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My experience, having worked around the world, including years in the US and Germany, Europe, Asia .. Daily Work-Load is a function of distance from domicile t
by somesortofsystm 6y ago
My experience, having worked around the world, including years in the US and Germany, Europe, Asia ..
Daily Work-Load is a function of distance from domicile to workplace.
Germans generally live closer to their workplace, so its easier to come and go early, and also have a lifestyle outside the office (and even away from their own, moderate apartments) in a fairly cosmopolitan cityscape .. whereas Americans make hourly investments in their daily commute, just to get started, and don't typically have the kind of street-life infrastructure of your average European industrial region.
I think when Americans can walk to work, they spend less time overall at the office - but that is because they are more efficient/effective during the day. I have seen American colleagues take a few weeks to get used to the idea of walking everywhere, but then .. usually when the summer starts .. they become as Euro- as anyone.
Purely anecdotal of course, but I've noticed this swing myself over decades across Western world.
(Disclaimer: Japanese work schedule is way different, and I consider it more of an inverse case: Japanese move closer to their workplace, just so they can spend more time working .. and even though they 'walk everywhere' in the big Japanese cities, hours-long commutes are also a norm ..)
- ovi256 6y ago> Americans make hourly investments in their daily commute, just to get started, and don't typically have the kind of street-life infrastructure of your average European industrial region. The average commute in the US (52 min round-trip, https://www.google.com/search?q=american+average+commute+duration https://www.google.com/search?q=american+average+commute+dur...) is either lower or at most equal to the average European commute (1h24 minutes, https://www.google.com/search?q=Europe+average+commute+duration https://www.google.com/search?q=Europe+average+commute+durat...) I really don't know why the popular stereotype, that I held too, is the other way around. Japan comes in at 1h19 (https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese+average+commute https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese+average+commute)
- brabel 6y agoProbably because in the US people drive to work, while in Europe they either cycle or catch a train? Still interesting that Americans have shorter commutes, but if what I say is true, then it's quite a difference to consider.
- burlesona 6y agoJust emphasizing those are round trip numbers. I started to comment on how unbelievably long those were for “averages” before realizing you meant the round trip :)