Beer brings people together in any country in the world, and Britain is no exception
BBC Capital columnist offers three useful tips for those who have not yet found their bearings in the realities of their new office.
Even if you come from the US and speak English fluently, the working environment in Britain will be unfamiliar to you in almost every way – from the frequency of using the words “thank you” and “please” to what time you actually need to arrive at a meeting that starts at 10 a.m.
1. THANK YOU, PLEASE
There is a saying in English: “Good manners cost nothing.” Using the words “please” and “thank you” in everyday communication makes life much easier, but how we use (and perceive) these words depends on our background.
Researchers from the University of Sussex and University College London studied 1,350 requests contained in British and American corporate emails for the presence or absence of the word “please.” They found that Britons use this word twice as often as Americans. Of course, one might assume that this study, which is to be published in the Journal of Politeness Research, confirms the common view that Britons are more polite than “cheeky” Americans, but in reality it is not that simple.
“We did find that Americans use the word ‘please’ much less often than the British, but they do not consider themselves less polite because of it,” says co-author and linguistics lecturer at the University of Sussex, Dr. Lynne Murphy. She believes that for British business culture, it is very important to use certain words in certain situations.
Murphy explains: “Unlike American culture, British culture places much more importance on set phrases that are a marker that a person is following accepted norms and therefore behaving politely. For example, in the UK, the polite phrase with the word ‘please’ is used 10 times more often than in the US when sending attached documents in an email.”
But Murphy also found that Americans say “please” more often when communicating between people of unequal status or power – for example, parents and children. In her view, in such situations, the word helps to indicate a request or one’s own superiority. However, Americans place more importance on the word “thank you.” “This aligns with the idea that American politeness culture is based on the concept of solidarity: it is important for people to think well of themselves and others,” she explains.
Britons also value this, but according to Murphy, historically it has been more important for them to mark the distance between people and their social roles. In the 21st century, this is beginning to change, but perhaps more slowly than it seems.
So, you have started a new job – for example, in a London office. What to do? “Always remember that if something bothers you, the person most likely did not do it intentionally,” Murphy warns. “Communication between people often depends on the smallest nuances.”
British politeness is not limited to “thank you” and “please”: to avoid awkward situations in the office, a newcomer will have to learn the complex etiquette of small talk and the rules of conflict resolution.
The heightened British desire for politeness even comes at a cost. In 2015, researchers surveyed a thousand managers and found that excessive politeness can cost British companies millions of pounds. For example, 20% of respondents admitted that they did not challenge clearly falsified travel expense reports.
2. ARRIVE ON TIME
Workers who come to the UK from countries where meeting start times and project deadlines are not treated with much respect are in for an unpleasant surprise. Britons are one of the most punctual nations in the world, warns Erin Meyer, professor at INSEAD business school and author of The Culture Map.
Being late for a meeting will not make you popular: no matter how good the intentions of the latecomer, Britons almost always have a negative attitude towards unpunctual people.
3. A BEER AFTER FIVE
Drinking has been such an integral part of British corporate culture that last month, for example, news spread around the world that London investor Lloyd's banned its employees from drinking alcohol during the workday. Although drinking during the day has long been out of fashion in most industries, and British youth overall now consume less alcohol compared to a decade ago, in most pubs after five o'clock on weekdays you will still find groups of colleagues gathered for a drink.
Of course, a pint of beer after work helps strengthen camaraderie and even helps hired managers and board members find common ground, but there is also the danger of overdoing it – especially for newcomers not yet familiar with the corporate culture. In addition, such gatherings can be uncomfortable for people who do not drink.