In European countries it&#x27;s common that civil servants achieve a distinct status from an employee. As an employee, your rights are relatively typical (you have a 1 month notification period if you are to be fired or laid off, certain procedures have to be followed in order to fire you). However, once you achieve civil servant status after a few years of being a regular employee, you cannot be fired without serious cause, and therefore your job and your retirement are almost completely secured for the rest of your life.