Germans & Their Efficiency At Work | Germany In A Nutshell

Efficient, punctual and rather aloof. These are THE clichés about German work culture. But what is the real state of the German work ethic? What aspects are important to young people in their working lives? And what cultural idiosyncrasies can expats adapt to? Hannah Hummel takes a closer look at German working life.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:24 Work 101
02:17 Deep Dive: Is Gen Z work-shy?
04:08 Very Brief History: Guest workers
04:37 Ein bisschen Deutsch
05:30 Outro & Outtakes
#Germany #work #Germans
--------------------------------------------
CREDITS
Report: Hannah Hummel, Shaheen Welling
Camera & Edit: Neven Hillebrands
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
--------------------------------------------
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[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

Just this week Germany passed new laws to try and attract skilled/educated workers from outside the country, and make it easier for them to find jobs and remain there. However, the language is still an issue. English will only get you so far. If you decide to stay you'll need to learn Deutsch.

[@EldhoseJoseph]

And why? Coz Germany is in recession. Nothing is free. Skilled workers would rather go to some other countries where language is not an issue and where u don't need to have so much documentation. If the culture shown in video persist, I see Germany going only downhill...in the age of AI and automation. Good luck with pandering to employees while other countries are automating majority of task and inventing new possibilities of future.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Language barrier is tip of the iceberg which is basically weaponised by Germans to exclude the foreigners. How else would he explain rampant housing discrimination in Germany and near complete absence of Germany born and raised Turkish and Arabic, second and third generation?

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Rampant housing discrimination is also because of the foreigners' inability to analyse Wittgenstein.

[@BrandonsLifeJapanGerman]

@@EldhoseJoseph Yes I agree as they don't really accept all the AI and automation you can see from the democracy and also the immigration they have I also don't like it but on the other hand Germany is a great place to study as their history of creating and experimenting are crazy enough, Germans are born with knowledge of creating not for using so I think thats why German is like this ideally to study but not really good for Working or even living.

[@EldhoseJoseph]

@@BrandonsLifeJapanGerman no its not ideal even for study except in automobile engineering. They have rather "I don't care you complete the course" and "everything is fixed... U can't experiment" way of teaching. I was rather shocked to know that anyone could attend the class, anyone! Even if u don't pay. Just that u won't get degrees. And ur degree pathway is fixed, u can't experiment... And for international folks, if u can't get a job in ur subject, ur out. So, no, it's not THAT good, just that it gives a high scrutiny exam with lowest (to no) fees, even for international students.. And yes,access to EU to work later.

[@lenaspb1831]

I've been living and working in Germany for 10 years. German efficiency is a myth, and the lack of it is especially notorious in public and government sectors. Spice it up with German resistance to change and inflexibility. Also, there is plenty of overtime (incl. unpaid) in private companies, and it's not limited to international companies like amazon, etc. I have friends who do regular overtime in a very well known German manufacturing company. Upd: What I mean is that it's not all roses for working class here. It's better than in some parts of the world, but not ideal.

[@holger_p]

You can be efficient in doing useless things. And since "ideal" does not exist, looking for the place "better than others" is exactly what you go for.

[@IngebhorgdPizarroKrause]

Worst efficiency and worst service I've seen, is here, in Germay!

[@user-vz4ys1st2h]

@@IngebhorgdPizarroKrause The UK is way worse

[@user-vz4ys1st2h]

this all true ...

[@thescavenger5003]

I can confirm. I'm currently working 10-12 hours a day but only get paid 8 and am not allowed to report more than 10 hours as it's against the law...

[@alsosprachzarathustra5505]

German worker: "I've been doing this for 20 years that way and if it doesn't work for you anymore it's your problem not mine."

[@shahlabadel8628]

Makes sense to me. I love the way Germans look at things!

[@J_Lag]

I once worked with someone who was German. He told me many times that in Germany I would be liked and do very well, bcs of my work ethic. Probably the best complement I've ever gotten from a German 🤷

[@dweuromaxx]

Haha, that's a nice story.

[@___Anakin.Skywalker]

If Germany is serious with work ethic then all they need to do is remove all restrictions from allowing Japanese workers from entering their country

[@holger_p]

Actually, if you like your work and find yourself useful, your work ethic is OK. Ethic is nothing tought in school, it's more part of culture, tought by parents.

[@SolomonSunder]

​@@___Anakin.SkywalkerWhy would a Japanese person move to Germany? That's like a German moving to Slovakia. And Japanese are not big on traveling outside their country. So I doubt they are interested unless they have family.

[@coolbreeze9713]

​@@dweuromaxxhaha, that's a bad story.

[@bravepretender8910]

From what I have seen in Germany there is hardly any balance between private life and work. Germans are so much keen on optimization that they cut employees whenever they can and put tons of workloads on them. No wonder rehabs are full with young people with burn out syndrome. The same with working mothers. Women are very often denied of any flexibility as their family life is „their own problem“ driving them into taking a sabbatical. Having worked in Finland for four years I can say that working employees are given much beneficial conditions, eg a working mother has a right to work 60% till her child reaches third grade at school. I am not saying about digitalization of working processes in Finland. Switching to English was also not a problem in Finland - I was the only employee who didn’t speak Finnish and the whole office of 30 people have switched to English in team-meetings and internal correspondence overnight. In Germany even educated people would not bother talking English to you in private conversation. Proclaimed inclusiveness and integration is also a myth. I have an acknowledged disability and struggle to find a job now for year. I have applied to work at three state institutions which by law have to employ a certain number of disabled. I was even denied a wardrobe job in a theatre, and I am not in a wheelchair. With private companies you are afraid to mention that you are handicapped. Immigrant, disabled, female - obviously enough reasons to fail in Germany.

[@Keirosqeen]

Sounds like Germany does not need young skilled workers from abroad, and actually does not even need anything from the world, whether it be natural resource, gas, foreign investment. That is the feeling I got when I stayed there for a short time.

