Work ethics in Poland vs US

Poles that come to America are shocked that they have to work. They imagined money with little work, but the reality is different.
Those that were used to the Polish way of working find it hard to adjust to actually work 10-12 hours a day without a cigarette break every 5 minutes.

i thought that i don't have to work at all... that $$$ just grow on trees...
;)

but seriously, Poles do work 10-12 hours a day (not all of them, same like Americans), but Poles should have less holidays and long weekends, it's just ridiculous...

My husband came with $300.00. Worked extremely hard. Now owns his own business and real estate. Polish people for someone reason think that money drops down from the sky in US. Perceptions are stereotyped as well. His brother thinks we should support him in Poland? Need to keep working towards our goals. Life in America is hard work. If we were set for life, I believe in helping family and do. His aunt from Montreal was visiting him and she paid his telephone bill? He's 41. His parents gave him a home, they both work, yet he thinks the world owes him something. He could have stayed in Canada and work hard; he chose not to (too much work.) Good topic.

Again with the generalisations. I could name you loads of Scottish People in Glasgow who work their bottoms off more than Polish people in Glasgow and vice versa. When I was in Poland I was working 80 hour weeks (minimum) with no breaks and no food, there were plenty of Polish people doing the same as me, and plenty that would just coast by and do nothing.

True, no generalizations. Pure speculation and experience. You either have ambition or you don't. It is frustrating when people are lazy and want the easy way out. I don't understand one thing: why people assume your rich. Just like in Poland, money doesn't grow on trees. My experience with Polish people is that they do have a very strong work ethic and appreciate life more.

I found that working with a lot of Polish people here that they do have a decent work ethic. But I have met some that don't. My own work ethic improved when I was over there, because I was earning so little it meant that I had to work twice as long and hard to scrape a living.

They have to work 10-12 hours because most of them have ******, dead end jobs!! I made a post regarding this in another thread once but i'll repeat myself anyway.

Many (not all i know) come to the usa with no education/skills and they expect to get a decent job! There are plenty of 9-5 jobs in the US, there is no reason to have to work 10-12 miserable hours/day at a meat packaging plant, for instance.

Sometimes you have to invest (education/skills) in order to get something in return. They think the "amerykanie" will give them high paying, prestigious jobs "w biurze przy komputerze" and they will live happily ever after. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, EDUCATION! I understand that college is free in Poland or you have to go into the service? I don't think college should be a choice. It should be a continuation of the rest of your schoolin. That experience is priceless. The problem is transferring that knowledge and degree to another country. You can do it, never become a creature of habit. I can't even imagine working in a factory day in day out making money for someone else. You can only rely upon yourself to get ahead.

Just because you had a good experience at University level doesn't mean everyone should be forced to go. I went because I was pushed by my school and family to go because I was bright. I hated every second of it, ended up walking out 2 years into it. It wasn't the course (I still find physics and mathematics very interesting). I just found that University was not suited to me and vice versa.

Yes, you can say that bar work is pretty dead end stuff. However I was managing a very successful cocktail bar both in the UK and New Zealand, and working in Poland. I have skills that I can transfer to any country in the world now (not just bar, but kitchens as well). Plus, as most of my friends (who finished university) will tell you, it's not like I am a retard because I don't have a degree. Plus I am in the middle of changing from bar work to something more fruitful and with much better pay, all without a bit of paper saying I am dead clever.

Very good point about college. It only teaches you how to think and is only a piece of paper. Most bright people are bored. No one should be forced to go to college; just because. Good that you didn't fall prey to others and did your own thing!

My friend just finished her PhD, is in a pile of debt and is now working full time as a waitress on minimum wage and she can't find a job using her degree for love nor money.

Not saying that is always the case, just a one off example where someone has spent 5 years working away at Uni and me, after leaving 2 years into a degree is in a much more stable position.

But everyone is different, I'm sure loads of people leave uni and get great jobs and pay off their student loans and overdrafts in no time. But I am glad I never did it. I can't imagine sitting in a lab these days...would probably be up a tower with a hunting rifle by now!

That's a visual-funny. I'm the same way I need to do my own thing.

That wasn't what I saw when I lived in the US.
In NYC Poles never had problems with being hired since they had a reputation of hard workers. Often working 7 days a week 10 to 12 hours. Americans avoided American laborers who had a reputation of being slackers.

In late 1980's I read an article in some NYC paper (don't remember which). According to the stats published in the article Poles in the US were second group in the category of average income (after Japanese). The reason given - Poles obviously want better paid jobs, but if one is not available they don't just wait for it. They way for it while working below their skills and wage expectations to avoid draining their savings.

