Poll reveals rising backlash against American workplace influence as Europeans call for stronger labour protections
One in three employees in Europe will leave their current workplace if it falls to the growing influence of U.S.-style workplace policies, according to a new poll.
The survey, released by Zety, polled 1,000 employees across Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom to determine their sentiments towards workplace trends in the United States.
It found that 86% believe that U.S. corporate culture is influencing European companies more than in previous years, including 37% saying the influence is "significantly stronger."
Another 83% also said they are worried that high-profile leaders under the Trump administration, such as Elon Musk, will have a negative influence on workplace culture in their country.
Leaving U.S. corporate culture
In the wake of the growing influence of U.S. work styles, 34% of employees said they would walk away from their current workplace if it adopted these trends.
A bigger 48% said they would consider leaving their job if their work-life balance were significantly hit by U.S.-style workplace policies.
According to the report, some of their biggest red flags when it comes to U.S. corporate culture are:
- Overemphasis on "hustle culture" and long hours (43%)
- Increased workplace surveillance and productivity tracking (34%)
- Layoffs and job insecurity in tech and corporate sectors (33%)
- AI and automation replacing jobs (30%)
- Return to office and reduction of remote work (20%)
"U.S. corporate habits are often perceived as invasive or unsustainable by European professionals, signalling a misalignment in values around how work should be structured and experienced," Zety said in its report.
Corporate style in Europe
European countries are regarded as some of the best places to work in due to their high priority for work-life balance.
In fact, Remote's Global Life-Work Balance Index 2024 showed that the five countries covered in Zety's report made it to the top 25 countries with the best work-life balance last year:
- Germany (6)
- Spain (10)
- France (13)
- United Kingdom (15)
- Italy (23)
In Europe, there are also laws advocating for measures to improve work-life balance. They are:
- Right to Disconnect (France) – Companies with 50 or more employees have an obligation to negotiate a collective agreement so employees can exercise their right to disconnect, according to insights from Mayer Brown.
- "Bridging Part-time Work" Law (Germany) – Employees who have been with an organisation for six months can ask to reduce their working time (whether full or part-time) for a defined period of between one and five years, before returning to their full-time or previous working arrangement, according to the European Commission.
- Remote Work Law (Spain) – This legislation establishes a comprehensive legal framework for teleworking in Spain, allowing employers and employees to mutually agree on the arrangement, such as inventory of equipment, list of expenses, required working hours, and even the distribution between remote and on-site working. Remote employees also have the right to disconnect and may be monitored by employers "as long as they respect the dignity of employees," according to the European Labour Authority.
- Smart Working Law (Italy) – The legislation instructs that flexible working arrangements should be made in writing, define employees' working conditions, and respect employees' right to disconnect, according to Lockton Re.
Other European countries also have a right to disconnect, such as Portugal, and Greece, as well as the implementation of four-day work weeks, such as Belgium.
Stronger laws pushed
Most of Zety's respondents (95%) have underscored the importance of keeping European labour laws independent from the growing influence of corporate practices in the U.S.
In fact, 68% said they would support stronger labour laws in response to the growing adoption of U.S.-style workplace policies, with 59% saying that protecting labour laws from U.S. influence is a top priority.
"As U.S. corporate influence creeps into European workplaces, employees aren't having it," said Jasmine Escalera, Zety career expert, in a statement. "With more workers demanding stronger protections, European leaders could soon be under real pressure to keep the harsher side of U.S. corporate culture at bay."
