What to wear
Austrians are well known for dressing well as part of their business culture. Men are expected to dress properly whether the gathering is formal or informal among business colleagues. This means putting on dark-colored suites over plain shirts with a decent tie, nice pair of trousers, and leather shoes. Avoid wearing jeans when attending a business gathering. Women would usually wear conservative, dark-colored suits or dresses. Dresses should not be too short or revealing, and it is preferably topped with a blazer, and matched with a nice pair of sandals or shoes with a few inches of heels. As a custom in business, both men and women should not wear colors that are too loud such as the colors red, bright yellow, and other neon colors. Females may wear accessories but not too much that it already looks like bragging about your jewelry.

What to bring
When you visit a home in Austria, you would usually bring a gift, however, in their business setting. You are not expected to give any gift unless others do so, better to be prepared still. If you are going to give a gift, try bringing wine, pastries, chocolate, or brandy, and avoid bringing clothes, perfumery, or red roses. If you are about to make a presentation, make sure that you bring the necessary materials needed. If there are any forms of documentation, make sure you have a copy translated in German to not look like you’re assuming everyone can speak English. To be sure, you may also consider bringing someone who can interpret your presentation in German so you can avoid any confusion and be able to answer relevant questions should they arise.

What to expect
Austrians value punctuality, they are always on time and so should you. Expect locals to be very strict when it comes to how time is being managed, so if you are about to do a presentation, it will please your local clients if you show them an outline of the discussion. Locals in Austria are also meticulous about details, so be prepared for anything. Back up your presentation with data and if it will be useful, bring up studies or references that might be helpful to support the information you will present.

What you should know
Business culture in Austria strictly observes a well-defined hierarchy. One’s position in a hierarchy is actually dependent on a person’s expertise in a certain field and all achievements received that are also relevant to his or her work.

For women, there is no discrimination in working in Austria. Women are free to join the workforce and are able to receive salaries with no significant differences from men. When it comes to custom, women are allowed to invite male colleagues or clients over lunch for discussions and should always extend their hand first when meeting someone.

Knowing your leave of absence is essential if you are about to work in Austria. During your first six months of work, you should know that your allowed leave is computed in proportion to the time you have already been working with the company. On your seventh month at the firm, that is when you are already entitled to receive the full amount of leaves. When it comes to corporate leaves, the following are applied in Austria: