss,i have cancer gotta go to chemo session this week"
Boss : "well you ain't dead yet aren't you? Get your arse here,you lazy bump!!!"
same in Latin America (when working for an American or Canadian company) , I had a cooworker who has getting his Chemo sessions and working the very next day.
@@Linoxus indonesian government basically selling their soul to the chinese right now,slavery 2.0
Real talk: I work from home, which affords me many luxuries but I literally work from the time I wake up in the morning (0750) until about a halfhour before a lot of things close. I also get NO paid sickleave and NO unpaid sickleave. We only have 80 hours (2 weeks) of C-19 (You know the one) per YEAR and in order to use them you have to test positive. We also only get 7 paid holiday days off a year (specific holidays that the company picked). So to sum up I work from the time I wake up until it's too late to do a lot. I can't go see doctors, yet I have to pay for insurance and I only get Saturdays and Sundays off (which I am grateful for don't get me wrong).
It's mindboggling that such a contract is even legal. In Germany the courts would shred it to pieces.
@@Quotenwagnerianer They would not only shred the contract, but also courtmarshal the boss for violating german worker rights. If an entire company would operate like that, it could close afterwards.
Exactly true in USA being an employee means pure slavery exactly as you showed btw I like your sense of humor
In most work places, sacrifice and loyality never is reciprocated. They fire you not matter how much overtime you worked at any point if this makes sense in some spreadsheet calculation or just out of a whim.
I am a European who has worked in the USA for many years. Sadly, this video is 100% accurate. In the state I currently work there are no laws that mandate a minimum of how much paid vacation, sick time and holidays an employer has to pay. So an employer can give none.There are no laws that mandate paid maternity leave. It’s an at will state. This means employees can be let go at any time, for any reason, with no notice and no severance has to be paid. If you’re a blue collar worker, they don’t want to give you a full-time position. That way the employer does not have to pay you benefits. If you’re white collar, there is no legal limit as to how many hours your work week can have. 60 hours, 70 or 80+. Of course white collar also does not get paid any overtime.
There are good companies to work for and bad companies to work for in the USA. If you have a job with a shitty manager and bad work culture its best to keep your resume updated and keep your eyes open for better opportunities so you can jump ship when the time is right.
Now I want to get a job in Germany😂
Not only you....
Same
You're definitely not the only one who's attracted by the working conditions and therefore, the waiting time for even getting your first appointment for a visa is sometimes over a year, the backlog is huge. Some people uproot their whole lives and get stranded while waiting for a reply, it's super congested.
The German government is actually working on a reform for the process of immigration to make it easier for foreigners to get a job here , because we have huge need for skilled workers basically almost every sector is held back because they don't have enough people to get the work done. The debates are still ongoing, it's not certain yet how their new concept is going to look like, but it is meant to make things easier and quicker.
And just to clarify the video, you have 6 weeks of sick-time in a row with full salary paid by your employer, if this exceeded you still won't lose your job, but then your health insurance will pay you part of your salary until you get back to work. And what happens when you get sick again in the same year, well again up to six weeks of full payment and so on. In case let's say in the time your sick, still less than six weeks, you get another issue not allowing you to work, this would be seen as a new reason to stay from work giving you another 6 weeks with full salary. But expect your employer to demand some kind of investigation to proof that it is actually a new illness or whatever and in case you could not , things go as described in the beginning. At some point though you still could lose your job because you simply miss too often, but still it's pretty difficult for employers to get you fired for that.
The unpaid leave thing is 100%. Out of a 40 hour a week “full time” job I get 5 days unpaid vacation/sick days a year. That means if I am sick more than 5 days a year I get 0 vacation days. If you are lucky enough to get holidays off, there are usually only about 5 days a year. (Typically, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day.) This doesn’t apply to retail workers who usually have zero paid leave, and usually work holidays. You do have to show up no matter what. I have had to go to work in a blizzard that dumped 3-5 feet of snow several times in my life. I missed my grandmothers funeral too. I couldn’t even get unpaid leave.
Oh year there really isn’t unpaid leave either. If you use up all your sick/vacation days, you risk being fired if you don’t show up to work,
In my company it is strongly encouraged to use your vacation. For leaves above week you got bonus days of vacation. It was common to have 5/6 week paid leave from work. :)
If they have an unused vacation must be paid out policy then yeah, companies would rather you use it than double dip.
The work culture in the US has a lot of chatter during the day. Often at one site where I worked management would go on daily outings to bars to meet for lunch. Some groups took hour to hour and a half lunches on Fridays.
At one place where I worked colleagues would go out to have relations during their lunch hour. I think that we had about four couples at any given time "parking" in the local rural area for "assignations". I never played on the company dime.
