Tirytory

Yes that's right... They weren't going to give him any!

Does it depend on the contract though- full time/part time/union/non-union? I can only go on my husbands clinic nurse and what she said, but yes it would appear that the owner of clinic might be bypassing some law somewhere or other... I don't know.

Anyway even if by law nurses are required to have two weeks annual leave a year, you're hardly going to suggest to me that's generous on a full time basis often on shift rotation are you? With kids off for 11 weeks plus a year that's a huge amount of childcare to cover...

Cabbagetown

I prefer Canada and being Canadian, just for mentality reasons. People seem nice and seem to know or care about each other more, it's more a feeling of community. Canada is not always on the forefront of every political and international issue, thus Canadian citizens are not immediately under threat from various extreme political organization, ISIS, or whatever goes on in the Middle east. US Americans traveling may face more restrictions internationally, like going to Cuba or other places.....

Canada seems less extreme than the US, and even poverty in Canada is different to the US. I guess there is no, absolutely no city in Canada which can compare with Detroit.

The subject of gun violence or gun ownership in the US comes up a lot, however I think that this is more an attitude issue in the US. States which apparently have rather liberal gun laws, seem to have less gun violence or crime than others, so apparently the issue about gun violence is probably another one.

Health care is one thing, where Canada is at an advantage. It's cheaper regarding medication etc... and more available to a broader audience.

The rest is probably very personal, depending on job, career, private life, etc.... and possibly also the weather. Not everyone likes Canada's winter and not everywhere in Canada are the winters like in Saskatoon.

MarylandNed

Not only that. Often UK workers get free sick days i.e. they are not deducted from their vacation allowance. At my last UK job, I reckon the employees were taking an average of 10 sick days a year. When I worked in Canada, sick days were taken out of my vacation allowance (same in the US).

kevin041

UK workers get it way too easy IMO.

dbd33

Are you not a worker then? Family fortune? Lottery winner? Masochist?

Gozit

Yes, but there is less of a risk in a country with strict gun laws vs one with liberal gun laws. Cripes you can buy a gun in Walmart (gun - Walmart.com)

Michigan (Detroit Metro Area; its a dump), Ohio (was alright, like you said very similar to Canada) , Florida ()

Yep Gotta huddle up to keep warm.
I agree with you but my reasoning for not wanting to live in the US are the gun laws (this is the number one) , the constant intrusion and monitoring by the state (it happens in Canada and UK too I presume but not as bad as US. Especially in Europe where EU policy dictates, there are strict privacy laws in the EU) , and the lack of tax-funded healthcare.

Ooh, I didn't even know that. Eek. Looking forward to getting to Europe even more now.

Tirytory

Gozit don't let me down now.... It's not "free" time off, they just don't penalise you for being ill. To be fair to my employer I was rarely sick, and if the kids were I'd often take it as unpaid leave which is legal and fair rather than dock you holidays. Thank goodness the kids are a healthy bunch!

Gozit

Oh no I wasn't saying take advantage of the free sick days. Though I know someone who does this a lot. Its just not fair that if you happen to be legitimately sick and need to take a day, that day is taken out of your potential vacation or just down time from work. Especially when the time given is not a lot to begin with here in Canada.

Tirytory

Mmm as an nhs employee if you got really sick you are well covered too, 6months full pay, 6months half pay. It gives you some breathing space. Some will freeload from it and take advantage of it which is of course is very wrong, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be in place.

I feel very vulnerable over here as a non working spouse and parent, with a husband who is self employed with none of the back up that we had back home. If my husband became ill over here even with some policies in place (for yrs actually) we would be in a desperate situation. I have really started to appreciate how good an employer the nhs was even though I moaned about staff shortages and cuts all over the shop.

Gozit

Exactly.

I've considered self-employment but exactly, i'd have no backup if I became ill, any vacation I take would be a huge loss in pay, etc.

O/T - so did you work out when you're heading home Tirytory?

Tirytory

Middle of December. I've even given a start date to my boss just waiting to hear whether HR will let me go back to my department. I will be gutted if I get shipped out to another ward, but my boss says she's fighting to have me back so I'm hopeful!

Husband's business partners are also over the moon. Kids thrilled too and we've told my boys friends by FaceTime and they were so happy. It's right to take him home now before we lose our footings in our previous life..

Gozit

everything works out!! So happy for you!!

scrubbedexpat091

We may entertain the idea one day, I'd certainly need to actually go and visit the UK first....lol...Never been there, although she has numerous times and has lived there in the past for periods of time when she was younger.

Steve_

Not necessarily, it depends on whereabouts in that country you live. I'd say you're far safer in Vermont for example than in Scarborough.

Anyway that was my point, depends on where in that country you live, especially countries as large as the US and Canada.

Why are people so infatuated with San Diego, lost count of how many people have said to me, "oooh, if I could live anywhere I would live in San Diego".

I can't stand the place. I suppose that might have something to do with having family who live there.

I knew someone who lived in San Diego most of his life and he retired to a farm in Missouri and he reeled off all the things that were better about where he lived now than living in San Diego. It was much better than my list.

Anyway I'm ambivalent about the whole thing, I think overall Canada is a better place to live, but ask me again in January...

bats

I've always had 5 weeks plus bank holidays AL. It's historical as radiographers were supposed to get a break from the radiation then the radiation risk went down and our AL stayed the same with other hospital workers eventually got the same. We never did get the privilege that nurses and physiotherapists have of retiring early at 55. I'm still pushing 200, 300 lb patients around.