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?

Not Canada but my friends in Singapore couldn't believe our system here in the UK. They couldn't believe we get 5/6 weeks holiday (annual leave), a generous & fair allowance of sick pay and mat/pat leave. They don't get any annual leave over there, so they use their "medical days" as holiday.
Makes me realise that in some respects we are very fortunate to work here in the UK x

Having a set amount of sick days days you can effectively have time off to be sick though.
Here you have to justify having time off to be ill.

Asking there is a major divide as I said previously between well paying and minimum wage entitlements. There’s some enjoying two weeks off at Christmas at their employers expensive and those who work for time and a half on Christmas day plus the rest of the shifts as normal.

"Having a set amount of sick days days you can effectively have time off to be sick though."

In the US they can 'sell' their sick days to their colleagues.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Having a set amount of sick days days you can effectively have time off to be sick though."

In the US they can 'sell' their sick days to their colleagues.

Blimey. Do they stay sick days or are they annual leave after that? How does that work with people who need a lot of sick days for long term conditions though? Would you have to buy sick days? This is an interesting thread.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Having a set amount of sick days days you can effectively have time off to be sick though."

In the US they can 'sell' their sick days to their colleagues.

Sell them for money?

It was something I was told by a US civil servant. I can't get much detail on the net.

@Gwenhwyfar

It was something I was told by a US civil servant. I can't get much detail on the net.

It’s a different world isn’t it😳..... I have had 20 months ( on and off) sick time off in the last 4 years, All at full pay .........so am very grateful To the NHS not only for the healthcare I have received over that time but also the NHS as my employer supporting me financially.

I went for a job interview in British Columbia. The company were offering 20 days holidays - but I found out at the interview that all sick days would need to come out of that. I turned down the job offer - I would hate to spend the year worrying that I would get sick and end up unable to travel home for Christmas. Not to mention having to work alongside people who had dragged themselves into work, spreading flu around when they should have been at home, because they didn't want to lose holidays.
That was in 2009 though - maybe things changed, and it was possibly specific to that company.

Not to mention having to work alongside people who had dragged themselves into work, spreading flu around when they should have been at home

This happens regularly in the UK due to the crappy sick pay offered by most employers

@FaoinDrualus

I went for a job interview in British Columbia. The company were offering 20 days holidays - but I found out at the interview that all sick days would need to come out of that. I turned down the job offer - I would hate to spend the year worrying that I would get sick and end up unable to travel home for Christmas. Not to mention having to work alongside people who had dragged themselves into work, spreading flu around when they should have been at home, because they didn't want to lose holidays. That was in 2009 though - maybe things changed, and it was possibly specific to that company.

I find that really hard to believe. I've worked in British Columbia and Alberta and have never had to pick between using my time as sick or holidays. That is more of an American concept.

I've given orientation to American nurses who have moved to Canada. Their minds are blown when they realize they have sick time AND vacation, Two separate bank accounts of hours.

In the States it's fairly common to hear of workers "donating" sick hours to help friends in the same department or unit who have long term needs like chemo. I've never heard of them being sold.

What I am finding reading more forums with British members who have emigrated is an almost childlike need to return to the mothership on a regular basis. My generation of immigrants went years without trips back due to the high cost of travel for a family. Long distance phone calls were expensive and rare.

So flame away ladies and gents, but isn't the point of emigrating the desire to start a new life in a new country? The constant comparing of what they have lost leads to coworkers talking about you behind your back just as calling yourselves "ex-pats" instead of immigrants.

At my work in BC, we had sick pay in the form of "weekly indemnity." We were only paid 2/3 of our salary, but could top it up to 100% with vacation time. I think we had some days that were topped up but after they were used it was top up with vacation or only get 2/3.

It was not unlimited. After a period of time you had to qualify for long term disability.

I have a chronic disease that causes me more sick time than average (beyond my control) and I did not top up as I really needed actual vacation.

No amount of vacation could persuade me to move back to the UK.

