american workers

[ErikSteiner]

I work for Volkswagen AG and 1 years ago we did buy an american company that builds gearboxes. I was member of a team send there to overview the merger process.

What i saw there was, that many american workers are unable to divide work from their private life. Women left their job to bring their children to school. People phoned during their worktime and so on. The productivity was 35% lower than in any other VW plant.

It took alot of effort to teach them, that when they are at work, they have to work. Unfortunately that learningprocess was only possible with enough pressure.

When i, as an 23 years old engineering manager, have to teach your 53 years old workers how to do their work properly, then there is something wrong in your system.

There is also a lack in the ability to learn. We planned a 4 week crashcourse in German for them to make communication easier. In Mexico, Spain and Brazil those 4 weeks were enough but in that case it took almost 6 months. I think americans should learn, that they offer their work force on a global market. You want sell your work force and someone will buy it. But under your current circumstances, it is very hard to find any positive aspects.

 

[Self Improvement]

That's nice. I'm sure this doesn't belong here, though.

 

[ErikSteiner]

I think it belongs here. From my viewpoint your country has dramatic problems in its economy. One of the biggest reasons is the behavior of your workers. Education and so on is the duty of the american government.

 

[Self Improvement]

Different companies run things differently. Do you really think the United States would have such a large economy with such a lazy work force? It really doesn't add up, I don't think you can generalize all American workers off of your experience with one company, do you?

Yes, I believe it is the government's job to provide education but beyond that I do not believe it is the government's job to teach people to not be lazy and have good work ethic. That is a personal problem that their parents should have taught them or some other significant guardian in their life or maybe they just got screwed by circumstance. Either way, the government is in no position to deal with that.

 

[ErikSteiner]

Here in germany we have something called common sense. Why do you think is the german economy far better and more productive than the american one?

USA suffers from massive decay in industrial power. More and more american companies bring their production to other countries. I would assume its your governments duty to stop that.

 

[SharonL]

The unions have taken away our common sense in America - no matter what the worker does - the union will back them and the unions are big contributors to our government and you are seeing the result of bought loyalty.

 

[stelow]

America's economy is having no problems, regardless of what any one thinks, people in America are working harder than ever, there's just fewer jobs being created. Of course this takes uncommon sense, to know this. Canada would be the only economy, that could be considered, to be out perfoming America's.

 

[Gishin]

Hahahahaha!

 

[EdwinWillers]

I work for Volkswagen AG and 1 years ago we did buy an american company that builds gearboxes. I was member of a team send there to overview the merger process.

What i saw there was, that many american workers are unable to divide work from their private life. Women left their job to bring their children to school. People phoned during their worktime and so on. The productivity was 35% lower than in any other VW plant.

It took alot of effort to teach them, that when they are at work, they have to work. Unfortunately that learningprocess was only possible with enough pressure.

When i, as an 23 years old engineering manager, have to teach your 53 years old workers how to do their work properly, then there is something wrong in your system.

There is also a lack in the ability to learn. We planned a 4 week crashcourse in German for them to make communication easier. In Mexico, Spain and Brazil those 4 weeks were enough but in that case it took almost 6 months. I think americans should learn, that they offer their work force on a global market. You want sell your work force and someone will buy it. But under your current circumstances, it is very hard to find any positive aspects.

Much of what you say is true - albeit perhaps with a fairly narrow perspective on one industry, one company, one locale, one group of workers. Common sense would judge that one specific instance of which you talk and limit such judgment to it, not extend it so generally as you've done to every worker, every business, every industry in this nation.

That having been said, welcome to the United States' version of expanding European liberalism, which has over the past 80-90 years slowly inflicted itself into the American culture and American work force. Like a malignant cancer has liberalism so infested itself into our educational system, our economic system, our political system, our workforce, our government that we are but a shell of the hardworking nation of people we once were.

