The UK's Work Culture: Explained

Work culture is a set of values, beliefs and practices at a specific workplace that decides the flow and environment. Work culture can differ greatly from one workplace to another and even from country to country. 

Famous for its professionalism and etiquette, the UK work culture has unique, distinguishable characteristics compared to the rest of the countries. Being very particular about their culture and social rules, the British expect their non-native colleagues to adapt to the UK work culture. So, if you are new to a UK workplace or plan to work in the UK as a graduate, this blog can give you helpful insights into the famous UK work culture. Read along! 

1. Working in the UK

If you take a look, the work culture in the UK focuses on building a strong foundation of a UK work culture that is a confluence of modern and globalised Western society that embraces the well-being of both the management and the employees. The work culture in the UK considers punctuality, politeness, skilful and pragmatic negotiation and humour as some of the key significant factors to strengthen business relationships. 

2. Work Etiquettes

The workplace etiquette in the UK circles around some basic corporate values. The employees greet each other formally by addressing each other with suitable prefixes like Sir/Ma'am. Punctuality plays an important role when we talk about etiquette. Employees must arrive on time for meetings and even during work hours. Not only verbal or non-verbal communication, but written communication is also considered one of the key factors for work etiquette in the workplace. The employees in the UK follow proper email etiquette. 

3. Communication 

Like any other country, clear and concise communication is a huge part of the UK work culture. However, what makes the UK work culture different is its unique communication style through sarcasm, wit and humour. The extent to which sarcasm and humour are acceptable in the typical UK workplace etiquette can be confusing and culturally shocking for non-native employees. The UK work culture also prefers professionalism and politeness regarding their communication style. Most people refrain from giving negative feedback directly and avoid confrontation until necessary. Even the managers may use euphemisms and extremely polite, careful diplomatic remarks while correcting their subordinates to ensure they don't feel embarrassed. 

4. Hierarchy 

The typical workplace in the UK hosts very clear and defined hierarchies. There is respect towards the authority, and the decision-making flow is typically top-down. However, even with very distinct hierarchies, the UK work culture is more open to suggestions and ideas from every level. The managers are often mild-mannered and offer subtle but effective instructions to help guide the subordinates to do their work better. People in top managerial positions in the company typically try to foster a good relationship with the staff to ensure the team spirit isn't hampered and their work is done towards the company's growth. Most managers may even make some old-school class distinctions based on clothing, manners of speaking and behaviour. 

5. Meetings 

Meetings are essential to the UK work culture and can be long. Thus, to make the most out of these meetings and keep the time as minimal as possible, the meetings are preplanned for smoother execution. The agenda is pre-decided and provided to all the attendees before the meeting so they know what will be discussed and can be prepared for it. The meetings start with greetings to the attendees and a brief introduction to the agenda, immediately followed by the agenda discussion. Meetings are seen as a way for teams to keep their work transparent and collaborate better, making such meetings very frequent in the UK work culture. Even if you are doing a student internship at a UK workplace, you must stick to the general meeting etiquette in a typical UK office. 

6. Networking 

Networking in the typical UK workplace happens through the exchange of business cards. Colleagues exchange their cards before or after the meeting has ended and refrain from doing it during the meeting since it can create disruption, which isn't very favourable. The business cards typically contain the person's name, designation, and official contact information so the receiver can reach out to them. 

7. Pay and Probation

Probation periods in the typical UK work culture depend on the company you work for. Since there are no rigid rules, employers can implement their probation duration. However, this is only done after discussing it with the employee. The probation period for employees in a UK workplace is between 3 to 6 months, which may sometimes be extended with proper assessment and communication with the employee. The factors that need to be discussed and communicated include:

1. The reason
2. A road map to tackle the situation
3. Clear targets
4. A new probation period
5. The review date

8. Minimum wage

The work culture in the UK stresses employees receiving a statutory minimum wage. The amount an individual might receive depends on age, apprenticeship, or paid internship. These wages are categorised into a national living wage and a national minimum wage. The National Living wage is given to employees 23 years old and above, and the National minimum wage is given to employees between 16-18 years of age.

The employee will receive £8.91 if he is aged 23 or above. Similarly, if the employees are between 21-22, they will receive £8.36. The employees will receive a minimum wage of £6.56 if they are 18-20. Similarly, if you fall under 18, you will receive a minimum of £4.62.

9. Dress-code 

The British are known for their traditional professionalism and concern about their presentability. Working in the UK as a fresh graduate means strictly following dress codes to fit into the UK work culture. The office dress code is strictly formal, and all the employees are expected to follow it religiously. They made employees typically expected to wear formal shirts, suits, trousers, formal shoes, etc. Ties are very important for male employees as well. On the other hand, female employees can be seen sporting suits, trousers, formal blouses, shirts, high heels, dresses, etc. In some companies, however, you can find more casual clothing trends on Fridays. 

10. Socialising 

People in the UK work culture usually prefer to keep their personal and professional lives separate. However, if the work relations are good enough, the professional relationship changes into friendships and thus, colleagues may choose to socialise after work. Team events and lunches are attended even by managers as a token of appreciation and to maintain politeness. Professional socialising helps employees feel more comfortable with their teammates, leading to better collaborations at work. 

11. Punctuality

Punctuality is to be strictly followed regarding work meetings and other related causes. However, arriving late is considered acceptable and has been recently heavily formalised regarding dinners and other celebratory events. In the workplace, many people, especially managers, frequently miss their lunch breaks. Many employees are seen having their lunches on their desks to save time and get work done. The work timings are usually between 9 am and 5 pm, including an hour of lunch break with a 5-day work week. 

12. Leaves and holidays

The UK work culture values its employees and their right to have a personal life. The employees working in a company are legally entitled to 5 weeks of paid leave every year. The employees aren't shamed or frowned upon for using these leaves and are encouraged to take time off work to do something they like. This makes the UK work culture one of the most generous when offering leaves to their employees. UK-based companies also offer a generous amount of maternity leaves spanning up to a maximum of 52 weeks. 

13. Work Life Balance in UK

The UK offices operate between 9 am and 5 pm. With an emphasis on the work life balance in UK, the UK work culture doesn't encourage taking work home after hours. Most employees like to relax and do what they like after office timings. Many employees may also go for an after-work drink with their colleagues on Friday nights as a gesture of collaboration and camaraderie in the team. 

^{With time and effort, you can turn cultural differences into valuable assets & by dedicating extra time to developing these skills, you can transform potential weaknesses into strengths. - Vaishnavi Srinivasan (Guiding students on their UK study journey)}

The work culture in the UK of a workplace is one of the most important things when it comes to keeping things in flow. The collaboration and communication between teams, along with the overall satisfaction of the employees, depend majorly on what kind of culture a company has. With a great understanding of this, the UK workplaces have developed a culture of professionalism, camaraderie and light-hearted remarking that is much easier to adapt to once you have understood the basics.

If you are planning to be a permanent resident of UK make sure you check our blog on how to apply for permanent residence in the UK