Whether you’ve got a plan for moving abroad or are still in the early stages of dreaming about it, you’ll want to understand the ins and outs of working in Europe before relocating.
As an American who has lived and worked in Spain since 2017, I’ve experienced firsthand the contrasts between working in Europe and the US.
These differences impact expats and global professionals in terms of job security, social benefits, work-life balance, and more.
Here at Remitly, we want to make the process of relocating and working in a new country as straightforward as possible.
So let’s take a look at five ways being employed in Europe differs from working in the US and what to know before making your move.
Table of Contents
5 Differences for American Workers in Europe
1. European and American working hours
According to the OECD, the average American workweek was 38.6 hours in 2023, while that of Europeans hovered just over 36 hours.
That said, this average varies by nation, with countries like Norway, Austria, and the Netherlands dipping below 34 work hours per week.
The working schedule can also vary significantly depending on the country and the industry. In Spain, for example, the typical office worker clocks in from nine to six, with a one-hour lunch break.
Shops and local businesses here tend to follow the traditional siesta schedule, opening from around nine to two, closing for lunch, then opening again from around five to eight.
2. Holiday and sick leave
The approach to vacation time is definitely one of the biggest differences in terms of work-life balance between the USA and European countries.
It basically comes down to a different view on regulation: the US generally favors a less regulated approach, leaving employee benefits at the discretion of employers.
This means that there is no federally mandated paid vacation in the United States, so it can be very different from one company to the next.
On average, employees get 11-18 days of paid leave per year, depending on seniority — but there are many people who don’t get any.
On the other hand, European governments mandate paid time off, starting at a minimum of 20 days in countries like Germany and the United Kingdom and going up to 28 days for Estonians.
Many countries in Western Europe hover between 20 and 25 vacation days, with Spain and Portugal at 22 days; Finland and Greece (for employees who have worked over 10 years) at 24 days; and Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, and Austria at 25 days.
Personally, I’ve also noticed that there’s also a big cultural difference around time off. It’s common (and sometimes expected) for American workers to log on or check their email at some point during their vacations.
But it’s widely accepted for their European counterparts to completely unplug during their holidays, whether they’re off for a few days or almost a month.
Similarly, there are no federal sick leave requirements in the US, whereas most European workers are entitled to a good portion of their pay when they’re sick and can’t work.
Germans, for example, continue to receive their normal salary if they’re sick for fewer than six weeks. Italians can receive statutory sick pay for up to 180 days per year.
3. Working in Europe vs. America: benefits
In the United States, work benefits are mostly at the discretion of individual companies, unlike in Europe where they are more legislated.
American employers with 50 or more full-time employees are required to provide health insurance to their workers, but smaller companies have no federal obligations. Additionally, there is no federally mandated paid parental leave.
On the other side of the Atlantic, social benefits and protections for employees are more clearly defined.
Here in Spain, for example, both parents get 16 weeks of paid leave when they have a child.
In Denmark, each parent is entitled to 24 weeks of paid leave after the child is born, and the mother can request a month of paid leave before giving birth.
In terms of general healthcare benefits, American companies are in charge of providing access to healthcare for their employees. In contrast, in EU countries the governments typically take on this role.
EU employers must pay employees’ social security, and all countries in the European Union offer some form of universal health coverage.
However, it’s interesting to note that employees in the United States earn more on average than their counterparts in European countries.
That higher pay may be more attractive for some people, while others may prefer the security of more generous benefits and protections.
If you’re considering a move to Europe, remember to compare not only the salary but the differences in employee benefits.
4. Job security and employment laws in Europe vs. US
The average American is familiar with “at-will” employment, which allows employers to terminate an employee’s contract for any reason at any time.
This is the default employment mode in 49 out of 50 states in America, leaving employees vulnerable to unexpected dismissals.
European countries generally have stronger protections for employees. Here in Spain, for example, employers have to give notice from 15 days to up to two months for dismissals that aren’t justified by serious discipline issues or economic or organizational issues.
Other European countries have even stronger protections. In Austria, for example, employers must give a minimum of six weeks and up to three months (for employees that have been with them for over five years in the latter case).
When it comes to severance pay, US employers are not required by law to pay anything to employees whose contracts they terminate. In contrast, many European countries have legal regulations for this.
French employers, for example, have to award severance pay when terminating an indefinite contract for reasons other than serious misconduct issues.
In Italy, employee protections are even stronger; the law requires severance pay (Trattamento di Fine Rapporto, or TFR) for all contract terminations, regardless of the cause.
5. Work culture and European work-life balance
Work culture obviously varies by organization, and your experience at a large corporation will look a lot different than that of someone who joins a scrappy startup — no matter where in the world you’re located. That said, there are some general differences in work culture between the US and EU that are worth noting.
As mentioned before, legal protections for paid leave are stronger in Europe, but so is cultural acceptance around taking leave. In many countries, it’s widely accepted for employees to take two or three weeks off at a time, especially in August (which is when the majority of the country goes on vacation).
In my experience here in Spain, people place a higher value on their work-life balance. Spanish employees truly disconnect during their hour-long lunch break (and you’ll never see them eating at their desks like some American office workers). And it’s common for workers to go out and tomar un café with colleagues mid-morning, even when there are projects to complete and deadlines to meet.
So while Europeans work hard, clock their hours, and meet deadlines, they also take time to focus on their well-being — and doing so is generally accepted and encouraged in European work culture in a way I haven’t seen in the US.
Studies on work-life balance around the world support this: European countries fill the highest rankings, while the US comes in near the bottom of the list.
Feel confident about relocating to Europe
Whether you’re relocating from Boston to Berlin or New York City to Naples, trying to understand the ins and outs of work culture in a foreign country and new city is stressful.
There are significant differences between the US and Europe in terms of work benefits, culture, and work-life balance, and you need to know what to expect before making a move.
Here at Remitly, we want to make this time less stressful and more exciting, and we hope this guide has helped you understand the differences between working in a European country vs. the US.
Feel free to check out our other resources on moving abroad, like our guide to moving abroad and our list of the most popular countries for moving abroad.