Why Germans Work Fewer Hours But Produce More: A Study In Culture

When many Americans think of Germany, images of WWII soldiers and Hitler often come to mind. But what many people don’t realize is that Germany is the industrial powerhouse of Europe, and is a leading manufacturer of goods for export to developing Asian nations. We don’t hear about the superiority of German engineering in Volkswagen commercials for nothing!

The economic engine of the EU, Germany single-handedly saved the Eurozone from collapse in 2012. At the same time, German workers enjoy unparalleled worker protections and shorter working hours than most of their global counterparts. How can a country that works an average of 35 hours per week (with an average 24 paid vacation days to boot) maintain such a high level of productivity?

Working Hours Mean Working Hours

In German business culture, when an employee is at work, they should not be doing anything other than their work. Facebook, office gossip with co-workers, trolling Reddit for hours, and pulling up a fake spreadsheet when your boss walks by are socially unacceptable behaviors. Obviously, in the United States these behaviors are frowned up on by management. But in Germany, there is zero tolerance among peers for such frivolous activities.

In the BBC documentary “Make Me A German“,  a young German woman explained her culture shock while on a working exchange to the UK.

“I was in England for an exchange… I was in the office and the people are talking all the time about their private things… ‘What’s the plan for tonight?’, and all the time drinking coffee…”

She was quite surprised by the casual nature of British workers. Upon further discussion, the Germans reveal that Facebook is not allowed in the office whatsoever, and no private email is permitted.

Goal-Oriented, Direct Communication Is Valued

German business culture is one of intense focus and direct communication. While Americans tend to value small talk and maintaining an upbeat atmosphere, Germans rarely beat around the bush. German workers will directly speak to a manager about performance reviews, launch into a business meeting without any ‘icebreakers’, and use commanding language without softening the directives with polite phrases.Whereas an American would say, “It would be great if you could get this to me by 3pm,” a German would say, “I need this by 3pm”.

When a German is at work, they are focused and diligent, which in turn leads to higher productivity in a shorter period of time.

Germans Have a Life Outside Work

Germans work hard and play hard. Since the working day is focused on delivering efficient productivity, the off hours are truly off hours. Because of the focused atmosphere and formal environment of German businesses, employees don’t necessarily hang out together after work. Germans generally value a separation between private life and working life.

The German government is currently considering a ban on work-related emails after 6pm, to counter the accessibility that smartphones and constant connectivity give employers to their employees. Can you imagine President Obama enacting such a policy in the United States?

To occupy their plentiful Freizeit, most Germans are involved in Verein (clubs); regularly meeting others with shared interests in their community. Common interests in Germany include Sportvereine (sports clubs), Gesangvereine (choirs or singing clubs), Musikvereine(music clubs), Wandervereine (hiking clubs), Tierzuchtvereine (animal breeding clubs – generally rabbits/pigeons) and collectors’ clubs of all stripes. Even the smallest village in Germany will have several active Vereinen to accommodate residents’ interests. Rather than settling in for a night of TV after work, most Germans socialize with others in their community and cultivate themselves as people.

Germans also enjoy a high number of paid vacation days, with many salaried employees receiving 25-30 paid days (the law requires 20). Extended holidays mean families can enjoy up to a month together, renting an apartment by the seaside or taking a long trip to a new, exciting city.

Business Respects Parenthood

Germany’s system of Elternzeit (“parent time” or parental leave) is the stuff of fantasy for most working Americans. The United States does not currently have laws requiring maternity leave, while Germany has some of the most extensive parental protection policies in the developed world. The downside of these maternity leave benefits is that employers may avoid hiring women (with the fear that they will take advantage of the extensive benefits), and German boardrooms are consistently male-dominated at a higher rate than other developed nations, although the government is working to eradicate this trend. The financial benefits of staying home (from both Elternzeitand Elterngeld or parents’ money programs) are often too good to pass up for German mothers, and can lead to stagnant or non-existent careers.