[@emperortomoto]

I have been working in Germany for the past 5 years, and I agree with most of the comments here. Germans are definitely not efficient but they pride themselves on being "precise". However, in my understanding, this often translates to following the rules rigidly and creating additional rules whenever a new problem arises

[@LionHindu001]

My friend from India go to Germany 🙄and they left Germany in 1 year beacuse. 1. You can't take your family with you. 2. No family culture 3. All things are on document 🤔system is not high tech very olden time paperwork 4. Very high sensitive neibours toward any noice 5. Very high taxes. Germany is only for Germans but no for 🤔🤔😂😂outside people's wastage of time and money.I respect German culture but it is not for family persons and for the peoples who like friends and social circle in Germany friendship and meeting and all are just like a robotic act

[@BG-wm2tw]

Ok bye bye. Don’t come back. 👋👋

[@kokorospirit5006]

Interesting points

[@youtubekommentar5494]

One little error: The minimum amount of holiday is only 20 days per year, if you work 5 days a week (which is normal for a full-time job). If you like work only 3 days a week, of course the minimum holiday is 12 days. To avoid confusion already at the beginning, better says "4 weeks".

[@mikethespike7579]

Depends in what industrial sector you work. In the metal working industry, technology, chemical, pharma and construction you get 30 days per year holiday for a 35 hour per week job. In some jobs, usually in the public sector, it can be up to 40 days per year on a 30 hour per week job.

[@tricatame7427]

No not at all. I worked as a foreigner in an all German Arbeitsplatz for 7 yrs and I was the most efficient one and thats why I got sponsored for a work visa in the first place. I was faster and more rational than the Germans, because Germans were super rigid about their procedures. I would find ways to skip from Shritt 1 to Shritt 5 and they were always stuck at the Order line like some kid with ocd. They hated and feared change and I had to always try so hard to convince them to try things in a different way. They were just not practical. They were simply robotic and linear thinking and yes even in a ""creative field""" they were more engineer brained than creative. They couldnt renovate, reinvent, recreate but did really well following orders.

[@understanding.everything]

That's called slavery

[@abdulazizabdunasimov8978]

​@@understanding.everythingI work in Germany and can confirm the above statement. People here better follow the reliable and safe methods rather inventing something new and try. Germans are also very disciplined people and they follow the rule exactly as it is written. I don't know what you mean "slavery"

[@luisvasquez5015]

I also saw this overbearing attachment to the rules. Germans are not efficient, they're good following instructions. So when you see efficiency it's because someone designed an efficient manual, and everyone is just following it

[@understanding.everything]

@@abdulazizabdunasimov8978 when u train people to follow the rules and just follow orders as written they don't want to try new things that's called slavery Germans are good to make something happen Chinese are also similar uk and Japan is different they have to learn so many things also follow orders and Indians are in between to much creative and less actions Africa they are lost cause

[@CXt10]

Omg! This is so accurate! And it is hated when you find a faster way. I was living there for about 6 years. 100% the same overall experience. DO NOT move to Germany for the work culture! And the pay can be awful, but that is relative :)

[@Doomsquad99]

Where is Rachel? Is she safe?!? Is she alright!?!?!

[@lostintranslation7996]

Sme question

[@A5864Y]

I spent some time in German airport recently. It was the most inefficient and disorganised mess of an airport I have ever experienced on any continent. Was actually one of the worst airports if not the worst I’ve ever been in and I’ve even been at airports where there are guys with machine guns outside the craft and separately where there were chickens inside the airport 😂

[@screamingfalcon4469]

Every airport in the world has been a mess since COVID.

[@klausschumacher7126]

If it was Frankfurt l agree because this airport is a mess with unfriendly personnel who have a very bad dialect...

[@alipaf2002]

Same here, I was shocked.

[@dezafinado]

Germans can be efficient at being inefficient.

[@bugra320]

It is the Frankfurt airport, isn't it 😄

[@d.j.j.g]

How beautifully organized! Every phrase and how you present each is done to a T. Even the way you look at the camera is done so well, every moment, every frame so well composed. What a fine, very brief introduction to deutsche Arbeiten! Thank you!

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

Yes, this was done well.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you so much!

[@CharukantSharma]

Feierabend

[@CharukantSharma]

Gehaltswunsch

[@CharukantSharma]

Gleitzeit

[@Boyarsskiy]

It looks like an advertisement to attract cheap labor. I have heard that foreign workers in Germany earn less than German citizens with the same work experience, and their salary hardly rise. It's easier to change companies for a higher salary than to go through a lot of bureaucratic delays in order to raise your salary even a little. And it is very difficult to find a normal apartment, because they are very expensive, and usually rent for a very long time. And that in Germany, you don't choose an apartment, but the apartment chooses you. Also, if you do not know German, you will be like a stranger in the company, and you are unlikely to be promoted much. To be promoted, you will have to take on many more responsibilities than a German citizen.

[@kimjong-un2318]

Bruh of course you are having a hard time really integrating in a society when you don‘t learn the language but that counts for every place in the world

[@dacat8171]

Are you from Mars?

[@mikethespike7579]

Your claims are absurd. They have universally agreed wage tariffs in Germany. You get paid what the tariff states strictly according to your qualifications and work experience regardless if you're German or a foreigner. It's because of these wage tariffs that renegotiating your pay usually won't get you anywhere and changing jobs will find you with the exact same pay in the new job. Apartments are also expensive for Germans. Promotion is offered to anyone who earns it regardless of nationality, but of course you have to be fluent in the local language. That's expected of you everywhere in the world.

[@melodiejupiter]

​@@mikethespike7579 No you are wrong! We don't have universally agreed wages oder tariffs for all company or workplaces in Germany. Depending on the company, where you are working. Maybe you should inform yourself first about the payment law called "Mindestlohn" from the year 2015 in Germany. After that, let not forget the taxes, which are the 2nd. highest in the entire world and the list goes on.........

[@mikethespike7579]

@@melodiejupiter My apologies. No need to get all personal. I meant universally agreed wages within the different branches of industry. For instance metal workers all have the same tariffs. Construction workers within their industry also. It depends on what the union for that particular branch of industry has managed to agree on with the employers' representatives. Germany has nowhere near the highest taxes in the world. That honour goes to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Singapore etc. But if you want low taxes, there are quite a few countries to choose from. Not that it would make you happy. Low taxes nearly always equate to high health care insurances and rubbish pension schemes. Health insurances can cost anything up to 2 or 3 thousand dollars a month. I think most people would rather pay 500 dollars a month more in taxes than have to pay such fees.

