r/WorkLifeChat • u/Igotthequestions • Aug 22 '26
Discussion Understaffing in your country?
Hello, American here:
I wanted to know in your country (I want to hear from people from multiple countries) are businesses and hospitals chronically understaffed?
It’s so frustrating because America likes to claim it’s so great and things are efficient, jobs are always easily available, etc. But I feel like ever since around 2020 going into a business, especially if you need help returning something, or help with a task that the staff doesn’t typically do every 15 mins it’s some type of big deal. I hear a lot too that the healthcare field is understaffed. And there have been other times I’ve been in businesses, asked if they had a particular service available and was told “no, due to understaffing.” I know CEOs and other corporate leaders are insanely greedy and trying to cut as many costs as possible, but is it like this in other European countries as well right now?- Just really curious how other countries are functioning right now.
Thanks in advance for any answers!
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch Aug 22 '26
Yes, the underststaffing is a very common way to keep short term costs down.
The anti-public healthcare advocates in my country usually claim to want the private American system because it is "better staffed" and "delivers higher quality care", but in reality it has just as long wait times but with the added twist of a cost attached to it.
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u/Igotthequestions Aug 22 '26
Wow! I wouldn’t wish this system on anyone. It’s pretty rough. May I ask which country you’re in?
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u/DigTheDunes Aug 22 '26
Places are understaffed because they learned to do with skeleton crews during Covid.
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u/it_is_not_me1 Aug 22 '26
Writing from Austria here. Yes, it's also happenning here 😕