Since “at will” employment does not exist in Germany, all employees have contracts with their employer. Parents who have been gainfully employed for the previous 12 months are eligible for Elternzeit benefits, which include up to three years of unpaid leave with a “sleeping” contract. The employee is eligible to work part-time up to 30 hours while on leave, and must be offered full-time employment at the conclusion of the parental leave. Parents may also choose to postpone up to one year of their leave until the child’s 8th birthday. Either parent is eligible for parental leave, and many couples make the choice based on financial considerations.

In addition to the preservation of the employee’s contract, the state will pay up 67% of the employee’s salary (with a cap of 1800 Euros per month) for 14 months. Parents may split the 14 months however they choose. These benefits apply equally to same-sex couples.

Have you picked your jaw up off the floor yet?

Put Some German In Your Office

The German work culture is very different from the average American office, but there are certainly lessons to be learned from our German counterparts. The diligent focus Germans bring to their working life is to be admired. Separating work from play can help us lead a more balanced life; putting the phone down after hours gives us a mental break from stressing about work, and we can return to the office refreshed in the morning. When it’s time to get something done, closing Facebook and turning off push notifications helps keep our minds quiet and the flow steady. Direct conversation can lead to increased efficiency, and more clarity of communication among team members.

Americans often equate longer hours with increased production and superior work ethic, but examining the German model makes one wonder: When it comes to time at work, maybe less really is more!

St. Valentine’s Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an Emperor named Claudius. I didn’t like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn’t the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn’t going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favorite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies — secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, “Love from your Valentine.”

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh — because they know that love can’t be beaten!

ISTRI YANG LEMOT

Ini adalah kisah nyata diambil dari Renungan : “Jagalah hatimu” Amsal 3:24

Jagalah hatimu dengan segala kewaspadaan, karena dari situlah terpancar kehidupan. Ayub 15:12

Mengapa engkau dihanyutkan oleh perasaan hatimu dan mengapa matamu menyala-nyala. Amsal 6:25. Janganlah menginginkan kecantikannya dalam hatimu, janganlah terpikat oleh bulu matanya.

Dalam sebuah keluarga hiduplah sepasang Suami-Istri, Pak Pendeta dan Ibu pendeta dan anak-anak tercinta di suatu desa terpencil. Sekian lamanya mereka kelihatan hidup tentram dan bahagia, sehingga tak terasa sudah sekian tahun mereka mengarungi bahtera rumah tangga, sifat dan karakter si suami sudah tak asing lagi buat si istri. Begitu pula halnya sang suami, sifat dan karakter istrinya sudah melekat erat dalam dirinya. Si suami merasa bersyukur sekali memiliki istri seorang pendeta dan si istri juga sangat bersyukur sekali punya suami seorang pendeta pula.

Suatu hari mereka diundang dari gereja resort untuk mengikuti dan bertanding koor di konser terbesar gereja-gereja di Bandung yang dikuti oleh para pendeta-pendeta seluruh gereja. Dan disediakan jemputan bagi daerah-daerah yang jauh (terpencil) dengan bus besar, dengan syarat, untuk daerah B harus menunggu jam sekian, di simpang B, dengan catatan siapa yang terlambat akan ditinggal, karena bus akan melaju dengan cepat. Dan kebetulan untuk daerah Pak Pendeta harus menunggu tepat jam 4 sore di simpang A karena acara akan dimulai jam 7 malam.

Demikianlah mereka saling mempersiapkan diri dari pagi, mulai dari baju, sepatu, tas, dasi, dan perlengkapan lainnya, sempat terbersit dalam pikiran si suami bahwa istrinya seorang yang lelet (lambat) apalagi soal berdandan bisa sampai berjam-jam lamanya. Dan suaminya berkata kepada istrinya, “Ma, ingat kita harus berangkat jam setengah 4, karena busnya akan datang jam 4, mama harus persiapkan semuanya, kalau perlu ke salon, mbok ya sekarang aja, biar ndak telat. Tapi sang istri dengan manis dan bangganya berkata, ndak perlu ke salon, wong dari dulu mama dandanan sendiri, kok papa ndak tau sih??? Sambil senyum-senyum sang suami menjawab, bukan begitu mam, maksudnya supaya kamu kelihatan lebih cantik dikit, beda dari yang sebelum-sebelumnya, inikan acara besar, apalagi nanti kita para pendeta duduknya paling depan jadi ndak malu-maluin, gitu lho! Mana tau pula kita menang!