I'm told that in Germany people come to work, and then they work. No chattering.
I would love to know the German meeting culture. Hopefully it does not involve the muscle flexing and chest thumping of US meetings.
Lol I love how Hans calls boss and then threatens to report boss for calling Hans on sick day. 900 IQ play
Compared to European workplace culture, US one is hellish. Compared to East Asian workplace culture, US one is heavenly. In Japan, workers are known as "shachiku” which literally means the company's livestock. In Taiwan and Mainland China, so many companies require employees to burn the midnight oil regularly and be on call for work anytime where failure to do so would be regarded as being not dedicated. In South Korea, it's even worse whereby bullying of lower ranking employees by superiors is merely seen as a norm. EU is indeed a paragon of this world when it comes to human rights.
I struggle with the concept that there can be a limit on paid sick days, like being sick is somehow your fault. I'm lucky in that sick days do not affect my pay regardless of how many I take. I wouldn't survive in the USA, so little holiday and I bet they work all day on a Friday too, I get 6 weeks annual leave and what's more I am allowed to authorise it myself. #treatedlikeanadult.
That is why America is a megapower and germany is not. Germany cannot even protect itself against Poland.
Y’all don’t work all day on Friday?
@blackroserevolution3989 I finish at 1pm on a Friday but if there is no work to do I will try and get away before lunch. I'm a manager of aircraft mechanics and if there is no work to do then I send my staff away when I can and I'll be the last to leave.
The US will never be like that. The system is designed to squeeze people without any limits. The good thing is you can decide to let them squeeze you or not. Say No, and put the boundaries once you see squeezing machine show starts. Also, you can make the squeezing machine work and earn money for you. This is a great mechanism depending of how you think you can or cannot use it. The airports are always open 24/7 to be back to a beautiful, modern, developed and dear Europe, when you want to.
You hit the nail on the head. The U.S. system is designed for ruthless egotists, who want nothing but to get rich on the back of those who are less ruthless.
That's why you get the highest number of millionaires at the expense of having no proper social net.
On my dad's first job in the late-1940's he asked for "tomorrow off." His boss answered, *_"Sure, in fact, take 'em all off!"_* And that was the end of his first job!
As a German, I actually don’t take all my vacation days every year which allows me to use them in the following year. That’s when u can plan some big trips for sure 🙌
Well you have until March 31st
Yes it's true one of the few things I really love living in Germany
Not all American companies are like that, We get 4 weeks paid vacation and 2 weeks sick days off, not to mention now we have Critical Care giver 4 weeks holidays in case someone in your family needs critical care. Also, you should've mentioned how much the salary differences are between Germany vs USA. I've lived in both and salary difference was 3x-4x.
P.S: 12 weeks paid Maternal/Paternal holidays too. It's not so bad all over America, some companies do abuse employees but they also do in Germany just in a different way.
but obviously widespread enough to be able to make fun of it.
It's definitely not 3x (or higher).
Salaries are better in usa . I mean its a lot .
@@tomasmalin Someone who makes 50K/year in europe can score 130K in the US, and because of less taxes in the US, it comes out to 3x
America is fine if you’re rich so there’s nothing to worry about
Hahaha, "God bless America." I was recently out from work with Covid, (which I presumably got from a coworker, bc we don't call in sick until we're coughing up blood) and when I got back after ~10 days everyone was like "we thought you were dead." Damn, I wish...
that is so true, ich kann nur bestätigen )) especially about "overworking" hours exchange for extra weekend, my colleagues had about 2 months vacation last year due to "overtime" hours, that's really quite insane
My husband and I (Americans) went to New Zealand and did volunteer work on farms. One family we worked for said when they started getting volunteers, they looked for Germans and definitely didn't want Americans. They thought the Germans would have a good work ethic. They didn't. Now they look for American volunteers 🤣🤣🤣
Can you tell me, please, on which site did you find a job on a farm in New Zealand? And what was the name of your employer. I would also like to work in this beautiful country!
@@ezhwt8fq you should get some Information whats going on in NZ or Ausstralia now. Dont go there.
Well "worth ethics" in this case probably meant "be ready to work 12 hours a day. 7 days a week". I'd call that exploitation.
@@ezhwt8fq It was just volunteering through Help Exchange.
Only those who want to do more travel than work go to the other side of the world... There would be enough work here in Germany too. A bit of naive thinking from the New Zealanders.
At my company here in Texas (aerospace industry), I need special permission to take 2 weeks vacation together. I used to work in Germany (for 15 years), it is an employee paradise.