[@LaCorvette]

Very well presented and condensed report on German work life. One thing I am interested in is the effect of other county's reduced work day per week experiments, whether it'll be something we Germans will be looking into. Overall I am very happy to be working here.

[@Prometheus5221]

Not really well presented. just a scratch on the surface. THe idea of reducing the work amount per week is under havy presure, since there is not enough staff to fullfil the workamount know. Just lately politics support to keep the working amount peer weeks at the same level or even higher it. since skilled workers are missing.

[@katharinajosephinemuller8526]

Technically overtime is more costly for employers, so most of it is done off the books. And people let it go through, because that's how it 'always was done'. That employers long ago stopped the (not by law orderd) benefits, which made this worthwhile doesn't get taken into account. So statisticaly there isn't a lot of overtime. The workers don't see it as overtime, because it's only (around 30 - 45 min daily (I counted)) and the employer didn't lock it. A lot of Hospital got rid of the electronic clock-in, because it became too much overtime.

[@arshanabbas4341]

I work in two German companies as working student and both make Feierabend at 16. Working till 18 it's a big no no. Sometimes they start working at 6.00 - 7.00 in the morning, so they can make a Feierabend at 14-15

[@val-schaeffer1117]

SO how's that benchmark of efficiency? Do you even know what efficiency mean? Or just get impressed by Nordic Caucasian's burps and farts.

[@khouloudism]

That's awesome. You beat traffic and you enjoy quieter streets!

[@val-schaeffer1117]

@@khouloudism could you kindly explain how? If entire Germany leave office two hours before the average Americans and Britain, which means the rush-hour is 2 hours earlier.

[@kailars]

​@@val-schaeffer1117 yes, at 16:00 rush hour starts getting worse in big cities till 18:00. And with the Greens destroying parking spaces and lanes it's getting clogged up more and more.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

@@kailars So it is not German efficiency then, as asserted in the original comment. Germans are hopelessly bonker, when it comes to efficiency. If it takes 7 years of Azubi and lifelong practice in one job, one better be efficient.

[@kedarpaul7904]

I am surprised that no one said, "Gesundheit". 6:11

[@bryanmurphy3328]

It is always good to learn new things. This video is so much more about work-life balance, culture and effectiveness than efficiency. It does make you think, how efficient and effective are companies that have a work culture that involves continuous unpaid overtime.

[@filebravo]

People in other European countries, Italy for example, don’t have the luxury of talking about work life balance, simply because they cannot afford it. I had the chance to work as an engineer and live in both countries. Germany has the best working conditions. With the same job in Italy I was having a hard time to reach the end of the month. I invite young workers to not work less, but to do the job they love. So that they can contribute to the society and not only think where to go on holidays the next weekend. This world needs motivated people with new ideas.

[@kathrynjohansen4452]

Be a tourist guide, gets tips.

[@mannaporanna2678]

Same in Poland. You don't even have this kind of problems because you have to focus on surviving till the end of the month

[@filebravo]

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to criticize the German way of working. Just I wouldn’t call it “German efficiency”. Maybe “German welfare” is more appropriate.

[@Mr-Spork]

Working in Japan, Germany seems to have some similarities (adversity to change & paperwork), but it's definitely a much tougher grind in Japan ~ where unpaid overtime (service zangyo - サービス残業) is expected in many companies - especially in light of the communal culture pressure (i.e. everybody's doing it, so I have to do it too).

[@calefan253]

I hear it’s hard to get fired in Japan. What kind of consequences might you face from leaving at your scheduled hours?

[@Mr-Spork]

@@calefan253 yes, labor laws are really strict (for full time employees), but it's more of a social/ workplace culture issue, in that almost all Japanese don't want to stand out, so they put up with all kinds of inane, nonsensical rules & expectations in order to not rock the boat.

[@Mr-Spork]

As for consequences, it's really more a matter of fear of becoming an outcast if you don't submit to the demands. If you have ever watched the old Star Trek Next Generation series, there was an obscure alien civilization/population that roamed the galaxy and subsumed any other being into their own. They were called "The Borg". That's Japan.

[@Keirosqeen]

But the quality of living in Tokyo (safety, endless entertainment, relatively good and cheap food, more housing opportunities, people being much more polite) is higher than Berlin/bigger German city.

[@gabrielaantonioli]

As a brazilian living in Germany I really like the German Philosophy but I do miss are the brazilian money bonus: sales comissions, extra payed holidays, extra Christmas money, etc. Of course woking conditions are in many ways terrible in Brazil and I gess one can't only have benefits.

[@UnscientificChannel]

There are companies that give sales commissions, bonus for good work or Christmas/ holiday money. Unfortunately, especially the latter has become rare. Our neighbors in Austria seem to get paid a 13th or even 14th salary way more often than us.

[@fernandes.ricardo]

I'm a Brazilian working in Germany too and can totally relate to your comment

[@denisenova7494]

Christmas money used to be very common in Germany but they nowadays it's less and less.

[@marvinvogtde]

im pretty lucky and work in a company that has much everything you just mentioned and then some, in a particularly good year one might get effectivly 15 monthly salaries or even more, though its usually just 14 and a half

[@SolomonSunder]

​@@UnscientificChannelIn Austria, 13th and 14th salaries are by law to be paid. So everyone gets it. Sort of nice since it balances the purchasing power in the market and people don't have to save up for a vacation.

[@bellemx9357]

I have many skilled friends who work there, they face discrimination every single day and left Germany because of that and they learn German before go there.

[@llawlied6902]

May I ask what discrimination?

[@christophcookit6334]

If you need to go to the doctor because of sick days depends on the company your work for. It can also be on the first day.

[@8elitama]

Not by law, check well.

[@melodiejupiter]

@@8elitama it was said above, depends on the company you work for. When your company/employer wants it the first day of your illness, the law becomes of secondary importance. The laws don't pays your salary. It call freedom of contract.

[@user-re8lp4ys1t]

The ground reality is completely opposite

[@joebarrera334]

Good video, Hannah is a great host. I especially like the outtakes at the end

[@novadhd]

it doesnt hurt that she is a cute scottish or irish blonde. Surprised me that she spoke German.

