To be shocked by Canadian work culture?

[wantedrueu]

My best friend moved to Canada three years ago. I asked her when she was next coming back, as she sometimes does. She said she will not be coming back anytime soon as she only gets three weeks holiday. This is in a senior role.

When asked, she said Canada is much more work focused- Very little holiday time, holiday very hard to take or ask for, longer days, no socialising after work and stricter standards.

AIBU to be shocked at this?

I frequently hear Canada has an amazing quality of life! So it is shocking to me that it the work-culture is very US reminiscent.

I work basic minimum wage and get five weeks, in the UK. Add in the fact I can add in my two regular days off, ie, if I want 7 days off schedule, I only have to book 5.

It's made me appreciate the UK a bit more, if a bit more grey.

I've always thought about moving abroad, but with my terrible capacity for learning a language, I always considered Canada; but i don't think I'd be cut out for their working culture!

Is anyone else here Canadian or lives there who can verify this?

Jobs in Canada are generally better laid, especially ones that require professional qualifications. There are more statutory holidays as well, and life in general is just so much more laid back and you can have a better quality of life there. I'm Canadian but moved to the UK a decade ago, they both have their ups and downs. UKs socialising culture is on speed, Canada is a lot more relaxed but I don't think that's a bad thing.

It’s all swings and roundabouts. Of course it’s nice to have more paid Leave in the UK. But US is sand Canada to extent are labour markets where employers have to pay more to retain staff. Wages in general tend to be higher, even outside big cities and labour market is a lot more fluid. People walk in spit of jobs an command higher pay that way. There are positives and negatives for both. We shouldn’t get fixated on how wonderful paid leave in this country is when he labour market pays some of the lowest wages in the developed world.

@BoudecaBains

I don’t know about Canada but I worked in the US for a number of years and we got 4 weeks plus I was paid over $110,000 as an ICU nurse.

I currently work 60 hour weeks for the NHS, in a senior grade that pays just over a third of what I was paid in the US. I worked over Christmas and with the current critical staff shortages it’s virtually impossible to take a holiday.

Exactly.

We have sub consciously lowered our bar in the UK. People harp on about holidays, maternity pay and NHS. Holidays are no good if wages are lower than other countries and free healthcare is no good if the outcomes are worse. We have been conditioned into excepting a sub par setup while people believe US is a hellhole or something. All the time they have seen wages increase and employers offering healthcare as part of terms anyway. And they get sick days which they are expected to take whether they are sick or not so that becomes part of your leave allowance.

[quote NativityDreaming]@VinylCafe love, love, love your username, I listened to Dave Cooks the Turkey again over Christmas.

In response to the thread, I find the work culture in IT much worse in the UK than Canada. Competitive hours worked, intrusion of work into home life, little accommodation for working parents are all worse in the UK.[/quote]

I love Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe! My favourite story is Polly Anderson's Christmas Party...I'm in stitches every time I hear it.

@Nandocushion We now live in Prince Edward Island. Naively, I thought it would be something like Vancouver Island bug wise but NO!

A week after we arrived, we went to see one of the beautiful lighthouses. I wandered the grounds taking pictures of the coastline when I looked down and my legs were covered with mosquitoes. I still shudder thinking about it. Those evil critters are everywhere and I hate spraying chemicals on myself to keep them away.

@EishetChayil

I'd rather slice off my arms than live/work in North America. Utter cesspool.

All of it? Because it's all the same? Everywhere?

Friends of mine lived in Canada for 20yrs and they said the same about holiday leave.

I'd rather slice off my arms than live/work in North America. Utter cesspool.

^

Yup. Please stay away, it's awful here

Yup. Please stay away, it's awful here

I agree. It's a wonder we haven't all tried to emigrate to the UK, or killed ourselves.

[quote VinylCafe]@Nandocushion We now live in Prince Edward Island. Naively, I thought it would be something like Vancouver Island bug wise but NO!

A week after we arrived, we went to see one of the beautiful lighthouses. I wandered the grounds taking pictures of the coastline when I looked down and my legs were covered with mosquitoes. I still shudder thinking about it. Those evil critters are everywhere and I hate spraying chemicals on myself to keep them away.
[/quote]
Wow! I had no idea! This is actually the reason I'll never go back to cottage country in Ontario.

@Nandocushion It was a big surprise for me as I thought the salt water kept them away? I think you get used to them but, after 4 years, I'm ready to give up on this adventure and go back to the west coast.

Canadian living in UK here... I can confirm all this is true. My mother uses all her three weeks holiday once a year to visit me. I can spend up to 4-5 weeks there if I want. So can DH.

why is socialising after work a benefit?

I hate mozzies and react badly but they are a walk in the park compared to greenheads. I remember seeing my dog crying with blood running down his ears when we lived in NJ
www.nj.com/atlantic/2021/07/new-jersey-is-powerless-against-greenhead-flies-heres-why.html

Having worked in both places, I think the Canadian work culture is far less pressurised, at least in my sector (Health care). Shorter commutes, more supportive environment. Lots of bank holidays.

