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There's some light and some shadow in this article. I can't tell about southern europe, but most of this does not apply in germany - even the parts that are spe

There's some light and some shadow in this article. I can't tell about southern europe, but most of this does not apply in germany - even the parts that are specifically about germany. There are recommendations about how a work-place should look like but they are mostly common sense [1] and not mandated by law, at least not in the IT Business. There is a law about workplace safety [2] but that's like 12 pages long and enforces very basic limits: You must have toilets, sufficient lighting, sufficient heating and the escape routes must not be blocked. If you feel like you can use your garage or your living room. Bonus payments are no problem at all either. If you feel like paying a bonus, pay it. If you want to have a written formula, write it down in a contract - but then you need to pay it if the employee qualifies. If your employee pretends to be sick, send him to the public health officer. If he isn't sick it's an immediate firing offense. Even verbally threatening to go on sick leave is an immediate firing offense. Severance packages are not mandated. You can have them in a contract, but the default is no severance package. It's still somewhat harder to fire someone than in the USA since you need an actual reason to do so. "She's irresistible" won't do. [3] It's pretty common to have 3-6 month probation period in a contract where both parties can terminate the contract on short notice. The part where he's right is extra work. The law is pretty strict here: 8 hours a day is the normal maximum, 10 hours a day for a limited time, maximum of 60 hours a week. There must be a 10 hour break between end of work and beginning on the next day. You can break those limits in emergencies, but you need a qualified reason. That sounds pretty harsh, but it's reasonable. It protects the employees on one side, but why would I want them to work more than 8 hours a day on a regular schedule when productivity drops sharp after 8, maximum 10 hours. We can do crunch time for a couple of weeks, but after that it just doesn't pay of. 12 hours a day are neither healthy for the employee nor for the startup. A team of zombies just doesn't perform. So I'm very little bothered by that law. Germany seems to be doing just fine productivity wise. [1] The monitor should be placed parallel to the window to reduce reflections, the chair and the table must be adjustable in height, ... [2] http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bundesrecht/arbst_ttv_2004/gesamt.pdf http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bundesrecht/arbst_ttv_2004... [3] http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/22/us/iowa-irresistible-worker/index.html?iref=allsearch http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/22/us/iowa-irresistible-worke...

justincormack 14y ago
Thats the problem with generalizations about Europe, there has been some progress towards harmonisation but lots of things vary hugely from country to country. For every statement you have to add "except in Belgium", "except in Germany" etc, and he mostly just added the "except in UK" ones.
- Xylakant 14y ago
  There are some valid generalizations about europe. There are some mandated minimum holidays for example (4 weeks IIRC) and the tendency to have stronger employee rights. The work ethos is different as well, europeans tend to regard extreme outliers in wealth as extreme outliers, less as role models. The problem is that this article takes some assumptions that might be true for spain and uk and tries to sell them as 'europe'. I'd be interested if the majority of american investors see europe this way or if this is an outlier.
  - rmc 14y ago
    The work ethos is different as well, europeans tend to regard extreme outliers in wealth as extreme outliers, less as role models. I think part of these stems from the fact that some of the extreme outliers in europe (in terms of wealth or political power) often inherited their wealth. Whereas the USA has the attitude that "This is America, the land of oppertunity, where an illiterate immigrant can step off the boat in ellis island and if he works hard enough, he can own a skyscraper in Manhatten". Whereas, in Europe, there are many people who inherited their wealth. There is also a much more noticable class system. Strong employee rights comes from blue collar people who, being aware of the class system, do not believe that they will ever be mega rich, and hence fought for more rights & laws for themselves. (Not to say either 'meme' is correct, I'm just pointing out what people think, which informs what they think.)
    - oscargrouch 14y ago
      I disagree with you, i think it has much more to do with the concept of happiness.. In US where the capitalism is too strong, people tendo to believe that wealthy = happiness Despite not been a european, but a brazilian, i think europeans understand that happiness its a more tricky and uneasy concept to conquer.. and is made of much more values.. even the simplest ones.. They are far more sophisticated in human relationships and the concept of happiness.. but lets not generalize..i know a lot of sophisticated americans.. but is much harder to get there.. cause it needs one to get free from its own dominating culture.. In Brazil we have similar regulations, and labor parties are stronger and popular.. We try to work and be happy with our work, and make a living, but also we want time to have fun, to be with the family.. even if you have to earn less money.. those are different perspectives from the life quality we all want and spect.. different equations, different answers.. who are right? i think it always depends.. what is good for you may not be good for me.. and this means it cannot be enforced by the stronger part of the relationship.. freedom is based on choice.. on the capacity and possibility of choosing.. if someone stronger, be it a enterpreteneur or a country, enforce someone to take a path, that is just limiting individual freedom.. and that is a real threat.. People are different, and have different life values.. we should protect that.. not enforce the "everyone should fit into this box, please!" behavior I tend to like more the way europeans live life than our brothers from north.. because its everything about happiness not about (just) money, and i think they(europeans) are more conscious about it. Life should be driven by passion, making a living, money, wealthy.. should be just a consequence of that.. or not :)