[@MyTripToThePhilippines]

Born in the US from a very German family I find the German work ethic so deeply engrained in my body that I cannot get thru a day without responding to it. I must get something done, or the day is a waste.

[@mastaLuke2]

Germans print everything 😂😂😂😂 There are some who work completely digital - but yes, we „love“ our prints 😅

[@arnolsi]

And sometimes it paid out very well. How many thousands computer systems get hacked and which of the companies still had access to their data? People can make jokes about the paperwork but it's a good insurance.

[@person880]

To provide some numbers, according to the OECD, in 2022, these are the average annual hours worked per country (hours/workers): USA: 1811 JPN: 1607 GBR: 1532 FRA: 1511 DEU: 1341 Germans worked an average of 470 hours less than Americans in 2022, which is 26% less time spent working. And yes, a lot of this comes from more paid time off options, like vacation, parental leave, etc.

[@Maggie-zb7gx]

Do you know how many "Assistant to the Assistant" type of people work the system and claim "overtime" as much as possible 🤣 American bosses are jokes

[@IgorRockt]

To put this into perspective: GDP per capita (2022) USA: $76,399 JPN: $45,573 GBR: $54,603 FRA: $55,493 DEU: $63,150 GDP per capita divided by annual working hours (from above, so 2022 as well): USA: $42.19 JPN: $28.36 GBR: $35.64 FRA: $36.73 DEU: $47.09 Yep, I would say the Germans really *are* efficient, no matter what other commenters think. ;-)

[@BG-wm2tw]

@@Maggie-zb7gx never heard of such a thing. You seem to be just typings whatever comes to mind and making funny faces.

[@DecadeofDecay]

5:24 : Internship in France is 4.05 euros/hour. You can end up with 500 euros the month to pay a 600 euros rent. My last job didn't have work hours, but in reality because my position was like 2 jobs in 1, I mostly worked from 8am to 7pm... even to 8pm I was born in the wrong country.

[@ThePancina]

Our German law regarding those internships sounds great, but... This just opens up the opportunities for "so, you will only be allowed to do a 3 months internship" and for companies there are often enough other workarounds. Better to be guaranteed to earn at least a few € (would you be allowed to earn more, if the company would be willing to pay it?)

[@ace625]

Frankly I dread working with Germans. I have noticed an enormous attention to detail and efficiency, yes, but almost no thought seems to be given to overall timeline. Not every bureaucratic step is worth time and effort. Imagine rewriting an entire professional translation, not because there are objective errors, but because you like your wording better.

[@dweuromaxx]

Ouch! Sounds tough. Bureaucracy is certainly a big part of German life...

[@moniquenavarro4131]

Great content! Danke

[@heinvogul2817]

When I was working in the UK, on Fridays, I would finish lunch with my colleagues around 1pm and then I would go to the local pub around 3pm and have a few pints of beer and then go straight home around 3-4pm, so I had a very flexible Friday afternoon, and my bosses didn't say anything about it. In contrast, in Korea, you can't leave the office until your boss leaves the office, so if it's 7pm on a Friday evening and your boss hasn't left the office, then of course you can't leave the office, which is really ridiculous.

[@janaargus5964]

Ein Video über deutsche Arbeitskultur und dann nur die Bürohanseln berücksichtigen? Echt jetzt? Was ist mit Industrie und Handwerk? Oder dem Handel? Ein bisschen mehr Weitblick das nächste Mal. Vielen Dank! 😮

[@kuro4102]

Diese Video kann nicht als Referenz verwendet werden oder? Weil ich als Azubi in Gastronomie bin, undann ganz anders als diese Video:)

[@jonawolf8023]

Vor allem weil hier der Schwerpunkt auf verbeamtete Bürohansel liegt. Über die Realität sagt der Beitrag wirklich nichts.

[@internetroyalty]

Man will halt nicht die hässliche Realität zeigen in Zeiten des "Fachkräftemangels".

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Germans are not more efficient than any other demographic. Quite the opposite, in fact, because of their inflexibility and jobsworth mentality. Germans appear to be efficient because they often enter a particular field after several years of training, which produces a one-trick pony, and they keep doing the same job until they become a fossil. For example, someone who does credit analysis for health insurance learns it on the job from the age of 18 and does it until retirement. Neither the process nor his own skills are upgraded. And the labour market would not even consider him for credit analysis for a logistic insurance company, let alone something a bit different like credit risk modelling for a banking institution.

[@wwolf1457]

I think the "inflexbility" how you call it is where the efficiency is coming from. Yes its for sure true that Germans have a stronger tendency to stick with their jobs and change less frequently. But it also means that mostly the people are are really good in what they are doing because they do it for a long time and have a lot of practise. In most jobs efficiency comes with experience while people who change a lot have a lot of different skills but not very often master even one of them. I (German) work in my job now already 10 years (also I sometimes think its too long) while my US, Polish, Indian, Chinese colleages have been replaced mostly 2-3 times already. From your perspective I am an inflexbile one-trick pony but guess where all the people go to get answers and get the work done. It all has advantages and disadventages. There is no golden way. But when it comes to efficiency stick with a topic and master it its for sure the way to go (with losses in flexibility and broader skillset)

[@val-schaeffer1117]

@@wwolf1457 So basically you are NOT efficient. Taste of the pudding is in eating: Germans are dirt poor by OECD standards, nearly at par with Eastern Europe. So you being efficient one trick pony helps create cheap and loyal worker base who have no exit opportunity. How exactly is California level productivity demand and Romania level salary: a good thing?

[@Latiosx123]

Me as a Malaysian working for Japanese client we have worst of both worlds. Malaysian are known for their efficiency, couple with we are expected to work long hour. We get nothing done with tonnes of meeting, and doing a lot of things that dosent make sense

[@cmilkau]

Comparing salaries is hard. In Germany you have many different ones. There is a nominal one that is basically meaningless beyond legal calculations. There is the employer's gross which is nominal plus employer's welfare contributions. There are employer's total costs. There is salary after tax decuctions. There is salary after tax deductions and welfare contributions. There are bonuses, non-monetary financial benefits and private insurances to consider, as well as living costs in your area.

[@c0d3_m0nk3y]

If a company asked me for my desired salary on an application, I'd just fill-in a dash or zero. You only lose by being the first who says a number. If it's too low, you get only get what you asked for and end up being underpaid. If it's too high, they might not even consider the application. If you give them a range, they'll only see the lower number. This is almost as bad as the habit of American employers to ask for your previous salary.

