You passed the interviews and signed the contract. Congratulations. Now comes the part no application guide prepares you for: everyday office life in German. I teach professionals in Munich every week, and I can tell you the vocabulary that decides whether you feel at home by Friday is not in your contract. It lives in words like Gleitzeit, Feierabend and Kaffeeküche. This guide gives you that vocabulary plus the unwritten rules behind it.

The 10-second version
German office life runs on five words: Gleitzeit (flexitime), Feierabend (end of the workday, and it is sacred), Urlaubsanspruch (your legal holiday entitlement), Kaffeeküche (the coffee kitchen where real decisions are pre-made) and per Du (the informal you, only after an explicit offer). Learn these five and the rules behind them, and your first month in a Munich office feels like your sixth. Remember: the application gets you hired, these words keep you comfortable.
Bright Munich office in the morning with colleagues at desks over coffee and church towers outside the window

If you are still one step earlier, in the application phase, read my guide to applying for a job in Germany first. That post covers the before: CV, cover letter and interview. This post covers the after: life from your first Monday onward.

The Five Words That Run the German Office Day

Every office has its own jargon, but these five terms work in practically every company in Munich, from startups to traditional Mittelstand firms:

Situation Word and phrase The rule behind it
Flexible hours Gleitzeit. "Wir haben Gleitzeit mit Kernzeit von 10 bis 15 Uhr." You slide start and end around fixed core hours. Overtime goes to a time account.
End of the day Feierabend. "Schönen Feierabend!" Evenings are protected. Late messages wait until morning.
Holidays Urlaubsanspruch. "Wie viel Urlaubsanspruch habe ich im ersten Jahr?" Statutory minimum is 20 days on a 5 day week. Most Munich contracts give 25 to 30.
Coffee kitchen Kaffeeküche. "Erzähl mir das in der Kaffeeküche." Small talk here builds trust. Never skip it for more than a few days.
Informal address Per Du. "Sind wir schon per Du?" Only after an explicit offer, never assumed. Until then: Sie plus surname.
Sick leave Krankmeldung. "Ich melde mich für heute krank." Call or message before work starts. A doctor's note (AU) is usually due from day three.

Copy the phrases into your phone and use one per day in your first week. Colleagues notice the effort immediately, and each correct phrase buys you goodwill for the mistakes you will still make.

The Unwritten Rules Nobody Prints in the Handbook

Vocabulary gets you understood. The rules behind it get you accepted. Here are the three questions my students ask me most, answered honestly:

When do Germans say Feierabend?

At the exact moment work ends, and they mean it as a wish, not a status update. "Schönen Feierabend" is the standard goodbye after lunch hour passes and people start leaving. Say it when you leave, say it when colleagues leave, and never follow it with "one quick question" unless something is genuinely burning. If you want the official frame behind it, the working hours overview on Make it in Germany explains legal limits and rest periods in plain English.

Office day timeline graphic with stations for Gleitzeit, Mittagspause and Feierabend

How does Gleitzeit work?

Gleitzeit is freedom inside a frame. Your team agrees on core hours, often 10 to 15, when everyone must be reachable. Around that frame you slide: early birds start at 7:30 and leave at 16, night owls start at 9:30 and leave at 18. Extra hours collect on your Zeitkonto (time account) and become free afternoons later. My advice for week one: arrive in the middle of the range, watch when your direct colleagues come and go, then adjust. And confirm the core hours explicitly, because every company sets its own.

When do colleagues switch to Du?

When someone offers it, and not a day earlier. In most offices the manager or the longer serving colleague makes the offer, often over coffee with the sentence "Wollen wir uns duzen?" Until that moment, use Sie plus surname, even if everyone looks your age and the startup has a foosball table. Once you accept Du, it holds everywhere: email, meetings, disagreements. If the social side feels harder than the grammar, my free German exercises include small talk patterns you can rehearse before the Kaffeeküche tests you for real.

Coffee kitchen chat graphic with labels for Kaffeeküche, Small Talk and Per Du

Small Talk Is Work in Germany

This surprises many of my students: the chat in the Kaffeeküche counts. Germans separate work and private life sharply, and the coffee kitchen is the bridge. Two minutes about the weekend, the Wiesn crowds or the new canteen menu signal that you are a colleague, not just a coworker. Prepare three safe topics (weekend, holidays, Munich life) and one question to ask back. Listen more than you speak in month one. And keep lunch in mind: the Mittagspause is usually 30 to 60 minutes, often eaten together, and it is the easiest daily invitation you will ever get.

For the legal side of holidays, notice periods and sick leave, bookmark the labour law section on Make it in Germany. It answers in English what your contract says in dense German.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Feierabend really sacred in Germany?

Mostly yes. When colleagues say Schönen Feierabend, they mean it: your evening belongs to you, and late messages can usually wait until morning. Small teams with deadlines flex this rule, but as a newcomer you should protect your evenings and never expect instant replies after hours. That boundary is part of the work culture you were hired into.

How does Gleitzeit actually work day to day?

Gleitzeit means flexitime within a fixed frame: you might have core hours from 10 to 15 when everyone must be present, and you slide your start and end around them. Overtime lands on a time account (Zeitkonto) that you later convert into free afternoons. Always confirm the core hours in your team, because every company sets its own frame.

When should I switch from Sie to Du with colleagues?

Wait for the offer. In most offices the manager or the longer serving colleague proposes the Du, often over coffee with the sentence Wollen wir uns duzen. Until then, stay with Sie plus surname. Once you accept Du, it applies everywhere: email, meetings, disagreements. Switching back to Sie later would sound cold, so only say yes when you mean it.

Conclusion: Sound Like a Colleague, Not a Guest

The application got you through the door. These words decide how fast the door starts feeling like yours. Learn the five terms, respect Feierabend, wait for the Du, and show up in the Kaffeeküche. If you want structured help, I prepare professionals for exactly this: role plays for meetings, email routines and the small talk that turns coworkers into allies.

Not sure your German is ready for meetings yet? As a private German teacher in Munich I start with a short level check, then build a work focused plan around your real job. If your employer trains whole teams, explore our corporate German courses for companies. And if a certificate would strengthen your position, check which German certificate you actually need before you book.

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