‘Employees aren’t having it’: European workers are pushing back on the US-style ‘always on’ work culture – many are worried about the rise of ‘hustle culture’ and a third would quit if forced back to the office
European workers are looking warily across the Atlantic, worried that US corporate culture could start creeping in across the region.
More than eight-in-ten employees across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain told careers site Zety that high-pressure US work environments, highlighted by figures such as Elon Musk, could start influencing their own workplace.
A third said they’d start looking for a new job immediately if their company adopted US-style policies such as return to office (RTO) mandates or weekly accountability reports.
More than four-in-ten said they were worried about an overemphasis on ‘hustle culture’ and long hours, and a third about increased workplace surveillance and productivity tracking.
The study found European workers are determined not to let these trends creep in, with virtually all saying it’s important to keep European labor laws independent from US corporate influence.
Nearly three-quarters called for worker protections to be strengthened in response to the increasing adoption of US-style workplace policies.
There are some aspects of US workplace culture that appeal to Europeans, according to Zety. Four-in-ten said they liked the idea of higher salaries and performance-based pay.
Similarly, around a quarter said they were interested in job opportunities within innovative industries or that they valued the American entrepreneurial mindset and career mobility. Yet despite this, only 22% found the US focus on individual achievement appealing.
“As US corporate influence creeps into European workplaces, employees aren’t having it,” said Jasmine Escalera, Zety career expert.
“They’re pushing back against policies that put work-life balance, job security, and mental health at risk. With more workers demanding stronger protections, European leaders could soon be under real pressure to keep the harsher side of US corporate culture at bay.”
Cultures differ on both sides of the Atlantic
A survey late last year from Adobe found comparatively small differences in workplace practices between the US and UK.
Gen Z employees in the UK were more likely than Gen Z US employees (55 percent) to take social media breaks during their day – 62% compared with 55%.
Notably, US staff were working longer, averaging 41 hours compared with the UK’s 38, and more than four-in-ten always ate lunch at their desk compared with 31% in the UK.
US workers started substantially earlier in the morning too and were much more likely to check emails while on vacation.
Fears of US influence may not be overblown. President Trump has attempted to interfere with overseas workplace culture, most notably in the case of diversity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, for example.
The president called for Stockholm’s city and embassy contractors to reject DEI policies, with similar demands sent to organizations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain.
However, according to a poll by the UK’s Institute of Directors (IoD), more than seven-in-ten bosses said they’re not planning any changes to their current approach to diversity, with 4% planning to scale up DEI activities.
“This research suggests that, whilst developments in ED&I in the US may have some spillover effect in the UK, the vast majority of UK workplaces will see no change,” said IOD principal policy advisor for employment Alex Hall-Chen.
“Particularly for employers with no US presence, the prevailing view among British businesses is that decisions made by the US government and US companies will have little to no bearing on investment in their own ED&I programmes.”
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