United Kingdom: Appointment Alert!
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Making Appointments
In theory, official working hours are normally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. In practice, most employees work considerably longer hours; many will be at their desks by 8:30 a.m. and executives rarely leave before 7:00 p.m. Professionals like lawyers and consultants may not arrive before 9:30 a.m. but, on the other hand, they may not leave the office until the following day. Generally, the British prefer to stay late in the office than to take work home with them even if they do carry a briefcase (their ‘executive lunch-box’).
Government offices close for lunch between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. but stay open until 5:30 p.m.
The opening hours for shops are almost completely deregulated, though there are some restrictions on Sunday trading, and many outlets are open 24/7 even outside the major urban areas. Banks are generally open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Appointments should be made at least a few days in advance and, ideally, confirmed on arrival in the UK. Most British businessmen are not so jealous of their diaries that they will decline to meet a visitor even at relatively short notice. Grander members of the so-called 'Establishment', however, may have uncooperative PAs to shield them, whilst jet-setting entrepreneurs may be genuinely too busy. Cold calling is not appreciated.
It is best to avoid July and August when those with children are almost obliged to take their annual vacation. Easter is also popular for holidaying and there are two Bank Holidays in May that may catch the unwary visitor [especially in a year when Easter falls in late April]. UK industry closes almost completely between Christmas and New Year.
Otherwise the UK has only eight national holidays a year, which is the lowest number in Europe.
The easiest times of day to arrange an appointment are probably mid-morning (say 11:00 a.m.) and mid-afternoon (say 4:00 p.m.). Breakfast meetings are rare outside London and other major cities and it is unlikely that an initial meeting will involve lunch (or dinner).
Punctuality is appreciated but no one really minds if you arrive a little late [up to 15 minutes] for a one-to-one meeting. Obviously, though, if several people are involved then there is a greater likelihood that someone will have another engagement to attend. On the other hand, you should not arrive too promptly for social events - but aim to arrive a respectable fifteen minutes after the specified time; thus, if a dinner invitation states '7:30 p.m. for 8:00 p.m.', it means that you will be expected at about 7:50 p.m.
Finally, it should be remembered that the UK led the world with its transport infrastructure in the 19th century. Much of it survives intact. This means that journeys in London and the South East in particular may take considerably longer than advertised and/or expected. The London underground (the ‘Tube’) and long-distance rail services are the worst offenders. The flow of traffic in central London has improved greatly since the introduction of congestion charging [drivers must now pay £5 per day to enter the clearly marked inner zone] but many main roads resemble car parks at peak times even without accidents. The M25 is notorious in this respect, especially now there are major roadworks on the western section near Heathrow airport. So, the more important the meeting, the more time you should allow for almost inevitable delay.
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