Jawab si istri dengan ketus, jadi maksud kamu, selama ini gue ndak cantik! Jadi selama ini kamu bohong, dulu sebelum nikah bilangnya aku tercantik, seksi, jadi kamu nyesel kawin sama aku! Si suami kembali menjawab udah deh ma, aku ndak mau berantem, inget ma kita kan pendeta udah lahir baru lagi….

Chik. ..chik… chik..singkat cerita tibalah waktunya mereka harus berangkat, jam sudah menunjukkan pukul setengah 4 sore, Pak Pendeta sudah bersiap-siap dan kelihatan gagah dengan jasnya, tapi alangkah terkejutnya dia ketika masuk kamar, istrinya baru berpakaian, belum lagi dandan, nyisir rambut dan sebagainya.

Suaminya berkata dengan sedikit marah, dia berkata, mama cepetan kita hampir terlambat!

Istrinya menjawab: sebentar pa, 5 menit lagi pasti kelar, gue kan perlu sanggulan lagi.

Suaminya berkata lagi: apa? Sanggulan lagi? Ndak perlu pake sanggul-sanggulan lah…

Istrinya menjawab : tapi biar keliatan cantik & beda dong??? Lagian telat-telat dikit ndak apalah paling juga busnya jam karetan, jam Indonesia kan molor-molor setengah jam….

Dengan kesal suaminya menjawab, sambil keluar kamar dan berteriak : memang kamu dari dulu lelet, lambat, ndak pernah berubah, dari dulu ampe sekarang!

Si istri menjawab dengan berteriak pula, “baguslah, Tuhan Yesus aja ndak pernah berubah, dari dulu sekarang dan selamanya tau!

Demikianlah mereka keluar rumah jam setengah lima sore, di perjalanan si suami terus mengomel dengan istrinya..”kita pasti deh terlambat, dasar lelet….. lelet… lambat… lambat..akhirnya mereka sampai di simpang… 5 menit…. 10 menit mereka menunggu, tetapi bus tetap ndak nonggol-nongol…. ..”si suami sambil kesal dan marah berkata…”pasti busnya sudah berangkat, ini semua gara-gara kamu…..makanya jadi orang jangan lambat tau!”

Dengan tak ragu lagi Pak Pendeta pergi ke Wartel terdekat untuk menelpon ke kantor pusat pelayanan bus yang tertera di denah undangan konser itu. Ternyata bus yang akan menjemput mereka sudah berangkat setengah jam yang lalu, dan sekarang sedang dalam perjalanan menuju kota Bandung. Putuslah harapan Pak Pendeta, begitu marahnya dia sehingga dia hanya diam saja seolah enggan untuk berbicara kepada istrinya. Istrinya mencoba menghibur suaminya dan berkata, Pa, sabar aja, kita tetap doa mudah-mudahan ada mobil atau bus yang menuju ke Bandung, kita pasti belum terlambat. Sambil tetap menunggu, si istri tetap berdoa, Tuhan gimana ini, kami mau memujiMu berikanlah transportasi yang terbaik, kami tetap menunggu di simpang ini Tuhan, ampuni segala dosa kami….belum sempat Si Istri mengucapkan Amin, tiba-tiba suaminya berteriak, Ma, cepetan Ma itu ada bus yang hendak ke Bandung, katanya mereka mau ikutan tanding koor juga di konser itu. Secepat kilat Si Istri berkata dalam hati …..terima kasih Tuhan….Amin…..

Lalu mereka naik ke bus itu dan sambil berbincang-bincang, rupanya rombongan yang ada di bus ini juga ikut bertanding dalam koor nanti dari rombongan gereja lain di dekat desa mereka. Mereka mengaku bahwa mereka juga terlambat karena harus menunggu antrian lama di pom bensin. Tiba-tiba mereka dikejutkan dalam satu berita dipembicaraan telpon supir bus di depan.