We're now entitled, don't you know, to receive whatever we want, whenever we want it from our government and bosses, benefits, security, jobs without stress, short work weeks, lots of breaks, near unlimited unemployment compensation if we lose our jobs, "free" welfare... and we have a political party here devoted, nay religiously zealous and committed to sucking the life out of our American workforce and its businesses and transferring it to an ever expanding government which is turning our workforce into a slave labor force.

Like Europe, we've so squandered our wealth we're so deeply in debt we will likely never recover - for the will to enslave and be enslaved is vastly stronger in the majority than the will to be free. So that's how our system has degenerated, much like yours once did four or five decades before you were born - we've a plethora of parasites who have fed for so long on the life-blood of this nation that they've become the predominant influence in our nation - not content with having bled us dry, they're seeking with increased vengeance to suck us dry as well. Bloodless, heartless beings themselves they cannot stand the notion of freedom, of liberty, of honesty, of integrity, of industry, of frugality...

No wonder you experienced what you did - slaves under such a vampiric, tyrannical system don't exactly care a whole lot about initiative, a strong work ethic, pride in their work, concern over their product (case in point - ANY government worker in this nation). Very likely the workers you had to re-acquaint with the work process were union workers - LOL - and good luck trying to teach them anything when it comes to working hard, working smart, and caring about what they do, or why.

So, much of what you experienced is probably accurate - though I wouldn't generalize it too far and ply it to all the nation as yet. There are still a vast number in this country who can turn it around, once they've awoken to the truth of what's going on before their very eyes.

 

[ErikSteiner]

America's economy is having no problems, regardless of what any one thinks, people in America are working harder than ever, there's just fewer jobs being created. Of course this takes uncommon sense, to know this. Canada would be the only economy, that could be considered, to be out perfoming America's.

Are you kidding? Germanys unemployment rate is much lower than that of the USA. We almost have complete employment for all. Our economy grows very much and is almost uneffected from any economic crisis.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Much of what you say is true - albeit perhaps with a fairly narrow perspective on one industry, one company, one locale, one group of workers. Common sense would judge that one specific instance of which you talk and limit such judgment to it, not extend it so generally as you've done to every worker, every business, every industry in this nation.

That having been said, welcome to the United States' version of expanding European liberalism, which has over the past 80-90 years slowly inflicted itself into the American culture and American work force. Like a malignant cancer has liberalism so infested itself into our educational system, our economic system, our political system, our workforce, our government that we are but a shell of the hardworking nation of people we once were.

We're now entitled, don't you know, to receive whatever we want, whenever we want it from our government and bosses, benefits, security, jobs without stress, short work weeks, lots of breaks, near unlimited unemployment compensation if we lose our jobs, "free" welfare... and we have a political party here devoted, nay religiously zealous and committed to sucking the life out of our American workforce and its businesses and transferring it to an ever expanding government which is turning our workforce into a slave labor force.

Like Europe, we've so squandered our wealth we're so deeply in debt we will likely never recover - for the will to enslave and be enslaved is vastly stronger in the majority than the will to be free. So that's how our system has degenerated, much like yours once did four or five decades before you were born - we've a plethora of parasites who have fed for so long on the life-blood of this nation that they've become the predominant influence in our nation - not content with having bled us dry, they're seeking with increased vengeance to suck us dry as well. Bloodless, heartless beings themselves they cannot stand the notion of freedom, of liberty, of honesty, of integrity, of industry, of frugality...

And who exactly are these 'bloodless, heartless beings' who seek only to enslave and who despise liberty, honesty, integrity and all else under heaven?

 

[lordbt]

Are you kidding? Germanys unemployment rate is much lower than that of the USA. We almost have complete employment for all. Our economy grows very much and is almost uneffected from any economic crisis.

Germany is an interesting case. It seems to be the one nation keeping the entire bloated, nanny-state Euro zone afloat. I would be interested to know what the Germans do differently from the rest of the continent, if you have any opinions on that, and any links that might give an explanation.

 

[ErikSteiner]

Germany is an interesting case. It seems to be the one nation keeping the entire bloated, nanny-state Euro zone afloat. I would be interested to know what the Germans do differently from the rest of the continent, if you have any opinions on that, and any links that might give an explanation.

