How Work Culture & Habits Differ in the UK & US.
Even though we speak the same language, cultural differences between Britons and Americans make each region unique and special, from social etiquette to humour and even food preferences. These subtle and not-so-subtle differences can even extend into the workplace, influencing how people communicate, manage documents, as well as overall workplace culture.
Key findings.
- Over one in four (26 percent) of US and UK employees say they use slang in their work emails
- UK employees are willing to commute an additional 95 minutes per week for their dream job, while US employees would add 65 minutes to their weekly commute
- Gen Z UK employees (62 percent) are more likely than Gen Z US employees (55 percent) to take social media breaks during their day
- 93 percent of UK employees say they have thought about work while taking annual leave compared to 89 percent of US employees
- The UK overtakes the US in cybersecurity training, with 59 percent of employees having learnt how to keep digital documents safe, compared to 54 percent in America.
How PDFs power workflows in the UK and US.
To start, we explored the differences in how employees manage documents, from how they sign specific onboarding documents when they start a new role to how they use PDFs at work.
Our survey highlights differences in document management practices between British and American employees. Over half of Americans report e-signing their confidentiality agreements, outpacing the UK (42 percent).
Additionally, we discovered noncompete agreements are more common among US workers, with 50 percent having signed such forms—though this may change under the new 2024 FTC ban that now bans noncompete agreements nationwide. Only 37 percent of UK employees have signed similar forms.
When it comes to how UK employees use PDFs at work, here is the breakdown:
- Sharing (68 percent)
- Signing (59 percent)
- Printing (48 percent)
In comparison, US employees most common usage for PDFs are:
- Sharing (65 percent)
- Signing (64 percent)
- Filling out forms (55 percent)
Notably, US employees are 22 percent more likely than their UK peers to use PDFs for collaboration, highlighting a strategy for utilising technology for teamwork.
Whether you need to sign PDF documents or convert a PDF to another format, understanding these regional behaviours can help streamline digital workflows and enhance productivity in a global workplace.
How the UK and US embrace document security and integrate AI into workflows.
Our next stop in this global discovery is to explore technology integration by uncovering the top security measures used to protect digital documents and uncovering how employees use AI for document management.
UK employees exhibit a stronger focus on the security of digital documents, being 30 percent more likely than their American counterparts to believe that digitisation enhances security.
The UK's top security measures to protect digital documents include:
- Security software (64 percent)
- Employee training on security best practices (59 percent)
- Encryption (59 percent)
Meanwhile, American employees prioritise:
- Security software (63 percent)
- Multi-factor authentication (57 percent)
- Encryption (57 percent)
When looking at security overall, 65 percent of tech employees in the UK have received training to protect digital documents, compared to 55 percent in the US This highlights the importance of safeguarding digital documents utilising tools such as Adobe Acrobat’s password-protect PDF function to ensure document security when sharing files.
When it comes to utilising AI, both locations are innovating, with three in ten employees from the US and the UK using AI to summarise or extract data from digital documents.
Notably, over one in four UK tech employees say they utilise AI to prepare for client meetings, compared to just 17 percent of US tech employees. As technology continues to evolve, integrating AI into document management processes can empower employees to work smarter and more efficiently.
From “dodgy” to “slay”: How Britons and Americans communicate at work.
Workplace culture is more than just document management and technology usage, it’s also about communication and the words we use when talking to our colleagues.
Small talk in the workplace plays a huge role in creating a collaborative atmosphere, with 88 percent of UK employees recognising its value in meetings. Both Americans and Brits agree that the ideal amount of small talk is around five minutes in a 30-minute meeting.
In the UK, employees prefer discussing the weather (62 percent), news/current events (59 percent), and travel (47 percent). However, in the US, these chats usually are centred around the weather (57 percent), news/current events (47 percent), and food (45 percent).
US employees are 45 percent more likely to engage in conversations about food than those in the UK. These quick small talk moments help bring co-workers together to create collaborative environments.
When it comes to slang in the workplace, each generation has its preferences. In the UK, “dodgy” is popular among Baby Boomers (44 percent), while “knackered” is favored across Gen X (31 percent), Millennials (27 percent), and Gen Z (22 percent).
Conversely, in the US, Baby Boomers commonly use the term “low-hanging fruit” (31 percent), with Gen X and Millennials both inclined to say, “circle back” (28 percent and 29 percent, respectively). Meanwhile, Gen Z prefers “ping you” (28 percent). US employees are 108% more likely than UK employees to use the term “circle back” at work.
Gen Z employees in the US (30 percent) also show a higher tendency to use slang in their emails compared to their UK peers (23 percent). Interestingly, about one in 16 Gen Z workers in the US say “brat” is their favourite work slang term. And both US (14 percent) and UK (13 percent) Gen Z employees love saying “slay” at work.
Nine to five... or not?
We also revealed cultural trends in commuting patterns, lunch habits, and the structure of a typical workday — from its early start to sometimes extended hours.
UK employees demonstrate a greater willingness to extend their commute for their dream job, prepared to add 95 minutes per week to their current 28-minute average commute, compared to US workers, who would only add 65 minutes to their 23-minute average. Americans are more likely to eat lunch at their desks every day, with 41 percent doing so all five days of the workweek, compared to 31 percent of UK employees. However, nearly three in ten UK workers report eating at their desks only once a week, whereas just 22 percent of US employees do the same.
The US also exhibits a stronger "rise and grind" culture than the UK does, with 65 percent of American workers starting their day at 8 a.m. or earlier. This early start is paired with longer working hours, as Americans clock in an average of three more hours per week than those in the UK, adding up to an extra thirteen hours each month.
The struggle to disconnect: Exploring the work-life balance of Britons vs. Americans.
Work culture is just as important offline as it is when you’re logged on. With that, we also explored how Brits and Americans strive to achieve work-life balance. Here’s what we found:
UK workers are 25 percent more inclined than our US counterparts to take breaks to chat with colleagues, while US employees are 23 percent more likely to take snack breaks. Both groups, however, equally enjoy taking social media breaks during their workday (40 percent).
This behaviour varies by generation, with 62 percent of Gen Z UK employees taking social media breaks, compared to 55 percent of their US peers. Additionally, US Gen Z employees are 23 percent more likely to take walks outside.
Regarding holiday entitlement, it’s well known that in the UK, we tend to have more time off than our US peers. Despite having fewer annual leave days, nearly nine in 10 US employees find it hard to disconnect from work during their time off, making them more likely to check emails, respond to work-related communications, take calls, and even complete tasks while on annual leave.
Empowering businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
By understanding the cultural nuances between the UK and the US, Adobe Acrobat empowers businesses to streamline workflows, foster effective collaboration, and create a cohesive work environment. Our findings revealed that there is still room to bridge cultural gaps and enhance global productivity in the workplace.
By implementing tools like Adobe Acrobat’s PDF converter and AI tools such as AI Assistant, companies can improve document management practices, driving innovation and creating seamless, fulfilling experiences for employees worldwide.
Our reporting methodology.
To uncover how workplace practices vary between the US and the UK, we surveyed 2,010 full-time employees. This sample was split evenly with 50 percent based in the US and 50 percent in the UK.
Our survey sample included representation across generations: 14 percent Gen Z, 53 percent Millennials, 28 percent Gen X, and 4 percent Baby boomers. Gender breakdown was 49% female, 50% male and 1% non-binary. This study has a 2% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.