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Canadians headed to Australia

Canadians headed to Australia

Old Oct 7th 2009, 1:22 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by comet555
Bunnings usually have workshops on the weekend, some for adults some for kids. You can check their website and get a list of schedule workshops by location and month.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/learn-how...workshops.aspx

Note.... I had to enter my postcode when I first went into the site, so if that link doesn't work just go to the main Bunnings site and click on the "Learn how to DIY" tab and then go to the workshops.
Great...thanks for the info, I will check into it when we get there
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 1:29 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by alzo
4-5 weeks standard vacation? Nice. Is that an average or do you have to be in a company for over 5-10 yrs?
I believe it to be standard (maybe mandatory), I've NEVER heard of anybody getting less than 4 weeks.

I also know that as a nurse, working in the hospital (that is run by the government), they give 6 weeks vacation for shift workers (that is for nurses, I don't know about anybody else), otherwise its 5 weeks. I also believe a benefit of working for Queensland health, in the hospital, is that those 6 weeks at full pay can be turned into 12 weeks off at half pay....someone correct me if I'm wrong! Again, I know I read this on their website for nurses.

Anyway, you CANNOT get 4-5 weeks off here...you gotta be with the company FOREVER to get that much time off. This has been one of my Aussie hubby's biggest complaints....2 weeks holidays! He's just now gotten to 3 week because he's been with the company for 5 years.
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 1:49 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by paularn
I believe it to be standard (maybe mandatory), I've NEVER heard of anybody getting less than 4 weeks.

I also know that as a nurse, working in the hospital (that is run by the government), they give 6 weeks vacation for shift workers (that is for nurses, I don't know about anybody else), otherwise its 5 weeks. I also believe a benefit of working for Queensland health, in the hospital, is that those 6 weeks at full pay can be turned into 12 weeks off at half pay....someone correct me if I'm wrong! Again, I know I read this on their website for nurses.

Anyway, you CANNOT get 4-5 weeks off here...you gotta be with the company FOREVER to get that much time off. This has been one of my Aussie hubby's biggest complaints....2 weeks holidays! He's just now gotten to 3 week because he's been with the company for 5 years.
My husband worked for the same company for 19 years and got 3 weeks off. One week at a time because the company had a policy of not allowing more than that to be taken at any one time. Here it feels like we're off more than at work between the 4 weeks vacation, sick leave, personal leave, carer's leave, etc. We have found that employers here are a lot more family friendly than our former employers in Ontario.

Oh, and I joke about Milton. I'm from Burlington but was born in a house that used to stand at the corner southwest corner of Dundas St & Bronte Rd. They tore down the house to build that little plaza.
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 2:01 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

I fell the proximity to the US has changed the pace of life in Canada. It's like living close to a highway....everything is always busy but if you live 30 minutes away the highway the pace just slows down....
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 2:23 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by Dorothy
My husband worked for the same company for 19 years and got 3 weeks off. One week at a time because the company had a policy of not allowing more than that to be taken at any one time. Here it feels like we're off more than at work between the 4 weeks vacation, sick leave, personal leave, carer's leave, etc. We have found that employers here are a lot more family friendly than our former employers in Ontario.

Oh, and I joke about Milton. I'm from Burlington but was born in a house that used to stand at the corner southwest corner of Dundas St & Bronte Rd. They tore down the house to build that little plaza.
I would have thought you got sick leave/personal leave/carer's leave in Canada too?
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 3:57 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by Dorothy
My husband worked for the same company for 19 years and got 3 weeks off. One week at a time because the company had a policy of not allowing more than that to be taken at any one time. Here it feels like we're off more than at work between the 4 weeks vacation, sick leave, personal leave, carer's leave, etc. We have found that employers here are a lot more family friendly than our former employers in Ontario.

Oh, and I joke about Milton. I'm from Burlington but was born in a house that used to stand at the corner southwest corner of Dundas St & Bronte Rd. They tore down the house to build that little plaza.
19 years and 3 weeks holidays???? Are you serious!?!?!

Hmmm...wonder if your husband worked for the same company my husband works for (I doubt it - just sayin) because they also have the same crap about not being allowed to take all the time at once, only 1 week at a time. What kind of bull is that? Seriously! Should have seen the hassle he got when he needed to go visit his dying sister in QLD and we wanted 3 weeks. I know he's not going to miss his workplace

One of the biggest conversations we have is how everybody is more relaxed and laid back because they are not busy working their butts off. I absolutely agree that Australia seems to be more family friendly. And I'm looking forward to that.

BTW, I know that intersection well. I work in Burlington, so my route is Dundas to Bronte (Hwy 25) then north to Milton

Last edited by paularn; Oct 7th 2009 at 3:59 pm.
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Old Oct 7th 2009, 10:35 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by fish.01
I would have thought you got sick leave/personal leave/carer's leave in Canada too?
Nope. OH's company had 5 days annual sick leave at 1/2 pay, no carer's or personal leave entitlement. After 10 years he was eligible for 6 month unpaid sabatical but couldn't be guarenteed his same position when he got back so he never took it. My job was with a private employer so no sick leave, personal or carer's leave.

