Working Conditions for Expats in Austria

If you have obtained a work permit so that you can legally take up employment in Austria as a foreigner you may be wondering what the working conditions are like in Austria. Working in Austria is really not very different from working abroad in any part of Europe. There are certain to be some cultural differences, but for the most part it will be a similar experience to what you are used to in your home country. Austria is actually somewhat well known for its traditional work environment that does not leave much for employees to be upset about.

Job security is something that many foreigner workers worry about when they move to Austria to live and work. As an employee for an Austrian company you should have an employment contract that specifies the length of your employment. This means that job security really depends on the type of employment contract that you have managed to secure for your self. There is no need to worry though as you will be well protected by the law. In fact, Austria has some of the most strict laws in Europe in regards to the protection of employees.

The standard work day in Austria lasts for a period of eight hours like in the United States. The average work week lasts five days per week with any extra hours or days being paid at a higher rate. The work day tends to start a bit early in Austria with mos t people usually at work by 7:00 am.

When you get your employment contract you will notice the generous amount of time off that you will have. Employees typically get 25 days of holidays off work with pay in Austria. And you are also able to get additional time off, such as sick time and vacation time.

In fact, if you are home sick you will still get paid. The first day that you are off sick you will not need to worry about having a doctor's note. But starting with the second day in a row of being out sick you are requested to have a doctor's note. If you end up being off work for a long period of time with a serious illness then you will probably get paid through social security insurance. The contributions for social security insurance are automatically deducted from your pay when you are working.

If you get a job on a contract basis, you may not be entitled to all of the above mentioned benefits. However, you will generally have a higher salary as a result.