The healthcare, education, cost of living, generous mat leave entitlement, generous unemployment insurance, preventative fully paid leave whilst pregnant, the people, scenary and accessibility to outdoors outweigh an extra week of holiday for me.

Erm…
US was directly addressed in original post…

@naffusername - love your post! I have never been able to understand people who move to another country to live but expect it be just the same as the one they've come from, and moan when it isn't. From my experience Brits are the worst offenders, other people just get on with making a new life for themselves and trying to integrate into their new communities.

What I am finding reading more forums with British members who have emigrated is an almost childlike need to return to the mothership on a regular basis

I think it’s pretty normal to want to visit your parents and siblings - all my Indian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Greek and Malaysian colleagues go back home fairly frequently (in both the UK and in Canada).

It’s weird to be sneery about people wanting to see their family. You don’t get extra PR points for cutting them off .

Obviously 50 years ago it was more expensive to visit, but that doesn’t mean nobody wanted to or that people are wrong to do it now it’s easier.

I do agree about the expats/immigrants thing.

@naffusername - I find that really hard to believe.
Well it's true! Why on earth would I make it up?!
I think Canada is a great place to live - I applied for a job there! But I turned that one down due to the holiday/sick day policy, which was one I'd never encountered before.

@FaoinDrualus

I went for a job interview in British Columbia. The company were offering 20 days holidays - but I found out at the interview that all sick days would need to come out of that. I turned down the job offer - I would hate to spend the year worrying that I would get sick and end up unable to travel home for Christmas. Not to mention having to work alongside people who had dragged themselves into work, spreading flu around when they should have been at home, because they didn't want to lose holidays. That was in 2009 though - maybe things changed, and it was possibly specific to that company.

I think it was that particular company that was trying to make it look like there was a lot of vacation on offer. Usually sick days and vacation time are separate.

I've lived in Canada for just over 5 years. I'm in a more senior role than I was in Europe, but earn far less and have FAR less holidays. My sick days need to come from vacation days too, so it's a right pain in the arse since Covid struck. The hours are much longer too and the work/life balance is very off and in favour of work. I work in finance and I'm in the east of Canada. Fully appreciate things may be different in different sectors and in different provinces, but I'm very keen to move on.

It is my dream to move to Canada one day!

@Pursefirst

I've lived in Canada for just over 5 years. I'm in a more senior role than I was in Europe, but earn far less and have FAR less holidays. My sick days need to come from vacation days too, so it's a right pain in the arse since Covid struck. The hours are much longer too and the work/life balance is very off and in favour of work. I work in finance and I'm in the east of Canada. Fully appreciate things may be different in different sectors and in different provinces, but I'm very keen to move on.

I've never heard of this sick days coming out of vacation days thing, but totally believe people who are saying that's the case for them.

My husband (we're in BC) accrues 1.5 days of sick leave each pay month. And because he's been in the same job for 16 years and has had no major illness in that time (thank goodness!) he now has 163 paid sick days banked.

Whoever mentioned that the advantage of this method is that you don't have to get doctor's notes to prove you're sick enough to be off work is totally correct. You can take them for anything that's vaguely medical-related. My husband generally uses them a half day at a time, for dentist or optometrist appointments.

@immersivereader - totally. Well said.

they tend to get more individual days off like family day and Victoria day rather than save up for full weeks of holidays

It wouldn't be hard to beat the TV industry in the UK, its nigh impossible for females to have a child, non existent childcare or benefits as its mainly freelance. I'm a man and the long hours are burning me out !

When I was there it was standard to have 2 weeks holiday and i remember being thrilled when I got a job where i had 3 weeks. Ok sure I had to work up to 90 hours a week but hey ho! And there was only 8 bank holidays. So when I move to the UK and found out how everyone here could completely slack off for so long I was amazed!!! (cue the trolls!!) Sickness policies here are also so incredibly lenient I've got colleagues that I've seen only a few weeks over the last 5 years - and none of that is covid related!!