I was talking to a client the other day and was surprised and delighted to discover evidence of a sharp cultural difference between the United Kingdom and Ireland. This particular client works for a technology company that employs a couple of thousand people at each of two campuses, one near Dublin in Ireland and one in Berkshire in England. The American owners of the company were conducting a financial review when one of their accountants noticed that the cafeteria in Dublin occupied six times as much space as the cafeteria in Berkshire.
"Why," the bean counter wondered, "do the Irish need six times as much floorspace as the English?" The answer, when it came, provided a refreshing insight as to why many more people are seeking to work in Ireland than take-up tech jobs in the United Kingdom.
The explanation was simple: it seems that in Ireland almost everyone takes lunch in the cafeteria with their colleagues. In the UK, alas, it appears that most people take a sandwich at their desk by themselves.
It is interesting to note, however, that despite the apparent loss of time and production that a proper lunch hour would seem to entail, productivity in the Irish operation is at least comparable to, and in many cases better than, that in the United Kingdom.
The bean-counters left the Irish cafeteria untouched.
- Drib
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