Visiting Researcher's Guide - EURAXESS Estonia

WORK
In Estonia, universities are the main employers of researchers. As a result, research work in
Estonia also has a good academic background. Rules vary between universities in matters
such as work contracts or salary conditions.
4.1 Work habits
Like every country in the world, Estonia also has numerous rules
regulating work, and naturally many go to work to earn money, with
only a few managing to unite money and vocation. In research, however,
working hours are often dictated by the pace of an experiment. Rooms at
universities are often also filled with people in the evening. As real peace
and quiet at universities and labs only tends to arrive in the evening,
scholars put in long hours. They feel that research is fun!
Estonians are fond of talking about their Lutheran work ethics. No
wonder then that business is done on Saturdays as well. In Estonia, shops
stay open long hours on the weekends. Weekends are generally for the
family, but this is often enough the time when a long overdue job finally
gets done, either in the household or in your everyday job.
4.2 Greetings
The first thing you inevitably have to do upon entering an office is to
greet people and introduce yourself. Do not be amazed if you do not see
any friendly hands being extended to you: Estonians don’t like to shake
hands, and it is normally done only on an official occasion: birthdays,
award presentations, etc. So, when people stare at you in quiet expectation
and simply say hello or utter their name during the greeting ceremony,
nothing is actually amiss. You have been welcomed amiably. A quiet,
slightly embarrassed welcome is no indication of how you will be treated
later and what your relations with your colleagues will be.
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