[@jonjon3829]

just put in a billion dollars, it always works.

[@Ramalil]

You are absolutely right

[@ApriliaRacer14]

It’s pretty simple…if a employer asks previous salary you say 20%-25% about what it was, at a minimum.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

Ask for zillions that way you won’t get screwed

[@CXt10]

Try being a tradesperson, or a minimum wage worker in Germany. The pay is terrible and their contract worker legislation was just modern slavery. At least this was the case a few years ago. Minimum wage was €8.50 per hour which meant employees often had to work illegally for cash payments in order to get by. Glad I left the country. I feel very lucky that I could :) Update: and try get out of the working class once you are there😅. University might be state sponsored, but try pay for rent and food without mum and dad to pay the bills on your measly wages 😂

[@BG-wm2tw]

Where did you leave to got better things?

[@arantux]

Really enjoyed this video. Please make more like this!

[@brianmessemer2973]

Wow, extremely high information value/time. Fantastic presentation 💯

[@Prometheus5221]

Its easy to find a job when you are skilled. But still many important branches are short staffed - hospitals, goverment agencys - higher workload for your coworkers. The frustration is big in many companys. At lot of skilled workers leaving germany because of the govermant policy. Raising taxes for unmarried singles, high cost of living and a unbelievable amount of burocacy leads the a brain drain.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Bonker. Hospital jobs almost always require first language level German fluency and German traineeship in the specific field, as Germany does not recognise most of the foreign diploma in healthcare sector.

[@Prometheus5221]

@@val-schaeffer1117 thats what its official. After bringing in a DUI (Driving unter influcence of Drugs) caught driving. Normaly a doctor is taking a bloodsample to verify the amount of Drugs or Alcohol inside the blood. Well the doctor is an Hungarian speaking only englisch. the next time in the hospital we have a pakistani doctor. Neither of them speaking german fluently. We talk about doctors. Not nurses. yes we often have nurses with migration backround. some of them well educated. Some are just in the process of learning. And there might be a difference between City, State and even if you are more rual areas. Backround: I am half philippino - father german. I was born in Germany in the South. 5 Years working in a company supplying car industry. now 8 years Law enforcement.

[@dataminerdaniel]

Where did you buy that lovely blouse? Stunning!

[@luislopes806]

First of all, I want to congratulate you for this video. It is very interesting to learn about German working culture. Now I can say that I am clued up on German Working Culture. Germans have the reputation of being modern and professional and efficient at work. The punctuality is quite serious for Germanic culture. At the same time as its high productivity. One question: Is it really to say that the work culture in Germany shapes a similar relationship to that between a teacher and his students? During the video I was able to learn new vocabulary used in German: Feierabend that means the end of the working day! I hope to visit Germany soon to learn more about its culture!

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Like Deutsche Bahn

[@holger_p]

School is very much like this. Never overtime and punctual.but this is worldwide. Nothing special to germany. And Feierabend is more the begin of spare time. Literally it means partynight.

[@jaycortes2225]

Oh you are going to get really disappointed. The best that we have in Germany es when we are not surrounded by Germans.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

@@jaycortes2225 Write in English.

[@jaycortes2225]

@@val-schaeffer1117 oh this message was for a different person. So don’t worry about it :)

[@alextrevelian]

My work sucks, no one has ever stopped with a beer at 6 PM. Now I’m moving to a new position, time to give this a try or start a new trend.

[@markdc1145]

Working overtime is considered being inefficient in Germany.

[@Sonia-ts1nj]

I must say i disagree, of course the press is going to try to make it sound attractive to foreigners but after having lived here for so long i can confirm this is not a reality. Most forrigners will somehow get to be only tolerated because people knows they need extern workforce, but even if you arrive here speaking german is very unlikely that they will consider you part of the team, group, community even after you already turn into a german... Racism is a very real thing here even if you are white, you are simply not born here. If you dont believe me look at DW video on racism in Germany.

[@ibuzz1337]

you forget about the week endling on 3pm Thursday

[@rizqikurniawan1764]

actually, I like more Japanese language rather than German, but another thing such like elegant pronounce language and the engineering or the architecture made me wants to learn again German language and dive deep studying such like the way I learned English, so it was my young time in Senior High School, I'd been watching DW channel and I found that very interesting about German's Culture and some Technology. A few month ago, my lecturer was going to be PhD in Munich and I thought that was good to be educated in Country that had super genius in Technology

[@BG-wm2tw]

What about your country? How are things there?

[@fredatlas4396]

Average German working for 40yrs. I would say most average workers in the UK are working 49 yrs or more. And that is rising a lot now especially because our con-servative government has been putting the state retirement age up and up, and our state pension doesn't really pay enough for someone to retire on that alone

[@Keirosqeen]

After hearing all the positive things about Germany, and deciding to study there in my early 20s, I'd say Germany is more STRUCTURED than an average country but not the most efficient in the world, in terms of speed, flexible out-of-box thinking, creativity, etc in my opinion, it is efficient in some areas but not in everything.

[@DJone4one]

0:40 Stop, is this the ATM in Berlin that was the subject of Extra 3? That the one in the doorway, where it stands very awkwardly.

[@elisabettadori9355]

I’m probably German and didn’t know!!! Ciao from Florence, Italy 🇮🇹!!! 👏👏👏

[@BlueRazor69]

I haven’t taken vacation in over 4 years. I work like 10-12 hours a day right now. I’m distinctly surprised Germany isn’t more in line with my work habits.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thanks for sharing your experience. While not everything is perfect, workers' rights are taken fairly seriously in Germany.

[@katharinajosephinemuller8526]

Vacation days in Germany are mandatory and no employer wants to pay out the unused vacation days (which is possible only if the worker asked for it in writing). And sometimes if they aren't used up, they can be forfeited, but that requires a warning and can get costly if the employee can prove he filed for days off and didn't get them. Work hours, like many mentioned are a bit longer than it seems, because people doesn't think they did overtime, because they did a 10 minute coffee run/ went to the loo, so need to stay longer for this. And there a jobs where the 'Arbeitszeitgesetzte' (work hour laws) aren't mandatory which ends in 12 hour shifts.