Definitely less socialising after work in Canada though. People tend to go home to families/friends/hobbies. As much as I enjoyed the pub culture in the UK, I don't miss buying endless rounds after work for ppl I didn't even like, and coming home pissed.

Canada is overrated. I won’t say much more as it upsets Canadians. Its true there’s not much holiday breaks. The work unions too keep you limited to how far you can grow in a company. Canada is often spoken above the USA as a culture and it’s often says it’s a better country, but I disagree. It does have better medical care but I think Americans have it better and are better off overall.

Agree holidays can be negotiated and the limited amount of holiday leave is a downside. It means there is far less of a 'holiday culture' in Canada although lots of focus on weekends away at cottages/second homes. When I arrived in the UK I was baffled by the January scramble to get the Thompsons brochure and book 3 holidays over the year... unheard of in Canada!

The plus side in Canada is that there is much more (a) opportunity to negotiate salary at the start of a role and annually and (b) there is much more opportunity to develop your career with real consideration given to development and promotion/advancement of staff. Compare that to the UK where most employers seem to have contempt for their staff, aren't that interested in their development and would be happy to keep them at the same level and pay their entire working life.

I like the holidays I get in the UK but acknowledge that I'd have had a much better career and overall quality of life if I'd stayed in Canada.

It’s not just Canada. I’m from Nz and when I left (solicitor) I had three weeks leave, two of which had to be taken over Xmas-new year as the firm shut down. So I had five days annual leave to eke out over the whole year. Moved to London and had 6 weeks leave, more bank holidays and didn’t know what to do with it all! HR used to have to chase me to use up my leave.

You'll be hearing how great Canada is to Americans on the most part

Canada is great compared to the US, not compared to many other countries

Redrosesandsunsets

I think Americans have it better and are better off overall

By what measure? Not dissing the USA at all - I'm just wondering what, in particular, makes you say that?

Your sweeping generalisation that "there’s not much holiday breaks" has been pointed out to be just that by several Canada based posters, including myself. It's certainly true that the average annual leave in Canada is less than in the UK, but it's more than in the USA, so you obviously can't be referring to that when you say Americans "have it better"...?

@Mammyloveswine

Teacher here, as much as the job is super stressful in term time... omg i love my holidays! (Yes i do work a few days but im nit a dick.. i appreciate how it works! And im not going to say "but i technically only get paid fir 5 weeks holiday.. " i get a canny salary and my job is so stressful in term time..if i didnt get the hols i would quit teaching.

I hope you don't teach English!

@BoudecaBains

I don’t know about Canada but I worked in the US for a number of years and we got 4 weeks plus I was paid over $110,000 as an ICU nurse.

I currently work 60 hour weeks for the NHS, in a senior grade that pays just over a third of what I was paid in the US. I worked over Christmas and with the current critical staff shortages it’s virtually impossible to take a holiday.

110,000US Dollars is about £82K ? I think I worked that out Right?

I am a band 7 nurse in the community....which I guess is considered a senior post .I earn £46 K basic.... so that is more than half of the pay you received in the US. I also receive 33 days plus BHs ( so 41 days leave) .....and generous sick pay and pension benefits.....In addition I do not pay my own indemnity cover.... I certainly don’t work in excess of 60 hours a week and never work weekends or bank holidays. I will retire in my late 50s however will retire and return on 2 days a week from next year, so will have a pension plus a salary for a couple of years until I take full retirement....is it really so marvellous in the US? better than the U.K.? ....genuine question....as I only know nurses who have worked in Australia

When we went to Canada I met someone who was getting an extra 5 days annual leave for his 5th anniversary at work - bringing his total to 15 days. We were shocked! Apparently it’s normal.

[quote godmum56]I hate mozzies and react badly but they are a walk in the park compared to greenheads. I remember seeing my dog crying with blood running down his ears when we lived in NJ
www.nj.com/atlantic/2021/07/new-jersey-is-powerless-against-greenhead-flies-heres-why.html[/quote]
Oh gawd, your poor dog!

Some perspective from a Prairie dweller here - your statements are a broad and incorrect generalisation. Beyond my first minimum wage retail job in Canada 20 years ago, I’ve never worked for anything less than three weeks paid holidays. Vacation entitlement tends to increase quite quickly to the point that after ten years in my current position, I’m on five weeks with a further week of time banked. Dh is a Crown Corp. employee with similar leave entitlements after four years. Add to that, there is typically a holiday 11/12 months, such that you end up with a long weekend every month.

Winter holidays are more popular in my location given our winters, as are snowbirds, but we don’t have that same two weeks abroad mentality that’s common in Scotland (where I lived anyway).

It’s not perfect here, it can be expensive, but, in my experience, the day to day way of life/standard of living/opportunities far outweigh four weeks of annual leave and a jaunt to mainland Europe in the summer.