I probably wouldn't last a week working there. I know I'll be enjoying my paid 4 day Memorial Day weekend, in the United States.

I still am doing 50-60 hour weeks here. I have done it for so long that it doesn't bother me so much. Starting to get too much now though...getting too old for it! Methinks a lighter load will suit me for the next wee while. But keep on bar stuff part time for a laugh!

The documentary film "Zielona Karta" portrays lives of Poles who won the green card and their lives in America. And they all want the same: To better themselves, make money, live in America. They visit Poland, but very few want to go back and they all come to the conclusion that in America you have to work.

Some Poles think that America will find them jobs and housing when they arrive, that everybody is rich, has luxurious cars - like in the movies, but it's totally different than they imagined.

And why do they have to convert everything into the metric system?
I guess I do the same when in Europe, gotta convert all those kilometers and centimeters and celciuses into normal measures. :)

no difference for me betwen Poland and USA..i am a worker type. the only thing i can't really stand is that i have to work on sundays.

That's why they should stay HOME. Europeans belong in Europe. The US is not a nanny state and most Poles are arrogant, something Americans hate.

Americans hate competition? ;)


True. America ain't what it used to be. I was honestly shocked with the pile of garbage that large parts of the US are.


Perhaps because that's the international standard, and because the US has adopted the metric system in 1866. It is used in US internal and international exchange in science and commerce.

Americans us the metric system daily:

$1 = 100 cents.
Don't you ever buy 2 liter bottles of coke?

btw.

It shall be lawful throughout the United States of America to employ the weights and measures of the metric system; and no contract or dealing, or pleading in any court, shall be deemed invalid or liable to objection because the weights or measures expressed or referred to therein are weights or measures of the metric system. (US Congress, 1866)

Two reasons. They get their information from 2 sources:

1 - Television. You see Hollywood, the major world news has a focus on the U.S., etc.
2 - Friends and relatives who left Poland but return to visit. They ALWAYS brag about how rich they are. My cousin works for pennies, but last summer in Poland he was talking about how he makes six figures to everyone. Pull out a few hundreds (probably all he had) and they believe you. After all, is s/he a liar?

You never say that you are struggling to those back home. The wolves will eat you alive and reaffirm their thoughts about how big of a failure you really were. They knew you'd never make it.


No, the U.S. has the system backwards. Metric is far more accurate and precise.

American Indians would agree with you

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You call that competition? Most of them can't keep pace. Most stereotypes start for reason; "dumb polack" is no exception. You would know wouldn't you .. dumb polack. So proud aren't we that we live in Canada now? I've read you on here quite bit with your anti american rants. You are a tired little smug fu(ck. I'd like to bash your brain in but being a Pole you'd just run away : D


Cute but the European sent the American to America. The European killed far more Indians than any American ever did. Ever heard of King Phillips War?

you may like to rethink that...

No, I don't think I do want to rethink it, polack. You see I've actually studied history. Ever heard of small pox? Do you know what the Spanish did to the Inca and Aztec? Who brought slavery to the Americas... That's right the fu.cking European. Now they want to sit around a criticize the US for it. Maybe you should rethink it.. maybe you rethink living here and cart your little ass home where it belongs too.

these Europeans built America... Europeans came to the new land and created America... these Europeans killed the native Indians to gain their territory and established the new country... they call themselves Amercians now... the true Americans are the native Indians...


no... i stay in the us and keep poking Americans...

So now it's a good thing because the "European" did it?? LOL.. Well now you live here and reap the rewards from all the murder, don't you? Can't have it both ways. You should leave to relieve your conscience.


Awww, why would you want to stay, we're on the decline. Don't you know that, you're such a genius European I'm surprised you don't. Don't all your Polack friends rejoice at it.. It's wicked funny isn't it? I've heard Poles actually target Americans in Warsaw and Krakow, why shouldn't we do the same to you? Besides we're done.. toast. Why not go to China or Germany, you know you're an opportunist just like all polacks. Why don't you go there and talk sh/t to them like you do to us? I'd love to steer immigration to this site and have them get your IP address... "bye , bye Polack".

typical American response...

C'mon tell me so more about how fat and stupid we all are, ass hole.

i don't have to... you just look in the mirror and read what you write...

No, the Europeans think it's backwards because they don't understand it.
60 miles per hour makes more sense,(since an hour has 60 minutes, so you know you travel 1 mile/min.) than 100 km/hr.
Minutes, seconds, hours, months are not metric.