[@1789Bastille]

can you make a video about the health system. when you are hurt, you call doctor, you wait two weeks, hes says MRI or X-Ray then you call somewhere else and then wait 4 weeks, and the start waiting for other doctor again. 100 health insurances battle each other for customers while private insurances are taking a pi's on the system. I wish there was a single payer insurance like in Finland combined with the speedy efficiency of the Korean system

[@1789Bastille]

@@geranienbaum lol they sent me back home with a swollen leg.that knee looked like is pregnant. worked in health myself for a while and I am too familar with the victim blaming you just did there. Google yourself how long the wait for MRI is now. The Krankenhausreform is coming this year. so we will see

[@Ragmon1]

I would love to see this same video but from the position of a blue collar worker and or 1st and 2 generation immigrants.

[@Linuxdirk]

It’s actually not 9 to 5 because of the mandatory 30 minutes of break. I’t often 8:30 to 5.

[@holger_p]

The 40h/per week or 8h/day is becoming less common. And I don't know anybody starting past 8.

[@andrelopez2514]

love this videos and she was so nice

[@kusinanitheetha9736]

That’s great! Time is valuable.

[@Jini575]

This is only true if you are working in a cool modern Berliner start up with international colleagues. The typical german work culture is quite opposite and stressful. Why do you think people in Germany are suffering from Burnout?

[@jedrekdzieran]

Good that you brought up those start-ups! Berliner start-up culture is just as bad or maybe even worse than traditional culture.

[@yurigansmith]

@@jedrekdzieran Why do you think that? What specifically makes it so bad?

[@lancecorporal7605]

4:28 you forgot about the Koreans they were in your mines and hospitals...

[@fabiobeka]

I'm literally watching this at 6:00 PM instead of finishing my work.

[@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443]

Sweet... Is this a PR move to attract highly skilled workers? I don't think Germany can compete with NL or the Scandinavian countries

[@teniente_snafu]

neither can it compete with Austria, Switzerland or Luxembourg. But it is factors larger than those countries and thus can take many more workers, making it a more viable option. Cost of living also is a factor and Germany is arguably lower cost than Scandinavia and Switzerland.

[@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443]

@@teniente_snafu it is the ratio of cost of living vs neto salary... Not sure which one of D or NL is better. But certainly Switzerland beats them, even if it is more expensive.

[@CXt10]

😂😂hahaha. Looks like it

[@blackhunk2265]

Informative

[@holger_p]

Job days of 9 to 6 or 8 to 5 ? The east is getting up earlier more like 7-4. Most people like the silence in the morning, before the phone terror starting around 9. And that's not only for office jobs, also craftsman may have the first appointment at 6:30.

[@Malte_OJ]

5:23 Little mistakes about the internship: Of course the internship has to be paid when it's longer than 3 month, not the other way around.

[@shriprakash9556]

In my country whether it is rain, earthquake or flood you have to be in office 😂

[@QueenMina89]

Germany is really good with PR😂

[@CXt10]

😂😂hahaha yes

[@acer6049]

1:27 Her ⌚ though it was serious 😂

[@BenSussmanpro]

Of course Germans love paper. The ubiquitous line coming from a German official in old WWII & Cold War films “Show me your Paypuhs” has been a meme in the US for 70 years, lol!

[@bababoey8204]

The polished gender pay gap is only about 3% in Germany. Here women tend to have jobs that are either no full-time jobs, or less competitive sectors. All Beamte (federals) get paid the same anyway.

[@JohnStramboBF3]

If the gender pay gap was a real thing, with the rampant capitalism, companies would hire only women. Just look at highly paying dangerous jobs, and which gender picks those the most.

[@holger_p]

Right. Some compare women average to mens average to produce big numbers. Of course you have to compare payment for same job and the same time, which is much less difference, more dependending on requesting less payment when negotiating your salery. Very normal worldwide.

[@patrickananas1999]

Someone needs to mention it. The Media always mentions these crazy high numbers without mentioning why it is this way

[@fanyrojas7479]

Honestly even with all the taxes it looks like a pretty good country to work, in my country 🇲🇽we barely have holidays only 12 days and you have to ask for them and many times they don’t authorize you to have them even though it is your right and we don’t have sick days at all or leave the office according a schedule. And for the younger ones we are not going to have retirement if we don’t safe the money.

[@jonawolf8023]

If you have more than 10 sick days in one year this can be a reason for a renounce. In lots of factorys it is comon practice to offer a pay in excange for the hooliday. The taxes are extrem high and in ad you have to pay insureces that means depending on your incom you will never see 30-40% of your salary. The retirment in germany is colapsing. For younger this means from the amount they have to pay they never become somting back. Considering the expeces of living in germany it is not a good idea to come to work here.

[@fanyrojas7479]

@@jonawolf8023 well I guess we will never know until we experienced it

[@SolomonSunder]

​@@fanyrojas7479As an Indian living in Austria, I'd say the pension system is broken in countries with current labour pays system like Germany, Austria etc Switzerland, Sweden etc have an investment style pension system which is more sustainable.

[@fanyrojas7479]

@@SolomonSunder but aside the pension system what pros do you see on working there than in your country, I’m very Interested because I’ve been thinking on working abroad

[@SixFootScream]

You are taxed to no end.

[@ericli3360]

In my company (professional services), the German offices have by far the worst working hours in northern Europe, and weekend work is somehow pretty normal (which is quite rare in NL or Nordics)... We like to joke they're the Chinese of northern Europe

[@llawlied6902]

Weekend work is rare I wonder where you got that impression

[@pork_friedrice]

What does that giant machine called ATM do?

[@christygmathew4792]

Respect employees'free time and they will respect their working hours.

[@akhilk5121]

Whats the chair brand?

[@user-mm1pf4km2f]

Ikea

[@Elbrasch]

1:10 It is even worse, often decembers are filled with people burning off their remaining holidays. I will put in the hours over the year, through I will be damned if I gift the remaining days to my employer :D

[@michallang2495]

I worked 3 years in a German IT company and I can say that I have never seen such a chaos anywhere else. Work hard/efficiency culture is a myth. From my experience they were focused on minimum work needed to be done just to keep the salary going.

