During the short time I’ve spent living and working in Lisbon, I have observed a significantly different work environment then what I am familiar with in the United States. The 9-5 here is not strict like in the U.S. As my boss Sarah put it, “nobody is looking at the clock”. At my office, if you show up an hour or two late, you don’t need to frantically apologize. You are not required to ask permission in advance if you need to leave early. If you are enjoying your lunch break, you don’t need to rush back; you can take an extra hour and nobody will raise an eyebrow. One of the days during my second week here I was very tired; I hadn’t slept well the night before. I walked home to make eggs during my lunch break like usual, and before going back to work decided to read for a few minutes on my bed. Next thing I know, I’m waking up an hour later, freaking out and worrying about getting in trouble at work. I rushed back to my office and apologized to Sarah for how long my break was, but she just laughed and said that nobody even noticed I was out for too long. She reiterated that it’s normal here for people to take a lot of time during their breaks. Aside from these experiences, I’ve also had a handful of hour-long conversations with my coworkers during the workday. I kept expecting them to say “sorry, I have to get back to work”, but we just kept talking as if the work was an afterthought. Here, they seem to prioritize connection over competitiveness.

All this is not to say that the people in Portugal are lazy or less driven than Americans; my coworkers work very hard and care deeply about performing their jobs at a high level. If someone is not doing their work, skipping half the day all the time, etc., they will still get fired. However, people here don’t feel like they will lose everything they’ve worked towards if they need to take their foot off the gas for a moment. They don’t prioritize working over spending time with friends or family, at least not to the extent that many people in America do.

I am not claiming that the Portuguese work culture is superior to the American one; despite the improved freedom, workers here tend to earn lower wages, business generally generate less profits, and projects are typically completed less quickly than in the United States. If you love constant work and aspire to earn as much as possible, the U.S. is probably a better destination for you. But if you want time to spend with loved ones, on hobbies, or just relaxing; if you don’t want to take the stress of work home with you when you leave in the afternoon; if you don’t want to feel like your purpose is doing as much work as possible, then working in Portugal may be a better option.