Food Travel and Culture in Spain - Piccavey Blog

Sam said:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 @ 10:39 AM

Good Blog Molly and some valid points, I have a similar past to you, being and working in Spain for the past ten years.... I must admit your line below is a cracker.....

"This is as the temperatures rise it makes it more difficult to be productive"

jajajaja they don't need heat to be less productive....

I work as an FD in a Spanish/American company and I will testify that the work ethic of Americans compared to the Spanish is a vast abyss, bluntly they are only interested as to when they can get their next holiday or an excuse to play the culture card and take days off in the middle of the week for some religious festival that they know nothing about, let alone visit a church. In the past 3 years due to the "HEAT" our company has outsourced 30% of its workforce from Spain due to their lack of work ethic, Spain will continue to sink. My advice is do not chose Spain as a location to come and work.. learn Russian.

Patricia (Campana) said:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 @ 12:58 PM

Nice to read you Molly. I've lived and worked in Spain for a very long time, almost four decades. During that time I have worked with, and for, Spanish people. I found people hard-working, and prepared to put in time at their jobs. (I am sure there are exceptions the same as everywhere else). Of course, if people are in a job they dislike with less than congenial upper management they will not be as productive as one might wish. Besides, Spain is not America (thankfully!).

Certainly in the Summer months the working hours were from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but otherwise the usual hours applied. What we call bank holidays (and there sure are plenty of those in the U.K.!!) were observed. I see Spanish people who run family businesses in Spain putting in very long hours, and often working Sundays too.

I find extreme heat enervating, no matter where I am.

Molly said:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 @ 1:01 PM

Thanks for your comments
I live and work in Andalusia, many people I know work very long hours and some even have 2 jobs.

I am surprises sometimes by the reputation that the area has when many people are so hard working.
My experience shows me that there are many different situations across Spain in the workplace

Patricia (Campana) said:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 @ 5:39 PM

Don't be too surprised, Molly. Some people like the "soundbite", and just trot out the stereotype...
Of course there are mainly hard-working people in Andalucía and the rest of the country. And, of course, you get the less than industrious, like every other country.
And yes, there are many who are holding down two jobs, including some who are friends of mine. They have to in order to pay the bills!

Sam said:
Friday, July 19, 2013 @ 3:47 PM

@Patricia, Its a stereotype, because its a widely held opinion as is the Union Jack, football shirt wearing Benidorm types (thankfully Spain is not the UK)

There is no smoke without fire.