Are all Germans like this:

[kiwi_2005]

A young German fellow living in our town is a programmer so the boss has asked him to create a SQL program to make our work easier - (we're using a 1992 unix SQL database) He got the program up to Alpha stage then ask the boss would he be willing to give his friend in Germany a job, he wants to come here on a holiday/work visa but can't cause he quit university and is having trouble. He will carry on with the programming under his instructions. While he carries on with his bussiness here.

WE signed him up for 3 months then spend the rest touring round NZ & hopefully he can get into university here cause its much easier for Germans to go to uni here than in Germany ive found out. Into his 3rd week in the job and i've notice he doesn't stop for any breaks. Apart from a quick smoke and coffee he'll work right through starts later than us 9am but finishes at 8pm no lunch break will only accept a coffee if we ask him yet hes allowed to make a coffee anytime he wishes.

Boss told him to take an hour of for lunch each day and 10min break in the morning another 10min break in the afternoon otherwise if you don't you do realize you wont get paid for working through your breaks? He don't mind he would rather work than take an hour off he said all i need is a coffee and i can work and drink my coffee. Ok your choice. Here we are knocking off for an hr come back and hes hard at work, so i told him yell out if you need a hand and i'll make the coffees when ever you need one.

He will stop maybe twice in the day for 5min to go have a cigarette.

In Germany they get paid once a month?, Here we get paid weekly once a month is just too long! How do you Germans do it, or maybe its just us kiwis that are too laid back.

Well at least he loves his coffees

Anyways not poking fun just had to mention it. This guy is a good worker we need more Germans!

[kiwi_2005]

Waiting for the right moment to ask him about uboats. I can't help it. :rotfl:

[mcf1]

I asume most of the Germans are like that.
I also do that, I hate taking breaks while in middle of a work, I stop for a few seconds, light a cigarette and then continue, that's my German half (my mother is German and my father Greek).
I also noticed that my girlfriend is also like that. (she is also half German)
and at my job I have to work sometimes up to 12 hours a day 7 days a week but
I don't complain, I'm simply workaholic
And now I've got 6 weeks off work to recover from an accident, I'm so bored that I've started counting the days untill I can go back to work (26 days left)

[Skybird]

That must be a quality droid made in Germany.

I disagree on this being "typical German", although German craftsman in Spaion have a reputation to be crazy enough to continue working in the heat at noon - when every sane person and locals would do siesta indeed until the peak of heat is over. I assume chances are that the person you describe simply is like that by his individual character's attributes. Maybe he likes it. As psychologist I even worked for free, and a lot, becasue I liked it (and could afford it). On the other hand those payed jobs during university time that I just did for money, and had no further interest in, I used to do according to regulations only, and not much more, if they were boring, or the conditions were bad.

Maybe he also is driven by the fears many people in Germany have fallen victim due over the past years, becasue we have had and still have a lot of changes in the social standards and policies over here, turning anything less than maximum performance and becoming ill into an existence-threatening affair. the social paradise foreigners suspect Germany still to be, is in open desintegration, and a lot of freedoms and luxuries already have been destroyed. "Existenzangst" is topping all polls over regharding what is on people's minds. Poverty and social falldown is spreading drastically. With the pension system desintegrating and the health insurance system alraedy having collapsed (people just don't want to realise it and politicians try to hide it), the future perspective for german society definitely in no way looks as rosy as it was predicted back in the 80s. In 20 years, when today's ypoung will find out that they cannot feed their families anymore , we will have social clashes and riots on the streets again - take me by my word.

[Schroeder]

I usually take my lunchbrakes. I hate it to work with an empty stomach but beside of that I worked the same way as the guy you mentioned (lets see whether I will do it again when I sart my next internship in September).

Besides, we also have quite lazy guys here.

[UnderseaLcpl]

According to my newest favorite source of world reference material;

"The average German is composed of 12 right angles and 6 45 degree angles. They are known for their rigid appearance, which they obtain by ironing their shirts, pants, hats, and skin to achieve the sharpest possible creases.

Germans are also extremely punctual and efficient, often arriving at appointments several months in advance. The people of Germany have never been late for anything, except on occasions where it is customary to be 'fashionably late', in which case they arrive precisely 17 minutes and 34 seconds after the scheduled start time."

[d@rk51d3]

I usually start about 30-45 mins early, finish late, no morning or arvo breaks and few lunchbreaks. Don't know if my German heritage is connected...:hmm:

..... It's just that there's too much to do, and you can't trust anybody else to do it properly. Otherwise you just gotta do it all again.

[Tchocky]

Always ensure your German comes with a full service history.

[Wolfehunter]

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

I usually start about 30-45 mins early, finish late, no morning or arvo breaks and few lunchbreaks.
..... It's just that there's too much to do, and you can't trust anybody else to do it properly. Otherwise you just gotta do it all again.

Exactly!

[AntEater]

The pay is once per month, that is standard here.

Be glad you didn't hire me:
I'm as lazy as they come, but on the other hand, I'm no programmer either.
I don't smoke yet I always take smoking breaks
:rotfl:

[Letum]

Karoshi, here we come!

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

I usually start about 30-45 mins early, finish late, no morning or arvo breaks and few lunchbreaks. Don't know if my German heritage is connected...:hmm:

..... It's just that there's too much to do, and you can't trust anybody else to do it properly. Otherwise you just gotta do it all again.

Same here. I'm half German and I prefer to work in concentrated batches. I would rather work straight through the day and leave on time than lolly-gag around and visit other workers, and stay 10-12 hours like some people do.

[jeremy8529]

No german here, just scotch irish, with a red beard and mustache to prove it, wonder what that will buy me, scotch breaks?

[August]

I'm half German and from time to time I have this strong desire to invade Poland and then claim it's their fault for making me do it.

[Lurchi]

Originally Posted by August

I'm half German and from time to time I have this strong desire to invade Poland and then claim it's their fault for making me do it.

... but then your american side told you that this doesn't make sense as they have no oil - that's why you prefer Iraq, yes?