European Expansion: Eye-Opening, Frustrating, and Possibly Not Worth It - Underperforming employee culture

[Anonymous]

Working with our Europe branch has been quite an intense endeavor. As part of a large tech company expanding aggressively across the region, I’ve been leading hiring efforts for multiple new office locations — and I’ve hit a wall of cultural and structural friction.

Simply put: they don’t want to work long hours. They don’t want to commit. And they have a lot of demands — mandatory holidays, strict work-hour rules, protected leave policies, the list goes on.

Yes, salaries may be half the cost of U.S.-based employees, but in many cases, it feels like you’re getting half the output. And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

Here are some of the realities we’ve faced:

One employee took a full year of maternity leave, then extended it into a second year for a new baby — with no firm return date.
A male employee took one year of paternity leave, returned just in time for “mandatory” summer PTO — a month off, like clockwork.
In Spain, we’re required to offer additional vacation banks separate from standard PTO, and summer laws restrict work to no more than 5 hours a day.
New hires often start with 20+ hours of vacation built in. Day one.

The structure seems designed to protect mediocrity — not reward performance.

Ironically, our best hires in Europe have been Americans who’ve relocated, or folks from post-Soviet countries who still bring hunger, accountability, and a willingness to go above and beyond.

I get that Europe values work-life balance. But when that balance tilts so far toward comfort that productivity suffers, it raises a real question: Is it worth it?

If you’re trying to run a business, grow fast, or compete globally, these restrictions are more than just frustrating — they’re counterproductive.

No wonder the U.S. keeps leading. Say what you will about hustle culture — it gets things done.

[Anonymous]

Work isn’t the most important thing in life. If you don’t know that now, you’ll likely realize it on your deathbed.

[Anonymous]

I see why you are frustrated.
In US, I have had two jobs that cost me more to go to work than to stay home.
I have had jobs where I trained for free for days. I had jobs without getting paid for all hours I worked. I had a job where I had to sleep on hard bench if nobody came to lock up.
I have had jobs where I had to share the money. I've had jobs with no benefits, no breaks in 12-hours, no minimum met, no vacations, and nobody gave a hoot about labor laws. All this in DC.
I've never had a job that offered benefits or even retirement.
I've had jobs where paychecks bounced weekly, coming with $35 fee. At some jobs where I had to pay if customer walked out without paying.
All this wage theft can be seen in my SS statement and will follow me forever.
The crazy part is that somehow somebody convinced me that's how we work in US. Add to that my old school work ethic, strong mental and physical health and this was the result.
Long story short, I made ca average $22k a year for 29 years in DC working my tail off.
What about you all leave Europe. If you are so great, they don't deserve you. And if US was so great, you wouldn't be in such debt, just Europe.
I left my employers behind and started to work for myself the minute I got my papers. I retired soon after.
I don't need my ex employers who still contact me, and you don't need Europe. Let them be. They want to chill.

[Anonymous]

Yup. And they live longer, generally healthier and have happy lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Work isn’t the most important thing in life. If you don’t know that now, you’ll likely realize it on your deathbed.

+1.

European work culture has it right.

[Anonymous]

Yes this is obvious if you’re worked with Europeans.

Liberal websites laud their social benefits and ample leave, but rarely talk about how salaries are is incredibly low or the lack of job opportunities.

It’s painfully obvious it’s only a good place to work if you want to achieve the bare minimum.

It’s difficult to achieve much if you don’t go to work.

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, why is your company expanding in Europe? There must be reasons right?

I’ve noticed a lot of European companies buying up American companies. They treat us like we’ve treated the Chinese — a profit center where they can work the crap out of people with fewer regulatory restrictions. (Plus they don’t want the old school standard American things like pension because in europe that’s all done by the government). It’s shocking how many long standing businesses are now owned by European parents. I think there’s some benefit to being able to trade in Europe to having a European parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Work isn’t the most important thing in life. If you don’t know that now, you’ll likely realize it on your deathbed.

+1.

European work culture has it right.

Not if you want to actually earn money.

[Anonymous]

We’ve had the same issue. One of my most frustrating was a new employee who worked a week and then qualified for a mental health break of 6 months paid and then extended it. We’ve basically been paying for this guy for close to a year, and he’s worked one week. There’s no way to fight it, even though his social media shows him traveling around, at lots of parties, etc. It’s infuriating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Work isn’t the most important thing in life. If you don’t know that now, you’ll likely realize it on your deathbed.

+1.

European work culture has it right.

For the employee low performer cog wheels , it sounds like communism no one gets ahead everyone under performs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes this is obvious if you’re worked with Europeans.

Liberal websites laud their social benefits and ample leave, but rarely talk about how salaries are is incredibly low or the lack of job opportunities.

It’s painfully obvious it’s only a good place to work if you want to achieve the bare minimum.

It’s difficult to achieve much if you don’t go to work.

I don’t know whether their system is better but salaries could be much lower if govt provides health insurance, pension, subsidized public transportation, and food /hosuing is generally cheaper.

[Anonymous]

How many millions does your ceo get paid? I bet he can afford to give some up for maternity leave. I’m not at all proud that our ‘hustle’ culture means moms in the US return to work still bleeding from delivery and infant babies are warehoused in childcare centers. Get some perspective. Leading in what? First in making billionaires? That just makes us suckers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Working with our Europe branch has been quite an intense endeavor. As part of a large tech company expanding aggressively across the region, I’ve been leading hiring efforts for multiple new office locations — and I’ve hit a wall of cultural and structural friction.

Simply put: they don’t want to work long hours. They don’t want to commit. And they have a lot of demands — mandatory holidays, strict work-hour rules, protected leave policies, the list goes on.

Yes, salaries may be half the cost of U.S.-based employees, but in many cases, it feels like you’re getting half the output. And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

Here are some of the realities we’ve faced:

One employee took a full year of maternity leave, then extended it into a second year for a new baby — with no firm return date.
A male employee took one year of paternity leave, returned just in time for “mandatory” summer PTO — a month off, like clockwork.
In Spain, we’re required to offer additional vacation banks separate from standard PTO, and summer laws restrict work to no more than 5 hours a day.
New hires often start with 20+ hours of vacation built in. Day one.

The structure seems designed to protect mediocrity — not reward performance.

Ironically, our best hires in Europe have been Americans who’ve relocated, or folks from post-Soviet countries who still bring hunger, accountability, and a willingness to go above and beyond.

I get that Europe values work-life balance. But when that balance tilts so far toward comfort that productivity suffers, it raises a real question: Is it worth it?

If you’re trying to run a business, grow fast, or compete globally, these restrictions are more than just frustrating — they’re counterproductive.

No wonder the U.S. keeps leading. Say what you will about hustle culture — it gets things done.

Which country restricts summer work to 5 hours a day? I’m not sure I believe that one.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry- Gen Z will fix this for us. They too would like lower wages and higher benefits. I'm shocked at the salaries that British friends make- like 39k. I'm not sure how they afford anything. I too have great health insurance, but I make 4-5x that.

I still can't get over how all of Europe takes August off. Why August? It's the most miserable month of the year IMO. I don't want to travel when it's hot as hell outside. A month in April or October? That sounds way better.

[Anonymous]

Found the same thing working in India.