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The German Summer Break
In Germany, many workplaces slow down noticeably in July and August, when school holidays, staggered by federal state, send families on vacation. Newspapers, offices and even parliaments have a Sommerpause, and important decisions are often deliberately settled before it begins. Employees in Germany are legally entitled to at least four weeks of paid vacation a year, and many contracts provide five or six, so a two- or three-week summer trip is common. Job offers inside a company are often made informally before a position is officially advertised, though many employers, especially in the public sector, are required to advertise openly. It is normal to ask for Bedenkzeit, time to think it over, and to ask what exactly a new role would involve. Employers generally expect a clear answer by an agreed date. The office coffee kitchen, the Kaffeeküche, is a recognized institution in German working life: a place for informal exchange, gossip and, as many employees will confirm, some of the decisions that formal meetings later merely confirm.