Hello, James, hello, Anlan.

Hi, everyone.

Hello, everyone.

So today we are going to talk about work. And again, I'm going to give you different situations and you can tell me how you would respond or how average, let's say British or American would respond in these situations. And let's see if they are some differences. First of all, let's talk about salary. When a colleague bluntly asks how much you earn being British, being American, what would you say?

Well, as an American: Why are you asking? Mind your own business.

So you would actually take offense. You wouldn't feel like this is appropriate.

Yeah, America is a culture about salary being a very personal thing, so we would tend to take offense at it. Why are you asking? It’s not even your damn business. Its kind of testy.

Well, I would say it's the same in the UK, but probably we wouldn't respond as directly. I would say probably I earn enough but secretly be really really angry.

But if it's a colleague, say if this is someone who is in the same position like in roughly the same role, but they probably want to compare. Is that acceptable？

To be perfectly honest, if they're in the same role, they would know how much they earn.

That's not necessarily true in the United States because our employment contracts can be different from person to person. So even two people in the same position can be paid very differently. And the company discourages you from talking about salary because it hurts the company's negotiating abilities.

I see. All right, the next question. You find yourself alone in the lift with a colleague you don't get along with. What would you do? I kind of can't imagine like because Americans like to make small talks a lot more, right？James?

Yeah, I mean small talking is something we do, but we honestly don't do small talk in elevators like you see on TV all the time. Honestly, if you enter an elevator with someone you don't like, you just don't acknowledge their presence and maybe you'll pass gas in the elevator.

Would you not even say hi, you wouldn't say Hi, James.

No, not even make contact.

What about you, Anlan？

In that type of situation, I think I will try to get off the next floor, whether or not I need it to or not. We probably would acknowledge each other, maybe just noding or just a very brief smile. But we probably wouldn't talk.

So not even aggressive like Bob Bill.

No, all that we’ll do is just lead to a fight.

That sounds so childish what you just said. So you're saying basically even if your office is on the 10th floor, you get off on the second floor and walk up.

But maybe wait for the next elevator.

Yeah, wait for the next lift.

Good good. I don't know, basically I'll probably just try to hide in the corner of the lift and pretend to look at my phone. Right. The next question: you are asked in a big company meeting if there is anything you wish to add. What would you do? I sense there's going to be a difference. So Anlan first.

To be perfectly honest, in that type of situation, I probably wouldn't say anything. I, if there is something I wanted to add, I would send it in E-mail rather than in the actual meeting itself, because it just makes it a little bit clearer and also at the end of a meeting, most people just want to go for a coffee or go for their lunch. So I don't want to add anything more on the agenda.

You don't want to be that guy like everyone's already ready to for food.

Americans would wish they’d had those kinds of coworkers. Because if you ask that in a meeting in America, there is always someone just like--actually yes, I would like to add something.

And they just go on forever...

and then your coworkers are like shut up, just shut up!

But it's very common for Americans to voice their opinion in the company meeting.

Yes, although it's not encouraged, because people don't like it, but there's always somebody there that's like actually I think we should talk about this.

And it's usually people who have really not a lot of good points to make.

This could have been in E-mail.

Yeah. All right. And then the next again you're in a meeting, but this time your phone which you thought was on silent rings loudly. Everyone looks in your direction. Being British, being American. What would you do? James first.

Americans should probably just apologize, put it on silent and say I forgot, because if they don't deal with it, they're going to get a talking-to from their boss.

Is that like a general etiquette？For example, what about you Anlan? In the UK and in the United States. Is it like a general work etiquette that you do not let your phone ring in a meeting.

Pretty much. And also not answering your phone during a meeting is seen as the polite thing to do. So for example, if I'm in a meeting, I'll make sure that my phone is on silent and my phone is out of view as well.

So you cannot even put it on your desk on the table.

Some people do, but generally I don't really like that because I always think it's a little bit disrespectful if you are in a meeting, you are meeting those people who you're speaking to right now. So having your phone on the table, it always invites distraction. It always means that you're looking at your phone constantly. If it does ring, then you’ll have to answer it.

And that applies to everyone, even the boss? Even the higher let's say more senior management?

It should, but bosses will boss.

But what if my phone is on silent, on mute, but I can see that it's buzzing and then there is a very, very important phone call, for example, from a client that I need to take, but I am in a meeting. In that situation, what should I do？

You need to apologize and excuse yourself and say this is very important. It's a client, it's an emergency I must take this call. The only kind of thing I can think of is if it's like a meeting of doctors and a doctor got paged, and then in this situation that doctor would be immediately excused to go deal with that emergency.

But general office workers, perhaps you don't have that luxury.

No. The thing is if I was in that situation as well, I probably say at the beginning of the meeting, I'm really sorry, but I'm probably going to get an important phone call from a client or from such and such a person. So excuse me, if I have to run out.

Also pre-apologize, essentially.

That's actually true in America too. You would do that if you were expecting a call.

But when you come back, do you apologize again or just like slip into our seats？

Slip in quietly.

Pretty much the same.

I see, don't draw any attention basically. The next situation is not necessarily in a meeting, but probably more like a casual conversation with your colleagues. You're with a group of colleagues and the conversation dries up. And a lot of people don't really like the silence and the silence is now deafening. What would you do？Anlan first.

I would probably in this type of situation, pretend that it's a coffee break time or the meeting or the conversation is finished. It's like Oh, okay. Let's all go and get a coffee.

You would actually say that to people like shall we get a coffee? But if you say shall we get a coffee?You still like inviting these people to stand around you.

Normally it just provokes them or prompts them to say, I've got to go and do some work.

So you're hoping that they wouldn't take you on that offer and how comfortable are you guys with silence？

Not at all.

So someone must speak if it's silent.

It doesn't matter if it's a work or if it's at home. Generally, British people are really uncomfortable with silence.

But you're not big on small talk that much either.

No, it's really awkward. It's really difficult.

It's a damned if you do damned if you don't situation, you can't talk and you can’t remain silent.

Pretty much.

Americans honestly we do it quite similar. Here is like right, I got some work to do, so I'll talk to you all later. I gonna go grab coffee or I need to go to the toilet. They just make an excuse to leave the situation.

Yeah, basically both sides you wouldn't really try to invent more things to talk about, come up with a new conversation topic?

No.

In today’s Across the Pond, we invited James and Anlan to talk to us about how they would react in different work situations. In the next episode, we would continue this conversation. So stay tuned, we will see you next time!

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