[@dacat8171]

That is a singular perception. You should have worked in at least two more companies, to draw a conclusion.

[@andibechthold986]

Then come to our company here in germany (also IT) to experience real chaos ;-) We also call it: Genius controls chaos. And: A good horse only jumps as high as it has to ;-)

[@nicolasuj]

@@andibechthold986 Hallo zusammen : v ich arbeite auch im IT Bereich als Softwaretester, manuell, auf deutsch, bei einer deutschen Firma aber nicht direkt. Ich stimme vollkomen zu damit, was hier gesagt wurde. Es ist halt so. Gib mir : v ein Job Angebot, mein deutsch ist gut genug und wird immer besser : v only remotely : v

[@jeissondavidsuesca]

it's amazing

[@alphacause]

The fact that Germany is actually contemplating a salary transparency law (0:44 - 0:52) is amazing. For far too long, employers have been able to get away with unfair compensation, because there has been this social taboo about people speaking about their salaries. If you can find out who is making what salary within an organization, you can prove unfair favoritism as a result of things like discrimination, cronyism or nepotism.

[@m.l.9385]

Sometimes it is even worse - there are/were clauses in the contracts that you mustn't talk about your salary and doing so would have been a reason to be fired - albeit I don't know if this is legal/legally binding anymore.

[@alphacause]

@@m.l.9385 Was this contractual prohibition against discussing salaries with coworkers something in Germany or the US?

[@m.l.9385]

@@alphacause I was talking about Germany.

[@user-bq3ch1ps8q]

yes but i must also say as someone living in the uk the gov in germany is much more supportive of normal people and so less people have to work overtime just to earn enough for rent

[@user-et6cr6qd8v]

.....over 50% of every cent you earn will go to the government if you are able to you run if you dont have go there you dont go there

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Germans are very efficient at spreading positive stereotypes about themselves. Rudeness is covered as directness, inflexibility is covered as discipline and pre-planning, penny pinching frugality is covered as Nordic minimalism, racial discrimination is covered as discretion, social envy is covered as quest for equality, even in politics their brazen self-interest is covered as EU wide interest. The real examples of their efficiency are, Berlin Brandenburg Airport and Stuttgart 21 railway station.

[@arnodobler1096]

Yes, as soon as politicians are involved, as in BER S21 or Toll Collect

[@kailars]

😊 Fortunately nobody needs to come to Germany if they have a better place. Unfortunately the new German visa schemes allow in inexperienced undergraduates with only partly real degrees and no work ethics while the great workers go elsewhere...the quick fix is just going to backfire.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

@@kailars Even they are unwilling to come to Germany. So imagine how horrible the situation is. Germany is magnet only for functionally illiterate mass migrants.

[@osterhai]

As a German, i can confirm all of that, especially the rudeness part. A lot of Germans are very rude and toxic.

[@lenaspb1831]

Have been living and working in Germany for 10 years. This is true to some (big) extend, but of course there are exceptions.

[@JubayerAhmed10]

Wow! It's a happy states for worker😮

[@fabiandimaspratama]

Not only I admire German's work ethics & efficiency (especially regarding respecting both work time and free time), but there is *NO AGEISM* in Germany too. Few months ago I watched a DW documentary about a German man who switch career from small opera singer to become carer in his late 40s. This is very contrast with my country Indonesia where ageism & lookism in hiring are still rampant.

[@jgr_lilli_]

Nurses and elderly care workers are in very high demand. They will take almost anyone who can walk into their facility. However, the pay and the job security are abysmal for the level of pressure these workers are put under. You can only live like this for a few weeks until your body starts to pay the price.

[@fabiandimaspratama]

​@@jgr_lilli_It's the reverse in Indonesia. While the pay is only above minimum wage, working as carer offers kob stability since it's in high demand. But the catch is: the employers here only accept young people as carer, maximum 25 yrs old (yes, ageism). They don't just take anyone too, only people who completed medical school or sort before 25 yrs old or people with relevant work experience. So someone in their 40s in Indonesia will find it impossible to switch career especially as a carer, not even be able to go to medical school from zero, unlike in Germany. The fact that currently Indonesia has youth population boom & unsolved yet (currently Indonesia has 2nd highest unemployment rate in Southeast Asia) makes the job market really tough.

[@fabiandimaspratama]

​@@jgr_lilli_Not in Indonesia. The demand for carers is always in high demand and the position is always full. While it offers only above minimum wage, at least it has job stability. But the catch is : they just don't simply take anybody in. The only people who can become a carer are people below 25-27 yrs old (yes, ageism) and must have relevant background (having completed the medical school). That's why people above 30s-40s in Indonesia will have it harder to get a new job, if they lost a job or decided to switch career, especially if someone wants to enter a medical school and become a carer.. that will be perceived as "odd" in here. The fact that currently Indonesia has youth population boom makes the job market even tougher & it is unsolved yet (currently Indonesia is the 2nd country with most severe unemployment rate in Southeast Asia).

[@SanbronsTriumbrella]

0:51 No wonder Toto Wolff said "I have it printed out."

[@praveenX]

German work culture is just Gold Standard! It's hard to replicate in another country because it will need a culture change.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

It is easy to impress third world newbies coming from Delhi smog, Bangalore traffic, and Chennai sweltering heat. Your country is gold standard of chaos. Even Thailand and Malaysia seems to be breeze compared to India.

[@Atom224]

I strongly disagree on that.

[@ChatGPT3.00]

Yes, the are robots

[@alphastratus6623]

As a german: definitely not. If you cannot reach the expectations they will not fire you, there are other ways to build up pressure.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

Our little Praveen is a Germany aspirant from a D grade engineering college in Jhumri Tilaiya. Hence the slavering white worshipping comment. Any wonder your country was colonised for over three hundred years.

[@marieme5454]

Most people get more than 30 days???? That's new to me being a German. But it would be lovely!

[@outdoorolli5754]

That's the case in the public sector an the big corporations. In the 80% rest 24 to 28 days p.a. are the standard.

[@davidlynch9049]

I think the typical sick days allowed before a note is 2 days, not 3. Also, it's not typical to offer anymore than 30 days for vacation. I think some companies do, but not widespread. It's a big cost for companies.

