Germany and the Netherlands might not be polar opposites, but if you’ve had the pleasure of working in both countries, you’ll undoubtedly have noticed many little (and not-so-little) differences.
Flat landscapes, harsh-sounding languages, and a deep-rooted, unwavering love for beer — to the untrained eye, Germany and the Netherlands might seem like the same deal.
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But behold, when it comes to working and professional life, there are some surprising differences between these two neighbours.
Here are seven of the Dutch/German work culture gaps.
1. Dutch lunch culture is quick and efficient
German people might have a (sometimes inaccurate) reputation for being on time, quick, and efficient. Their lunch practices, on the other hand? Compared to the Dutch, quite the opposite.
In the Netherlands, lunch typically consists of a humble broodje met kaas (sandwich with cheese), and fair enough, German lunch cuisine is not much different. The difference here lies in the fact that lunch in the Netherlands is consumed at rapid speed, with little time for anything but chewing.
In Germany, a worker’s lunch break is holy, and pretty much as important as the other working hours altogether. It’s so holy, in fact, that the right to minimum 30 minutes of lunch break every day is spelt out in the German labour law.
Taking up to an hour for lunch is not uncommon in Germany, whereas a Dutch worker’s lunch is over before they can say hagelslag. Why? Perhaps because a Dutch lunch break is typically unpaid — and why waste time eating when you can get paid?
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2. No one gets paid in cash
It’s no secret that Germany lags behind in certain (relax, only certain) areas, when compared to the Netherlands. One such thing is the German tendency to pay in cash far more often than those in the lowlands.
That means that if you’re working as a barista, a grocery shop cashier, in retail, or pretty much anywhere else money is being transferred in Germany, you’ll likely have to deal with a lot of coins and bills.
Anecdotes from our German readers have even mentioned instances of young people (particularly in the service industry) getting their wages paid in cash.
Although that’s an extreme case, there’s no getting around the fact that working (and just generally living) in the Netherlands tends to involve way less cash than across the eastern border.
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3. Dutch people work shorter hours
Some might call it laziness, while others call it having a work-life balance. No matter what you choose to describe it as, however, it is a fact of life that Dutch people work less than Germans.
READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #116: Have a great work/life balance
According to the OECD Better Life Index, the Netherlands outperforms Germany in just about every category (except a minor defeat in the Environment and Income sections), snatching an impressive 5th place in the world when it comes to work-life balance.
With an average working week of just 32 hours, we’re not surprised to hear that the Dutch work the least in Europe — and far less than the Germans, who’re working 41.1 working hours a week. Yikes!
4. Dutch people speak English. A. Lot.
Until recently, tourists in Germany had to struggle their way through their holidays with the phrases they remembered from high school German class, crossing their fingers hoping they’d communicated more or less the right thing. Working in Germany was, and still is, relatively difficult without a decent understanding of the German language.
Germans are not exactly known for their English proficiency, and the frequent translation of foreign news, media, and entertainment into German doesn’t make it any easier to practice. The Dutch, on the other hand, pride themselves on their excellent command of the English language.
As the number one country in the world when it comes to English proficiency (compared to Germany’s 10th place), and with over 90% of the population comfortable speaking English, it’s no surprise that the Netherlands is famous for being quite a lovely place to work as an international.
High English proficiency is seen in daily life as well as in the Dutch workplace, and it’s not uncommon to speak English on a daily basis in a Dutch job.
READ MORE | Why are the Dutch so good at speaking English?
5. The Dutch are ridiculously casual at work
Comfortable to some, frightening to others, Dutch work culture is (in)famous for being very casual. However, being casual does not necessarily mean that the Dutch are known for being chill and relaxed in the workplace.
What the Dutch are known for is being oh-so direct — a fact that manifests in a tendency to show up to work, well, just as you are. No nonsense, lots of gezelligheid.
This can mean going to the office in jeans and a t-shirt, or in a three-piece suit — whatever works for you is fine for the Dutch workplace culture. It can also mean addressing your co-workers (yes, and your superiors) as the friendly Je rather than the formal U. The Germans would never — it’s “Sie”, not “Du”.
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Work meetings in the Netherlands can also occur in relatively unconventional places. While Germans prefer the structure of a good table for their meetings, the Dutch can easily meet around a coffee machine, on a park bench, or over a biertje and some borrel snacks. Speaking of…
6. The Dutch borrel is the same as ‘feierabend’ — but also different
Despite the many differences, Dutch and German work cultures have one key thing in common: their love for beer. It’s an integral part of the coworking environment — the one thing that brings people together, regardless of their nationality, seniority, or position.
Where the Germans religiously celebrate the end of the workday with “feierabend” (literally meaning “evening celebration”) at 5 PM, the Dutch reserve the right to drink beer with coworkers anytime they like.
READ MORE | What is borrelen? The Dutch art of going for a drink with co-workers
Of course, the Dutch typically organise borrels at the end of the work day too, but the Dutch borrel goes a lot further than the German equivalent.
Borrel at 5 PM with your coworkers before going home to your wife and kids, borrel at 8 PM with your student friends before going out dancing, or borrel on the weekend — the sky is the limit in Dutch workplace drinking culture.
7. Hierarchy in the Netherlands is just not a thing
It might be a stereotype, but Germans are generally structure-loving people. This is typically reflected in a relatively hierarchical workplace structure.
The Dutch, on the other hand, are (sometimes aggressively) egalitarian at heart, resulting in what the Germans might describe as a frightening lack of structure. The Dutch, meanwhile, will call it freedom.
From liberal dress codes and informal and direct speech to democratic and casual meeting culture — the Dutch love for hierarchy-less workplaces can be found wherever you look.
In the spirit of keeping things horizontal, it’s common practice for Dutch leaders to get feedback from their employees, not just the other way around. Oh, and coworkers typically address each other by their first name — in true direct, Dutch fashion.
READ MORE | Culture shock when moving to the Netherlands: from South Africa to Holland
Germany and the Netherlands might have a number of things in common when it comes to the two countries’ workplace cultures — but also a surprising amount of differences.
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What would you add to this list? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