I love Germany! 😁 Work 4.5 years as Software Engineer here and I must admit I progressed a lot in my career.
You are very well protected and it serves as a good motivation.
Many people from outside don't know those protection laws and rules actually motivate people and they do not feel scared. It increases efficiency. At least for me. 😁
Could you share a little bit more.
As a new software engineer I'll kike to know more about how is the xp.
Is german language mandatory to learn for software engineer?
What can I say, but yup, that's working in America. Always on edge about even taking too many bathroom breaks, let alone what little sick time we get. That's okay though because I'm moving to the EU anyway. 😛✈🌍
It is not like this in all of the EU. Some places have less workers right than America even if on paper it seems like they have more. Stick to Northern Europe.
watching at work in germany... from home.. in my hammock :)
Sounds great!
That’s why you need to give us Americans a bit of a break when we are tourists in your country. Realize that we have chosen to spend the 5 days off we have a year visiting your country. Many Americans will never have a chance to visit Europe until we retire simply because we don’t have enough time off to go there. Retirement is our vacation.
America: the employees are encouraged to dedicate their life to the company, have TOPS two weeks holiday and eventually not take any.
....
Japan entered the chat ...
Hold my beer America.
We have so many German tourists here in New Zealand and not so many American tourists. I swear it's because Americans only get 2 weeks of holidays (if they're lucky).
My Boss asked someone to cancel the 2 days they had approved PTO the week of Christmas. They agreed, under the condition that those 2 days rolled over to the next year.
The days didnt roll over, and they received no holiday pay either. When they brought the issue up our boss responded with, dont worry there will be more opportuities to work overtime.
Edit: working in the US really sucks. There is this odd space where only a handful of people make enough money to be happy and are insignificant enough to be able to take off time. Once you pass a certain level of management, every vacation becomes a working vacation.
That's why you get it in writing.
rofl as a Canadian living in Germany, this is so accurate xD
So canada is like the USA?
It’s hilarious that the idea of taking two weeks off fits into the over exaggerated, satirical video of American work culture. But it’s so accurate, I cringed when he said that because you would be so screwed if you actually tried to request it. That’s unthinkable here for most jobs
Plus you are expected to be reached at anytime.
I don't understand this sentiment. It's like some Tik Tok cringe. I've never had an issue with taking vacation time nor was it ever denied to me for any reason.
@@MsTimelady71so block their numbers while on vacation, it's not hard
I've worked on project basis with US people, they were really down to earth and didn't rush me, communication was flawless as they spoke their mind and told me what they don't like, even gave me bonuses on successful projects. Also I've had 2 clients from Germany, they were incredibly polite and I think shy to ask for more needed revisions as well. But hey this was back in 2013
I am going to enjoy my 3 weeks holiday in spring and 5 weeks in Oktober/November this year. Plus, two another extended weekends when I will be in Oslo and London ;)
There are some colleagues (especially the ones with kids) that take their entire yearly holiday at one stretch, usually summer when kids are out of school for almost two months.
I have family in Germany and they have done that numerous times. they've seen far more of the U.S. than I could ever hope to see in my lifetime and I was born here.
I worked for a giant financial institution in the USA. Once I took 1 week vacation and the promotion I received a few week prior to the vacation got revoked once I came back from it. Either way, the promotion didn't include a pay raise.
Then after working for 7 yrs there with constant overt time at not extra pay, I got completely burned out and sick, only to get fired in the middle of the Covid pandemic with 0 dollars of severance package.
I've always had and took at least 4 weeks off sometimes 5 plus holidays in the US so I can't relate to this video. My team was completely remote even before the pandemic, and we have unlimited time off, so I guess I've just found good companies to work for in this sense.
But they will make you work all hours if you are salaried. 12/14 hours, weekends? Doesn't matter as the employee doesn't get anymore pay and they work you to death until "the job is done". No protections in the US and unions here are seen as "promoting socialism".
Hans' Mondays are my Fridays.
Hear my (American) bf’s work stories a lot and it boggles my mind how he still goes to work with severe illnesses and has maybe 5 days off and that unpaid Oo
That's the price they pay for protecting free loaders like germans who have no army to protect them.
@@francoislechanceux5818 German worker rights exist since far longer then the last 20 years. They already existed when germany still had a massive army and not few date back to the german empire when germany had the worlds most power army.
It has more to do with culture and not military.
@@axell964 The only time Germany has the most powerful army was under Hitler. And there was a lot of FORCED labor.
@@axell964 The only time Germany had the most powerful army was during the nazi period. There were also a lot of forced labor in Germany. Do you know that?
Also, the USA has never had a dictatorship since its existence more than 250 years ago.