I certainly think so, there is a good work ethic here. Having worked in Holland and France, it certainly is miles ahead of both of those countries.

They are doing better because they do not tolerate the shite we put up with. The Irish attitude is “shure there all the same, no point in complaining, no point in protesting in any form, just like down and take it.”

This poll won’t really capture much because some do and some don’t. I find that some Irish employees work so hard and efficiently that the shadow that fact the their colleagues are extremely lazy. There was a time when one would be rewarded for their hard work, now in so many places the systems disguise the lazy work of some while barley recognising the hard work of others. Result is everyone getting similar or near to similar rises. Its sad that at every level so much mediocrity is rewarded.

I farm and work like hell, 24-7, as do all other farmers that I know of.
It wouldnt be possible to do this job any other way.
In a former life I worked for a state broadcast company, where I saw a group of people working hard under appalling management, people over/sideways promoted well beyond their ability.
This fostered a lot of resentment.
I think this isn’t an unusual scenario in Irish business affairs, with all due respect to the exceptions.

To quote Homer Simpson in shock and exasperation – “The Irish have become sober and hard-working!”. Have to say I agree with him.

Impossible to generalise. But from my experience since coming here 15 years ago, I’ve seen a lot of good Irish workers. If I was employing I’d be hiring some of them before giving the english a start, even though I am english.
As for shorter working hours, if it’s a job where you don’t need to be stuck on the spot for a set time, what’s wrong with getting it done promptly, efficiently and well and then bugger off and do what you want?
The Kalahari bushmen work 15 hours a week to provide their needs, that’s more civilised than so-called “civilisation”.

Do Irish people work hard?
I am Irish therefore question reads
Do I work hard?
Of course “I” work hard!
*Answers Yes*

No doube this will be the most accurate poll EVER….

I work hard-Apart from when I’m answering pointless polls on Journal.ie!

If Enda and co. Keep going, it will be hard to find any hard working Irish person, in Ireland, that is.

Treat people like sh…one…t and that is what you will get back!!!!

when i lost my job i went to sign on and as i feared the queue was a mile long. the next day i went to register with fas expecting a similar queue. the fas office was completely empty and they seemed surprised that someone had registered voluntarily. im currently in two courses and the irish students are vastly outnumbered by foreigners. a lot of irish people seem happy to sit on the dole, god knows how they can afford to, i cant even cover my bills with what i’m getting on it.

I think we do have a lot of hard workers, but the amount of lazy people is beyond me, but I suppose there’s that problem all over the world

@Matt Crosbie-no greater endorsement of your point Matt than this years Apprentice. To your equasion of ‘wanting the most money for the least work’ you can also add ‘and minimal intelligence’.

We have a fab work ethic when we move away from Ireland…myself included. Maybe it is because the fatcats at the top do not want to share which causes resentment and lethargy.

I have owned two businesses in Spain and my staff were so willing to learn and help…and stay in touch after I left
!

i agree with the fact that some Irish people work hard and some don’t i worked in the haulage sector for ten years doing six days a week and after the collapse of the building sector the company i worked all but collapsed to and now has only a fleet of 6 or 7 trucks so yes i do think this pole is of very little consequence and if keep on going the way we are there is going to be a hell of a lot more jobs disappearing in the new year and the euro zone will disappear to

We are at our best when under pressure.

All I’ve ever seen here Is people wanting the most amount of money for the least amount of work

Did I touch a nerve…sorry for asking questions..I’ll stick my head back in the sand then…

My stereotyping observations are that while the Irish aren’t the champions in Walk the Extra Mile category, they’re sure to kill it in Corner Cutting Olympics.

As I’m linked to Facebook I’ve expanded on my ghost estate comment-as regulars would know-of course it’s the developers that caused the problems we have-not the workers as my comment seemed to have implied-and those said workers have I imagine have been left unemployed and left this country as a result-hence the flippant remark..hope that clears this matter up..as its Monday..I could be forgiven..:-(.

yet again another pointless question/poll to divide peoples opinion and to distract us form the stories that affect us all. Any chance the journal.ie would do some investigative journalism on the question of the up coming traety change? The government is asking the attorney general what they should do!!.. The same government and attorney general who have done nothing about the bank bailout and its legitimacy.

If the Irish were such hard workers then there would be no room for the Polish or the Latvians or any other foreigner for that matter.. it’s the foreigners that work hard without all the complaining like the Irish do!

Any Irish in the building-sorry left the ghost estates…:-(.