All my J1visa workers are from Slovakia - is everyone from Slovakia lazy?

Question

I have 37 Slovakians working for me this summer. They range in age from 23 to 41 and they are all from Bratislava or its suburbs. They are getting paid $10 per hour, which evidently is a large sum for Slovakia.

My question is that not one of them does a half a days work by american standards. Is eastern Europe just really lax in it's work ethic? I find them sleeping in the bathrooms, stealing things from the kitchen, ignoring or being outright rude to our customers.

It has been a nightmare but I need employees. Is the problem the Slovakian Government agency just sent me a bunch slackers or do I need to search out workers from a different country?

Does anyone have experience with J1 workers from places other than lazy bum land, I mean Slovakia.

I pay my american workers $8 to $10 an hour to do the same work. Because of my funding I hire mainly handicapped and minority workers; I do not find them stealing, I do not find them sleeping, I do not have them being rude to customers.

I was trying to hire foreigners to try to help them. The Slovakian Government Agency wrote to me about how depressed working conditions were there.

I am sorry you don't like the truth. But I am an ultra-liberal trying to do the right thing!

PS: When asked about sleeping in the bathroom the answer I was given was "If I knew you were black I wouldn't have taken this job".

Answer 1

it is strange,because usually slovak people are known as really good workers..try to change your agency next time...there are so many young students that would like to do summer works in australia!

Answer 2

"They are getting paid $10 per hour, which evidently is a large sum for Slovakia."

"My question is that not one of them does a half a days work by american standards."

If you need them to work for you in American standards, then PAY those people according to those standards and give them an accommodation of American standards . You are paying them "as they are Slovaks" (which is probably, for you, "less than being American"), and not as they are doing a job which has its price. It is very arrogant from you to judge people according to what you suppose they have got accustomed to. So, you are not even interested to give them some appropriate accommodation. You wold be stealing and sleeping in the bathroom too if living in the conditions that are under not American, but under any human standard.

For your information, I am American, living in Prague and all Czech and Slovak people I know are very hard workers, very educated and civilized persons. I am sick and tired of my people behaving here like some jerks, treating those people as inferior and paying them so little, while knowing NOTHING about them, their history, culture, etc and feeling no gratitude for getting the opportunity to live in this country. Shame on you for your question.

Answer 3

Hi, I'm Slovakian, living in the USA, the things you wrote are just rude. You are what we say - typical "smart" American. There are SOo soo sooo many people in the states who are employing Slovak (Czech ,polish,Hungarian,srbien...etc) people and they can't be more satisfied...usually people from Europe have learned hard way,we are very hardworking people.Working our butts off to survive in this country. Aurora said it right - I agree with her. Just one advice for you "smart guy" - go ahead and employ americans...(good luck) for the same work under same conditions . Then you will find out "work ethic".