justincormack 14y ago

Thats the problem with generalizations about Europe, there has been some progress towards harmonisation but lots of things vary hugely from country to country. For every statement you have to add "except in Belgium", "except in Germany" etc, and he mostly just added the "except in UK" ones.

Xylakant 14y ago
There are some valid generalizations about europe. There are some mandated minimum holidays for example (4 weeks IIRC) and the tendency to have stronger employee rights. The work ethos is different as well, europeans tend to regard extreme outliers in wealth as extreme outliers, less as role models. The problem is that this article takes some assumptions that might be true for spain and uk and tries to sell them as 'europe'. I'd be interested if the majority of american investors see europe this way or if this is an outlier.
- rmc 14y ago
  The work ethos is different as well, europeans tend to regard extreme outliers in wealth as extreme outliers, less as role models. I think part of these stems from the fact that some of the extreme outliers in europe (in terms of wealth or political power) often inherited their wealth. Whereas the USA has the attitude that "This is America, the land of oppertunity, where an illiterate immigrant can step off the boat in ellis island and if he works hard enough, he can own a skyscraper in Manhatten". Whereas, in Europe, there are many people who inherited their wealth. There is also a much more noticable class system. Strong employee rights comes from blue collar people who, being aware of the class system, do not believe that they will ever be mega rich, and hence fought for more rights & laws for themselves. (Not to say either 'meme' is correct, I'm just pointing out what people think, which informs what they think.)
  - oscargrouch 14y ago
    I disagree with you, i think it has much more to do with the concept of happiness.. In US where the capitalism is too strong, people tendo to believe that wealthy = happiness Despite not been a european, but a brazilian, i think europeans understand that happiness its a more tricky and uneasy concept to conquer.. and is made of much more values.. even the simplest ones.. They are far more sophisticated in human relationships and the concept of happiness.. but lets not generalize..i know a lot of sophisticated americans.. but is much harder to get there.. cause it needs one to get free from its own dominating culture.. In Brazil we have similar regulations, and labor parties are stronger and popular.. We try to work and be happy with our work, and make a living, but also we want time to have fun, to be with the family.. even if you have to earn less money.. those are different perspectives from the life quality we all want and spect.. different equations, different answers.. who are right? i think it always depends.. what is good for you may not be good for me.. and this means it cannot be enforced by the stronger part of the relationship.. freedom is based on choice.. on the capacity and possibility of choosing.. if someone stronger, be it a enterpreteneur or a country, enforce someone to take a path, that is just limiting individual freedom.. and that is a real threat.. People are different, and have different life values.. we should protect that.. not enforce the "everyone should fit into this box, please!" behavior I tend to like more the way europeans live life than our brothers from north.. because its everything about happiness not about (just) money, and i think they(europeans) are more conscious about it. Life should be driven by passion, making a living, money, wealthy.. should be just a consequence of that.. or not :)