Edo

Hello. I have been offered a job in Canada and currently going through the paperwork etc. The salary figure still needs to be discussed but I am slightly shocked to see the no. of holidays the company is willing to offer in the package. Its not even half of what I currently get in the UK . I know North American employers can be very stingy when it comes to the no. of days they let you take as annual leave but I am wondering if its acceptable to negotiate that upfront? This offer is from a very big company so I am sure they have set rules and procedures for these things. Are they likely to bend them on case to case basis or do you just have to accept what they give you.

PS. This company approached me themselves if that makes a difference.

ArthurBrit

It never hurts to try and get more, by not saying anything you will never get more out of them but by asking for more you could.

Most companies I have dealt with are negotiable on this.

Just don't ask in a way that could be interpreted as an ultimatum.

pdarwin

In all the jobs I've been offered in Canada, I've attempted to negotiate both salary and vacation time. Sometimes it's been successful, other times not. You're correct in assuming that larger companies are less flexible for vacation time, but you should still ask, especially if they only offer 2 weeks per year - then go for 3. If they offer 3 or 4 weeks, there's little more you could expect, but always try.

Tangram

How long have you been researching Canada, I see you joined the forum in 2008 ?

Surely the vacation time is not a shock to you ?

Tigger1

It really does depend on the company and what their policies are, yes the vacation is rubbish compared to the UK but if you want to come to Canada then that might be the sacrifice you have to make. I've learnt to use the stats when I book time off and that stretches it out.

By all means counter back to the company on your vacation, but be clear that it's not a make or break for you.

gb_griffiths

My position on this in simple. Why do you want to go to Canada. Is it to take holidays or is it because you live and work in Canada (with all the associated pros and cons).

I've no experience of negotiations with Canadian employers so I can't help you with that.

If it was me, and I wanted to go to Canada, I'd take it. It's always better to pissing out from the inside than it is to be pissing in from the outside.

cheeky_monkey

Here we go the old suck it up post...everything is negotiable regardless if your going to Canada Timbuktu or the moon..dont ask dont get applies to every where in the world.

orly

2 weeks is pretty standard in most places from what I've seen. Some places tend to offer more as you accrue more years, others just have a default amount that doesn't vary.

I know people who have decent management level positions in government agencies who were delighted to have worked up to 3 or 4 weeks off after some ridiculous amount of years in. The 4-5 weeks we were accustomed to back in the UK is for the very lucky few here it seems.

Not much you can do about it. The laws are different and companies work within them.

The company I work for gives 2 weeks but usually offers extra time between Xmas and New Year on the basis that a skeleton crew works each of the "normal days" and you divide it up so that you usually end up only working 1 day and getting close to an extra week off.

Edo

Cheers for the replies guys. I have basically been offered a 'relocation' package so I am pleased to say that the initial expenses like airfare and the first few weeks of accommodation etc will be covered.

But I want your opinions on negotiating the salary please. In the interview they asked for my current salary and me being the most honest person in the world told them the truthful figure. And they added 15% on top of it. Now apart from the salary trend factor in my field, do you guys think I have got a fair deal or is there room to push for a bit more. If negotiating job packages is such a common thing in Canada, then can somebody tell me what percentage of the initial offer are employers generally willing to go up to.

JonboyE

There is no set amount for negotiation. Some companies will, others won't.

The most relevant number is the going rate for people in your industry with your sets of skills. If the going rate is $70k, and they have offered you $80k, and you try and negotiate it to $90k there will come a point when the employer decides they might as well hire someone locally. However, if the going rate is $70k and they have offered you $60k then go ahead and ask for more. Until you know what the going rate is you are in the dark.

Piff Poff

That was our initial thought, but seriously, 2 weeks per annum sucks big time, it doesnt give you time to have a decent break and the occasional day off you might need at other times in the year for various reasons, it's one reason why so many people experience burnout. For example we are thinking of two weeks in the summer to the uk, a long weekend in may and would like a week in the winter to break up the monotony, but it's not possible, to fit that all in when you get ten days vacation time.

ann m

Probably teaching you to suck eggs, but don't forget to look at the whole package, including benefits if they are provided. This can add $$$ to your total compensation. A Relocation package is also costing the company a lot of $$$ for one position. If they offered 2 or 3 weeks vacation, ask for 4. Is that really a deal breaker for you though?

I'd be more inclined to ask if there are any other perks on offer, like Xmas days, or a bonus, or an annual pay review coming up before a year is complete. Are you evaluated on annual anniversary dates, or is it just, for example, July 1st across the whole company?

Congrats on the job offer. What does you gut say about the company? That's important too!

Edo

Thanks Ann I will ask them those questions next time I speak to them. With regards to holidays, theres those satutory bank holidays/xmas break etc as well on top of the 2 weeks leave. But this was another surprise to me when they said that I will have to work 2.5 hours extra every week on top of the basic 40 hours to 'earn' the statutory days off.

Can you guys tell me if thats also something common with Canadian employers.

ann m

I've never heard of that and it sounds wrong. A stat is a stat (though there are a few that are not the same across the country - Easter Monday was an example this week and many places don't acknowledge that as a stat). Why would you need to work extra to earn Xmas day off? Is it a company that runs 24/7 operations?

I've heard of having to work extra hours to earn flex days, or where you are allowed to take every third Friday off for example.

Two weeks vacation, on a 40-hour week is tough. I'd at least ask for three - they may not even consider 4. Ask them how many years you need to work there to earn more vacation time. For many companies, it is five years before an increase. Can you negotiate on that?

caretaker

If the company has your position working 37.5 hrs/wk and they consider 40 hrs to be full-time (only excuse I can think of for the figure 2.5 hrs), maybe they're screwing somebody out of benefits. I work 30 hrs/wk in a place where 37.5 is the norm (so I'm working %80 of full-trime) and as far as I know I get paid for all stats + time and a half if I work them.