[@holger_p]

Cost for "human ressources" quitting their jobs, can be higher, than giving a few more days off. It's actually no difference to giving a promotion in salery.

[@marvinvogtde]

actuallz its even less, it used to be 3 days but officially companies are allowed to require a doctors note for your first day of sickness, but it traditional to only require them after 3 days so thats what most people are used to. My company requires them on the first day.

[@Catchcookie]

Yeah its more like 25 days I have noticed

[@Cebok_barengan]

WHY.....WHY GERMAN INTERNET WAS SO SLOWWWWWWWLLYYY

[@ageon2904]

I've worked 6 years in Germany and honestly, don't go there. The people are still racist and very cold hearted. The payment was ok. Nothing special but enough for living and holidays. But there are far better countries to work in live, where the people are also very awesome. I work in Norway these days and it's amazing.

[@sunflower9680]

Nice you’re having a better time in Norway! It’s easier to move to Germany for non-EU citizens than it is to move to Norway. If you don’t mind me asking, what country are you originally from and what did you work as in Germany?

[@llawlied6902]

What racism did you faced if I may ask and why do you suggest Norway?

[@BG-wm2tw]

Where are you from?

[@pawel5280]

Talk about drastic drop in quality of German product's. Car's , home appliances,etc. Try to establish the reason for it. And the remedies.

[@SanjeevM-hv4gu]

I am an Indian who wishes to study abroad. I was looking for cost efficient program and stumbled upon German public universities. I want to expand my horizon which can only be achieved when you speak the local language. I don’t think language should be a problem when making decisions. Just go for it and learn it.

[@parjanyashukla176]

It's always good to learn the language of the superior white man.

[@salsichalivre5401]

You need to be the best of the best from India to go abroad. As You know, only the best Indian students go abroad and succeed. A very few stay on the two or three best universities. The remaining will be underpaid

[@BG-wm2tw]

Why don’t you study at your own universities?

[@salsichalivre5401]

Because 1% of Indians made it there so competitive the top universities are @@BG-wm2tw

[@arnolsi]

@@parjanyashukla176 If a white person goes to Africa he has to learn the local language to.

[@luisvasquez5015]

Forget about creativity when working for a German company The instructions manual becomes their Bible

[@Irish37]

In the United States, the idle rich demand constant toil from the people who earn their wealth for them. This involves a level of micromanagement that is only a step or two above totalitarian oppression; even to the point of denying restroom breaks, or monitoring the length thereof. Rest breaks are discouraged, and those are often monitored too, and would be eliminated altogether if it wasn't for state labor laws. Every moment not spent in nose-to-the-grindstone work is considered theft from the employer. If there's no actual work to be done at any given moment, make-work is often assigned; unless one wants a "What are you all standing around for?" from the supervisor. Taking sick days and vacation days are seen as signs of disloyalty to one's employer. Complaining about long hours, or advocating for more rest and recuperation time will get one denounced as a socialist. We haven't quite gotten to Japan-level of shaming if a person doesn't die from overwork, but we're getting there.

[@mdsouz4]

You don't get rich being idle.

[@derhintze]

​@@mdsouz4correct. You get idle because you're rich. How to get rich is, well, a different question. Mostly by inheritance.

[@Irish37]

@@mdsouz4 Well then, you should tell the rich to fire their employees and do all the work all by themselves. See how long it takes for the billions to stop flowing in.

[@BG-wm2tw]

Are you a commie???

[@W8rrfsdY73]

Now there’ll be like 100 million applications from India

[@BG-wm2tw]

India has more people in its 3 or 4 largest cities that whole of Germany. Unbelievable.

[@user-mm1pf4km2f]

Neurotic society

[@devyhia]

Well, I have been here for 7+ years and can tell you that German efficiency is a myth. Work culture here is extremely paper-oriented and inefficient (esp. when you come to Govt services/sector). What you can do in 1 day usually takes 7 days in Germany. The same behavior could be seen from private companies too, where everything is very slow.

[@maxim11]

I'll tell you why Germany has such a huge pay gap between men and women: kindergartens work till f*n 4pm or so, so you have to pick up your kid by that time. Oh, and you are lucky if it is not 2pm, because less than half of children stays till 4. Usually it is woman who sacrifices her career and stays with kids because of this stupid schedule. This is a huge waste of human potential and economy overall. And then the government speaks about workers shortage.

[@derhintze]

Plus men not being willing to work part time.

[@kailars]

You are absolutely right, France is waaaay better. Also conservative politicians happy to keep women away from fulltime jobs. Thought has to change.

[@lenaspb1831]

THIS!

[@jgr_lilli_]

The German East (GDR) had a solid full-day childcare system for every child in the country, but that was sadly all broken down after the Fall of the Berlin Wall because childcare is communism or something. Nowadays women (esp. in the West) have to feel guilty if they leave their kid in the Kita for more than 2 hours.

[@sw.7519]

Very true. 🎉

[@bidiasmarc1394]

Hallo und vielen Dank für dieses Video. Its very practical. I have a question. What does an african need to do to work in Germany. Like yeah i've gotten visa,passeport and the immigration department has worked witg the german ambassy and am travelling in some months now. From what time shul i start asking for a job and when will i have the right to get paid those 12 euros per hours as u said. And finally. Am so scared of extrême rascism. Will i get beaten on the streets or at my workplace cuz am ...black?

[@teniente_snafu]

Usually you would need to have a job lined up before you depart. At least you need certified proof of qualification cleared with German authorities. As with everything it depends on where you are and on luck and circumstance. The East is said to be pretty dire with racism. In the West it will be less of a problem and this is also where most job opportunities are. Germany in general is a peacful country with a high level of security. Grey zone and downright illegal work does exist, be careful to not get into such traps. You need a working contract and make sure you employer has you insured. The higher your qualifications are, the better you will fare. Minimum wage applies to everyone, lest you are in some illegal scheme. Still some employers might try to cheat you, especially with low level work. Keep in mind that 12 Euros an hour might sound much, but it will be difficult to live on that in Germany as rents are high and food is expensive.

[@bidiasmarc1394]

@@teniente_snafu thaaanks

[@BG-wm2tw]

Are you from india or Pakistan or Bangladesh?

[@jgr_lilli_]

​@@BG-wm2twThose are Asian countries, not African ones.