Employees in the US are paid for their time. This means that they are supposed t

W: First of all, when do people start work in American offices?
M: Right, well, the official work day starts at 9:00 am. This really means 9 o’clock—not ten past or half past nine.
W: Would you say that people work very hard in offices in America?
M: Well, I don’t know about employees in your country. But some nations have a philosophy that you work when the "boss" is around. And any time he’s not there, one can relax by reading the newspaper or whatever one likes doing in a personal way.
W: And things are different in the States, you’re saying?
M: Well, (1) in America one is being paid for one’s time. So employees are expected to find other work if their own desks are clear, or to help someone else with his or her work. But you never sit idle doing nothing.
W: Yes, as the saying goes: "Time is money."
M: Exactly. Your employer "owns" your time while he is paying you for it. That is precisely what "Time is money" means. And anyway the boss doesn’t ask more of you than he is doing himself: he...he will probably work through the lunch hour himself and even take work home at night.
W: Talking about lunch hours. What about them? Do you have to take them seriously?
M: Oh, yes, sure, of course. An employee’s lunch hour should be taken within the period allowed, unless you are officially discussing company business—say... en... on a business lunch. It’s the same too with the end of the day. I mean, en, work until the day officially ends at five o’clock, unless you are in an office where "flextime" is the accepted practice.
W: Oh, so you have the flextime system, do you? I wasn’t sure about that.
M: Oh yes, sure. Flexible working hours, that is, en... starting or ending work earlier or later I... I know it’s still relatively new. However, there are more and more Americans on the system today. Well, for the same reasons as in Europe—to keep traffic and commuting problems down. (2) And as more women now work it gives more family time.
W: Er... could you say something about contracts or hiring in America, please?
M: Well, it’s different in America from, say, European countries like Germany or France, perhaps Japan, too. I’m not sure. I know that in some countries people relax once they have got a job, because they know that they will almost never be fired unless they do something wrong.
W: You mean that your employer can just fire you in America?
M: No, no, no. (3) There are, of course, legal protections in the US. So employees cannot be unjustly fired without good reasons. Workers must do a good job, produce well, and get along with their colleagues, or they can be "let go", as it is called.
W: From one day to the next, you mean?
M: Well, it’s rarely done without warning, but it is important to remember that in the US you are a member of a business firm and not a family. It makes a difference.
W: I wonder, are the physical or external appearances of office life different from European offices?
M: Well, I have heard people comment on the informality found in American offices. And this is certainly a little difficult for people who are more used to a hierarchical system, of course. (4) But there are some very formal offices, too, say, in... in big banks, law firms and major corporations. But in many establishments with fewer employees the atmosphere is loose and easy with a lot of joking, and teasing, and wandering in and out of offices among all levels of employees.
W: Well, that sounds quite interesting. I think that’s all I want to know really. Thank you very much.
M: My pleasure.