I am now in my third month working in Managua. In my new assignment I am splitting time between the offices of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Peace Corps offices. I have a nice mix of tasks, and I am enjoying getting to see another side of Nicaraguan culture. My Spanish is really being put to the test, too. I am learning how to write formal letters and emails, how to give professional presentations, and how to make business calls.
I’ve also noticed certain differences between office culture in the US and Nicaragua. Here is your primer on the Nicaraguan workplace:
What to wear to work
In Nicaragua you can never go wrong with jeans and a polo shirt. Almost every professional organization has its own polo, and often employees color-coordinate, so that everyone is wearing the blue polo on Monday, the yellow one on Tuesday, etc. It is also acceptable for women to wear some pretty flashy, sexy getups to work. As well as impossibly high heels. Think Latin night at the club, and you have an idea of what some women wear to work.
Working hours
The standard work day in Nicaragua is 7:30 to 4:30, with a leisurely lunch hour. This makes sense, given that the sun is shining brightly by 6 am and it is completely pitch black by 6 pm every single day of the year.
The Pecking Order
In general, Nicaraguans are more formal than Americans. This generality certainly holds true in the workplace. My first day at my new job, I made the mistake of referring to my boss by his first name without adding a title of respect – Don – in front. Luckily he is a really nice guy, and he laughed about it. But in another office, it could have been a major faux pas. Most Nicaraguan workplaces also have a very well-established chain of command. Luckily, Peace Corps has the culture of an American workplace. Any volunteer can speak directly to the Country Director, without going through his or her particular sector boss. In a Nicaraguan organization, this type of familiarity with higher-ups is uncommon.
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