Lalu supir itu berkata kepada para penumpang, Bus No. 412 yang berangkat ke Bandung jam 4 tadi mengalami kecelakaan jatuh ke jurang yang curam, belum diketahui berapa yang tewas dan berapa yang selamat, tapi menurut beritanya, bus dalam keadaan mengenaskan. Pak Pendeta dengan tercenggang dan berkata kepada istrinya…. .”Ma, itu kan bus yang akan kita tumpangi tadi….. kok bisa ya???? Si Istri dengan sedikit kurang percaya melihat kembali undangan itu, ternyata memang benar No. 412. Dan berkata kepada suaminya: “Untung pa, kita telat, kalo ndak udah tewas”. Tidak pikir panjang lagi, Pak Pendeta langsung merangkul istrinya dengan lembut, seakan dia tidak ingin kehilangan orang yang dicintainya seumur hidup.

Dalam hatinya ia berdoa, Tuhan terima kasih, Engkau masih mengizinkan kami untuk bersama dalam hidup ini, masih sempat lagi untuk memujiMu, terima kasih telah memberikan istri yang terbaik bagiku, terima kasih telah memberikan istri yang lelet kepadaku, aku bersyukur segala sesuatunya telah Engkau atur, segala sesuatu yang terjadi untuk mendatangkan kebaikan, terima kasih telah membuka mataku, aku akan menjaga hatiku kemanapun aku pergi, aku tak akan menodainya, aku tak akan menyakitinya, aku tak akan meminta lebih… lebih …lebih Tuhan…. terima kasih telah memberikan istri yang sepadan bagiku…… Amin. Pesan Pak Pendeta : kepada mereka yang belum memiliki pasangan hidup dan yang sedang mencari pasangan hidup,

1. Cari dan mintalah kepada Tuhan pasangan yang SEPADAN, bukan untuk menjadi sama sepertimu, tapi untuk saling melengkapi. Walaupun kita sudah memilih yang banyak persamaan maka setelah menikah dengan segera, banyak orang menyadari bahwa mereka menemukan banyak perbedaan seperti cerita di atas.
2. Terima apa adanya pasanganmu, sikapnya, sifatnya, temperamennya, karakternya. Dengan mulai menerimanya bahkan sering terjadi perubahan ke arah perbaikan.
3. Kita tidak bisa merubah pasangan dengan mencela, menuntut, mengomelinya, mengungkit-gungkit kekurangannya. Penerimaan itu perlu, bahkan salah satu kebutuhan dasar seorang manusia. Penerimaan membuat orang merasa bahagia. Dan dari sikap hati bahagia justru muncul perbuatan-perbuatan yang simpatik.
4. Alkitab mengajarkan bahwa, menikah untuk menjadi satu dan bukan untuk menjadi sama. Menikah untuk saling melengkapi sehingga gambar Allah menjadi lengkap dalam dua pribadi yang disatukan.

Jangan jadikan kecantikan dan kegantengan seseorang jadi the”FIRST ONE” tapi yang terpenting dari semua itu adalah seseorang yang engkau kasihi benar-benar mengasihi Tuhan Yesus, sehingga apapun masalah pada pasanganmu, dia tetap mencintai dan mengasihimu apa adanya. Siapapun orangnya, dia tetap berharga di mata Tuhan. Semoga diberkati dengan renungan ini.

What Is Love & Married

A student asks a teacher, “What is love?” The teacher said, “in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick.”

The student went to the field, go through first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders….maybe there is a bigger one later. Then he saw another bigger one… But maybe there is an even bigger one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand. The teacher told him, “…this is love…  You keep looking for a better one, but when later…

“What is marriage then?” the student asked. The teacher said, “in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick.”

The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfy, and come back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, “This time you bring back a corn…. You look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get…. This is marriage.

(Dedicated to someone who ever fill my heart…)