Originally published on Brigitte.de — https://web.archive.org/web/20051122190634/http://blog.brigitte.de/holland/
As is well known, the Dutch have their faces turned toward Great Britain and their backs turned on Germany. Every now and then, that suddenly changes: news channel correspondents are suddenly back in front of the Reichstag, and radio reports tell of the hardships faced by Germans. It’s election season—just one week to go—and people here have taken notice of that as well.
This morning on my bike, I enjoyed the travel report by Wouter Meijer, a reporter for our news station Radio 1. He’s spending an entire week traveling along Federal Highway 1 (B1), from Aachen to Berlin. If all goes well, he’s supposed to arrive there on September 18, and along the way, he’s capturing the (election-related) concerns of the German people. This morning, for example, he spoke with miners—the “Kumpels”—who are afraid of subsidy cuts. Down underground, everything is already automated anyway, and the miners from Hamm can’t really imagine ever doing anything else.
Last week, it was the turn of the cross-border commuters. Jochen Hedeus, 24 years old and from Aachen, works as a painter and varnisher in the Netherlands. He can’t find work back home. Not because there aren’t any jobs, but because no one wants to hire him. Non-wage labor costs are too high; companies are afraid to sign contracts they can’t get out of. So they aren’t hiring anyone at all. Jochen Hedeus would rather work through a temp agency than not work at all, but he says that many Germans have a problem with that. They often only accept work if they’re offered a permanent contract. He also finds the Dutch much more personable than the Germans.
The Germans’ lack of flexibility never ceases to surprise the Dutch media. The necessary changes were already initiated here (similar to Scandinavia) 20 years ago, and temporary staffing agencies are a Dutch invention (interesting for people who’ve always wondered about the “Randstad” or ‘Adecco’—you see them on every street corner here).
As a student in my second year, I found out that, as an EU citizen, I would only receive government student financial aid if I also contributed to the Dutch economy. So I went to work—32 hours a month. At first, through a temp agency. I was spared the really stupid jobs—I never had to work in a call center, pot plants, or bind books. Instead, I spent three weeks entering data into a computer for a few hours every day. After that, I found a job as a translator and even got an 8-hour-per-week contract. That saved my bank account.
And my attitude toward flexibility has changed ever since. In this country, it’s completely normal for a 13-year-old to deliver newspapers at 7 a.m. come rain or shine, for a 16-year-old to work part-time in a store on Thursday evenings and Saturdays (and do so regularly every week!), or to work behind the register at a supermarket. College students work as bartenders, make sandwiches at a bakery, or continue their supermarket job in their parents’ town for another year or two. They also work during the holidays. A teenager without a part-time job is a rarity and is quickly accused of laziness or having money to burn.
It’s much the same after college. Even if you can’t find a job in your field right away, you keep working as a waiter or waitress for a while. Or you take a temp job at a call center through an agency. The main thing is that you’re earning some money and have enough time on the side to apply for jobs.
It’s the most normal thing in the world.
When I call my grandma in Germany and excitedly tell her about my achievement—a one-year contract as an editor—she replies, “But dear, that’s such a short time… what will you do next year? Don’t you need a permanent contract?”” I find her concern for me flattering, but unnecessary. Flexibility has become the norm here—not just among employees, but among employers as well. I’m sure I’ll find my next job, and maybe I can do a few “menial” jobs in between contracts.
It’s German employers, above all, who lack this flexibility. The big question: Can politicians bring about change after next Sunday’s election? Or is it really just a matter of mindset?
My vote for the 18th is already in the mailbox, and my one-year contract will be renewed for the third time on Thursday. Don’t worry, Grandma!
Ulrike Nagel: Monday, September 12, 2005, 4:42 p.m. | Permalink
Comments
My one-year contract will be renewed for the third time on Thursday. (But it can’t be renewed a fourth time—that’s prohibited by law.)
Commented by: Wilhelm | Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 12:18 p.m.
That’s right, Wilhelm. There’s the “Flexwet,” which stipulates that an employer may only renew a contract three times and must then offer a permanent contract. Most of the time, though, you get fired—at least in broadcasting. But if I’m lucky, I’ll get a new contract with a different role, and then I can make it through the next three years as well. That is, if I don’t want to gain experience elsewhere first—and that’s a very real possibility.
Commented by: Ulrike | Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 12:27 p.m.
Don’t you have any objections to the fact that with temp work, you get half the salary for a full-time job (since the temp agency pockets the other half)?
Commented by: Sabine | Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 1:58 p.m.
No; better a smaller salary than no salary at all. The Dutch don’t have a problem with that. At least as students. When it comes to a full-time job and you’re older, it does tend to become more of an issue. Then even the Dutch want a job with a contract. But it’s always good as a stopgap. (Plus, you gain experience, which is usually well-received by employers here in the Netherlands)
Commented by: Ulrike | Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 2:17 p.m.
Hi… Very interesting and thought-provoking. Well, then I think our mindset in Germany has really become a bit old-fashioned. It’s tough for career changers here—after all, who would hire a nurse as a sales clerk…(In Denmark, by the way, it’s also normal—I’ve heard: a little training and off you go…) Maybe things will be more flexible here in 20 years (we’re running late ;-) ), but we all have to work toward that. Personally, I could definitely see it happening. Let’s go!!!
Best regards, HeikeCommented by: Heike | Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 6:38 p.m.
