Typical work day in your country (home, shopping mall, agriculture)

[orangeapple]

What's your typical work day like?
(Not asking my fellow Americans either...)

Someone told me that people in some European countries take a long lunch in the middle of the day and everything shuts down for like 2 hours. I'm lucky if I am not eating at my desk...

So what time do you get up, get to work, take any breaks, come home, etc...?

[CBB]

Originally Posted by orangeapple

Someone told me that people in some European countries take a long lunch in the middle of the day and everything shuts down for like 2 hours.

I don't know if that's true. IF it is, you will only find it in southern countries and maybe in France where they enjoy a long lunch. Long breaks during the day are remains of times when most people worked in agriculture and simply had to take a break during the hottest hours of the day, went home and stayed indoors. Think Mediterranian country, summer, noon and 110F and you know why.

I can only speak for Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Most people I know work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, from 8 to 5 with a one hour lunch break. Many eat at their desk and don't really stop working, others go to a nearby eatery or a cafeteria in their office building. But there are also many who work night shifts, on weekends, or parttime like me. And then there are those who work a whole lot more, like my husband (ca. 60 hours per week) who usually doesn't come home before 8 p.m.

Don't think this is much different than in the U.S. Except our stores are closed on Sundays and holidays, which I personally think is odd (I don't work in retail, tho). And we have a 25 to 30 day vacation entitlement. Most of which my husband and I spend in the U.S.

[pigeonhole]

Classical nine to five, with an half-hour break for lunch (very good and cheap self service eatery on the premises).
Nothing to complain about.
Lots of colleagues take many coffee /cigarette breaks during the day though, and maybe because of small talk during those breaks, they are always top of the list for pay hikes...personally I don't drink coffee, don't smoke and don't socialize around coffe machines, so I find this outrageous.

[pigeonhole]

...oh and we have a badge and some "forget" debadging when they go outside for an errand or have a drink in a café (but this is pARIS after all..) and there are many other ways the workforce tries to do it its way...but I won't say more lest some in my corporation have access to this forum (and I'm not the kind of guy snickering on colleagues...)

[pigeonhole]

...I mean snitching on colleagues (lol)!

[Audrey Ann]

Originally Posted by CBB

I don't know if that's true. IF it is, you will only find it in southern countries and maybe in France where they enjoy a long lunch. Long breaks during the day are remains of times when most people worked in agriculture and simply had to take a break during the hottest hours of the day, went home and stayed indoors. Think Mediterranian country, summer, noon and 110F and you know why.

I can only speak for Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Most people I know work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, from 8 to 5 with a one hour lunch break. Many eat at their desk and don't really stop working, others go to a nearby eatery or a cafeteria in their office building. But there are also many who work night shifts, on weekends, or parttime like me. And then there are those who work a whole lot more, like my husband (ca. 60 hours per week) who usually doesn't come home before 8 p.m.

Don't think this is much different than in the U.S. Except our stores are closed on Sundays and holidays, which I personally think is odd (I don't work in retail, tho). And we have a 25 to 30 day vacation entitlement. Most of which my husband and I spend in the U.S.

Your description of the day/work week sounds like mine. I do enjoy 4-5 weeks vacation , but only because I started young at my job and have been there for over 24 years. When I was in Germany (many moons ago) I found it odd that the shops and such shut down at mid day, but I went with the flow - not my country so I had no right to complain.

[Audrey Ann]

Originally Posted by pigeonhole

...oh and we have a badge and some "forget" debadging when they go outside for an errand or have a drink in a café (but this is pARIS after all..) and there are many other ways the workforce tries to do it its way...but I won't say more lest some in my corporation have access to this forum (and I'm not the kind of guy snickering on colleagues...)

What do you mean "debadging"?

[pigeonhole]

What do you mean "debadging"?

"beeping" the badge in a slot so you are registered "out of the premises"-i.e. not at work (I don't know if I'm making myself clear?)

[hutch5]

Here in Spain many businnesses and food shops start around 9am (other shops 10am). They go on until 2pm when offices have 1 hour break and they start again around 3pm until 7pm.

Shops reopen at 5-5,30pm and close at 8-8,30pm

Big shopping malls and many shops in touristic areas do not close at lunch time and tend to have 10am-9pm timetable.

[CBB]

Originally Posted by Audrey Ann

When I was in Germany (many moons ago) I found it odd that the shops and such shut down at mid day, but I went with the flow - not my country so I had no right to complain.

That has changed over the last years, only small owner operated shops may still close for lunch. On top of that, shops are longer open in the evening. They used to close at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. until maybe a decade (?) ago. Now they close at 8 p.m. in our area and even later in big cities. Unfortunately, the unions are pretty strong here and oppose all attempts to deregulate operating hours.