Depends what areas you mean. In germany we never had a loan bubble. It is not in our culture to make a loan to book a holiday. Here people safe to get what they desire. Loan politics of the banks are very strict. At the bank they check evrything if you are able to pay the loan back. In case of cars, you have to pay at least 20-30% of the price from own saved money, before you can have the rest as loan. On the other side we gained alot of influence over Europa in the last years. Now our government can dictate almost evrything to the other nations. The european union has become a german union and thats a very positive thing in my opinion.

 

[Fantine]

Coming from Europe, you come from a work environment where employees get at least six weeks' vacation, have paid parental leave, etc.

If an American couple had six weeks' vacation time each, they would be able to structure their time so that they could attend their children's school plays or take them to the pediatrician's without interfering with their work days, too.

America has had great "productivity gains" in the past two decades. "Productivity gains" usually means that co-workers have gotten laid off and everyone else has to work longer and harder to pick up their slack.

My husband and I are near retirement age and have seen how much harder it is for the American worker firsthand, not only because of bare bones staffing but because of the stress of wondering whether you will have a job from day to day or month to month.

Luckily, I am not talking about my own work situation. I am fortunate to have a job I enjoy and a wonderful employer, but I know how rare it is today.

 

[citizenthom]

America's industrial workers have by and large learned on the job, and continue to "learn by doing." That is a stark difference from Europe, where even menial tasks are part of the formal education system. It is not surprising you, a brand new graduate, would find it difficult to communicate with someone with much more job experience but a very different way of learning. That does not make our economic structure inferior.

My father-in-law works for your company as an electrician, BTW. He struggled at first with your "classroom" training. But after about three months on the job he is already being asked (well, told) to lead shifts and take on other managerial duties. Just a thought.

 

[ErikSteiner]

America's industrial workers have by and large learned on the job, and continue to "learn by doing." That is a stark difference from Europe, where even menial tasks are part of the formal education system. It is not surprising you, a brand new graduate, would find it difficult to communicate with someone with much more job experience but a very different way of learning. That does not make our economic structure inferior.

My father-in-law works for your company as an electrician, BTW. He struggled at first with your "classroom" training. But after about three months on the job he is already being asked (well, told) to lead shifts and take on other managerial duties. Just a thought.

You can see on the example of your "father in law" that you get much chances, when you are a good worker and you are able to learn good and fast.

So in many american companies you don´t learn in some kind of "schools"?

 

[disciple2011]

I work for Volkswagen AG and 1 years ago we did buy an american company that builds gearboxes. I was member of a team send there to overview the merger process.

What i saw there was, that many american workers are unable to divide work from their private life. Women left their job to bring their children to school. People phoned during their worktime and so on. The productivity was 35% lower than in any other VW plant.

It took alot of effort to teach them, that when they are at work, they have to work. Unfortunately that learningprocess was only possible with enough pressure.

When i, as an 23 years old engineering manager, have to teach your 53 years old workers how to do their work properly, then there is something wrong in your system.

There is also a lack in the ability to learn. We planned a 4 week crashcourse in German for them to make communication easier. In Mexico, Spain and Brazil those 4 weeks were enough but in that case it took almost 6 months. I think americans should learn, that they offer their work force on a global market. You want sell your work force and someone will buy it. But under your current circumstances, it is very hard to find any positive aspects.

What do you do with your children when they need to go to school?

 

[ErikSteiner]

What do you do with your children when they need to go to school?

The children here go alone to school. I walked alone to school since i was 7 years old. My mother walked the way with me a few times and then i did it alone.

 

[disciple2011]

The children here go alone to school. I walked alone to school since i was 7 years old. My mother walked the way with me a few times and then i did it alone.

What did your parents do when you were 5-6 then?

And didn't your father walk with you?

 

[allhart]

People Learn differently (audio or visual, and some together audio,visual) and our family units are in apparel. There is no shame left in society. In the public arena. Circuses and cake.