Meghan Gezo didn’t expect working for a European company to be life-changing, but after two years on the job, she says there’s no way she could go back to a typical U.S. employer.
Back in 2022, Gezo was juggling a remote HR role and parenting a one-year-old when she realized the setup wasn’t working.
She took a break and looked for something better.
She found it at Storyblok, an Austrian tech company with a fully remote team. The job came with something she hadn’t experienced before: boundaries.
“You focus on work when you’re at work and then log off until the next day,” Gezo told Business Insider.
“There have definitely been times when I’ve had to work extra hours, but overall, I’d say that my work-life balance is better.”
A Better Deal for Working Parents
Gezo, who lives in Michigan, quickly noticed that European work culture came with perks that made her life as a parent easier.
Austria’s “care leave” gives her two paid weeks off per year to take care of her kids when they’re sick.
She also got 16 weeks of maternity leave and said no one contacted her about work while she was out.
“Having this bucket to pull from is a huge weight off my shoulders as a parent,” she said.
That was a big contrast from her earlier experience.
“In the U.S., it can often feel that your work is your identity,” Gezo said.
Her European colleagues, she added, are “extremely hard workers, but their job is one facet of their identity.”
Different Priorities, Real Support
Plenty of Reddit users agree. One person who worked for both said, “European companies will pay U.S. salaries for work done in the U.S., even if working remotely,” but still provide a culture focused on balance, not burnout.
Another wrote, “I work in Europe at an American company. Thankfully the EU leadership says ‘do one’ to the Americans on lots of topics.”
A former U.S.-based worker commented, “Worked for companies in Silicon Valley for two years, probably some of the worst years of my life.”
One person said, “Now I’m working for an American company remotely. Pay is slightly better but stress is high… Can’t wait to move back to a Euro-based company in my field. Never again will I work with Americans. Everything is so urgent for them and there is no room for error, when in reality, nothing is urgent in my field.”
Reddit was full of stories echoing Gezo’s: Americans working for European companies described feeling respected, not micromanaged, and finally able to have a life outside work.
Not Perfect, But a Clear Winner
There are downsides. Gezo starts work at 6:30 a.m. to align with her European teammates.
And the time zone gap means questions sent in the afternoon often go unanswered until the next day. But the trade-offs are worth it.
She said her previous U.S. employers offered generous parental leave, too, but the difference is cultural: “People in the company (Storyblok) treated it very seriously.”
As one person wrote in the comments: “The peace of mind of having free health care is a privilege beyond the ‘freedom’ of the U.S., which is basically the freedom of living without any social safety net.”
After This, There’s No Going Back
Now that she’s had a taste of European working life, Gezo isn’t interested in returning to the U.S. model.
“Having worked here for over two years, I feel spoiled by the benefits and perks of European working culture,” she said.
“It would be hard for me to go back to working for a U.S.-based company.”
The sentiment is widespread. Across multiple high-engagement Reddit threads, people shared personal stories that mirrored Gezo’s experience, praising European work culture for its boundaries, parental support, and healthier priorities.
For many, the idea of returning to U.S.-style corporate life isn’t just unappealing, it’s a nonstarter.