Employees in the US are paid for their time. This means that they are supposed to

W: First of all, when do people start work in American offices?
M: Right, well, the official workdays start at 9 a. m.. It should really mean 9 o’clock, not ten past or half past nine.
W: Would you say that people work very hard in offices in America?
M: Well, I don’t know about the employees in your country, but some nations have a philosophy that you only work when the boss is around. And any time he is not there, one can relax by reading the newspaper or whatever one likes doing in a personal way.
W: And things are different in the States, you are saying?
M: Well, in America, one is being paid for one’s time. So employees are expected to find other work if their own desks are clear, or to help someone else with his or her work. But you never sit idle doing nothing.
W: Yes, as the saying goes, time is money.
M: Exactly. Your employer owns your time while he is paying you for it. That is precisely what "time is money" means. And anyway the boss does not ask more of you than he is doing himself. He will probably work to the lunch hour himself or even take work until night.
W: Talking about lunch hours. What about them? Do you take them seriously?
M: Oh, yes, sure, of course. The employee’s lunch hour should be taken within the period allowed unless you are officially discussing company business, say, on a business lunch. It’s the same, too, with the end of the day. I mean, work until the day officially ends at five o’clock unless you are in the office work, where flextime, is, is accepted practice.
W: Oh, so you have the flextime system, do you? I wasn’t sure about that.
M: Oh, yes, sure. Flexible working hours, that is, starting or ending work earlier or later. I know, it is still relatively new. However there are more and more Americans on the system today. Well, for the same reasons as in Europe to keep traffic and commuting problems down. And as more women now work, it gives more family time.
W: Urn. Could you say something about contract of hiring in America, please?
M: Well, it’s different in America from, say, European countries like Germany or France, perhaps Japan, too. I’m not sure. I know that in some countries, people relax when they have once got a job because they know they will almost never be fired unless they do something wrong.
W: Do you mean that your employer can just fire you in America?
M: No, no, no. There are of course legal protections in the US. So employees cannot be unjustly fired without good reasons. Workers must do a good job, produce well and get along with their colleagues, or they can be let go, as it is called.
W: So one day to the next, you mean.
M: Well, it’s really done without warning. But it is important to remember that in the US you are a member of a business firm and not a family. It makes a difference.
W: I wonder, are the physical or external appearances of office life different from European offices?
M: Well, I have heard people comment on the informality found in American offices. And this is certainly a little difficult for people who are more used to hierarchical system, of course. There are some very formal offices, too, say, big banks, law firms, and major corporations. But in many establishments with fewer employees, the atmosphere is loose and easy with a lot of joking and teasing and wandering in and out of the offices among all levels of employees.
W: Well, that sounds quite interesting. I think that’s all I want to know really. Thank you very much.
M: My pleasure.