Forgot to say holidays had to be taken at the employer's convenience. I was told I got the first week of August off and the week of March break. No negotiations.
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Old Oct 8th 2009, 9:40 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

side note:

are there any govt benefits such as the RESP (govt puts in 20% for every dollar) to a certain limit for your child's education or the child tax benefit that are unique to Australia.

I know about the superannuity which is similar to a company pension plan but it's a personal pension plan.

Trying to get an idea of how different financial planning will be.
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Old Oct 8th 2009, 10:15 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

I also get 5 sick days, they are paid. I don't get any personal leave or carer's leave.

Hubby doesn't have sick days, he takes a day off, it isn't paid, just like his holidays. Company he works for sucks!

alzo - there is a child tax credit equivlant in OZ - based on household income, like here. I don't know about any plan where the government helps towards a child's education.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 6:39 am
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by alzo
4-5 weeks standard vacation? Nice. Is that an average or do you have to be in a company for over 5-10 yrs?
Four weeks is the basic leave entitlement in Australia, the same as Britain, and you'll get it straight away, although I think you might have to accrue it before you can use it. It's not like the US/Canada where you're on 10 days for the first 10 years or whatever. I think you should get all your public holidays on top of this as well, and they differ according to which state or territory you live in.

To the poster en route to Townsville - I hear you. I have family in a couple of provinces and love Canada a lot, but no matter how hard I imagine it I cannot see myself be able to retire in some of that winter weather, especially in the east.

Last edited by hereandthere; Oct 9th 2009 at 6:42 am.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 6:47 am
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by Dorothy
My husband worked for the same company for 19 years and got 3 weeks off. One week at a time because the company had a policy of not allowing more than that to be taken at any one time. Here it feels like we're off more than at work between the 4 weeks vacation, sick leave, personal leave, carer's leave, etc. We have found that employers here are a lot more family friendly than our former employers in Ontario.

Oh, and I joke about Milton. I'm from Burlington but was born in a house that used to stand at the corner southwest corner of Dundas St & Bronte Rd. They tore down the house to build that little plaza.
See to an Aussie or a Brit this kind of statement just seems terrifying. I know someone who works in the University of Oxford and he got six weeks entitlement on the day he started, and he didn't even have to accrue it. At least you have statutory in Canada - that's more than the US, or am I wrong? I read that in the US they don't technically have to give you any leave.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 7:37 am
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

Originally Posted by hereandthere
See to an Aussie or a Brit this kind of statement just seems terrifying. I know someone who works in the University of Oxford and he got six weeks entitlement on the day he started, and he didn't even have to accrue it. At least you have statutory in Canada - that's more than the US, or am I wrong? I read that in the US they don't technically have to give you any leave.
Not sure about the US. My brother lives in Indiana but he's a stay at home dad. I'll ask his wife about leave entitelments for their state. My son lives in Georgia so I'll ask him as well. I would think my son would have decent leave entitlement since he's defo union and been in his job for a few years.

Certainly you could negotiate holiday entitlements at interviews. It just happened that my job was one that dictated that I worked in small businesses with only 2 or 3 other employees so holidays were difficult for us to take. My husband's company though just didn't give a crap about it's employees. They were a ginormous multinational whose offices took up 2 entire floors of a skyscraper in downtown Toronto so their philosophy was that employees are disposible. Or at least that's the impression I had of them.

Last edited by Dorothy; Oct 9th 2009 at 7:42 am.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 10:36 am
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

My husband's been an electrician for 15 years, 12 of it with the same company. There never was holiday entitlement. It was simple, if you wanted time off, you booked it off, but it was of course without pay and not an entitled holiday leave. During the boom time, when jobs were everywhere, sparkies in Alberta could quit a job if they wanted more time off than their employer would allow and then they'd sign the union books when they got back and get a new job. Not unheard of at all.

There was "holiday pay" for the employees on each pay cheque, but that's about it...it was about 4% of their regular wages.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 1:08 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

This whole discussion on holiday time, sick time etc makes me ill. I know we can have it worse ie. 6 weeks for maternity leave in the US compared to the 12 months allowed in Canada.

But places like France and probably other European countries, along with Australia, have better 'benefits' to the working person....are more family oriented. To me this is what will keep people happy in their jobs, make them want to stay longer. Also, people probably don't feel as burned out as they do here.

I often listen to my OH bitch and complain and saying that Canada needs to 'catch up' with the rest of the world, in some respects, like this. I know he has it bad, no sick days, no paid holidays, works long hours for a wage that is disgusting for his qualifications and has a jackass for a boss.

I can't wait to get to Townsville....we just hope we won't have problems getting jobs.
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Old Oct 9th 2009, 1:17 pm
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Default Re: Canadians headed to Australia

what's standard mat leave in australia? is it the same 12mts? and you get your EI benefit + whatever the company topup is?
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