‘Lunch Break is Sacred’: Indian Techie Reveals 5 German Workplace Habits That Left Him Surprised

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:55pm on 08 Jun 2026,Monday India Global

A Germany-based engineer, Sushant, sparked an online discussion after sharing five aspects of German workplace culture that surprised him. He noted that employees address everyone, including CEOs, by their first names instead of using titles like “sir” or “madam.” Meetings typically end once the agenda is completed, while lunch breaks are treated as protected personal time. Vacations are respected, with employees considered fully unavailable and not expected to respond to work messages. Sick leave is also taken seriously, without guilt or repeated questioning. Reflecting on his adjustment, Sushant said he still occasionally says “sir” out of habit. The post triggered wider comparisons between Indian and European workplace norms. (PC: HT)

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