Originally Posted by dgagitw (Post 12286240)

I get 5 weeks here, not all companies are so miserly....

Originally Posted by raindropsandroses (Post 12286775)

Que? :confused:

Originally Posted by cheeky_monkey (Post 12286789)

Trouble is i never take my full compliment..thus far i have used zero of my 5 weeks.

Originally Posted by lukesmith2 (Post 12286218)

I wanted to start another thread to discuss with other expats how they feel on the subject of vacation in Canada and how they handle it with being so far away from family and having such little time off.

My opinion and story:

I am moving back to the UK in January, after just a year in the great white north I quickly discovered summer is very short and winter is long and arid and cold. One of the biggest parts of my decision to move back is vacation, travel was easy around the world from the UK as its affordable for the masses, taking vacation was easy also. In my profession 5 weeks holiday was obtainable from start date with all my jobs I had.

So here in Canada I have to do with a measly 2 weeks, I tried to get 4 when I started and was told after 6 months they will review it, well that happened and nothing changed, let alone that my boss doesn't want me to take any vacation as they need me at work (part of the reason I was hired is a total lack of resource in my profession here in Canada). So everybody turns on me when I take vacation. I'm not alone either my girlfriend who moved with me is just a dental admin and the same happens with her. Sure I have a nicer apartment than I would have in the UK, and overall more disposable income, but for the minor lifestyle advantage the old cliché of ''money doesn't by happiness, comes to mind''. I took 2 weeks this year and a week unpaid I had a fight to get the week off unpaid and complete awkwardness and an argument with the owner of the company over it.

I talked to colleagues and have interviewed for other jobs in my profession here and vacation is a huge deal over here. Of course I knew that I only had 2 weeks when I moved out here, and read of forums about taking unpaid time and was prepared to do it. The pure fact is even if you get 2 weeks or 3 weeks your employer wants you to take that, and thats all in most circumstances, no unpaid, no nothing.

Also this is a sad story, one of the people who works at a different company who I'm friends with, he went back to Germany as his dad was dieing of cancer, this was in January, when he was there his dad died, he was off for a total of one whole month. His company did not pay him for 2 weeks of it, and the other 2 weeks were vacation. So now he has no vacation for the whole year, and he didn't get paid, also the company is treating him like sh*t, and making him do all the awful jobs, as if punishing him for it. WTF is going on here? LOL.

After all what is the point in all the working if you can't travel and can't see your family.

:amen:

Originally Posted by Left Eye (Post 12287625)

I think people's experience of holiday varies widely and it's up to the individual to be informed about what they are getting into...

Good employers want their staff to feel rested, so I would definitely push back and question the type of work culture where there are such stingy holiday allowances. There are some good places out there that want to look after their staff!

Originally Posted by JonboyE (Post 12287650)

I agree with this. Although 10 days + stats is the legal minimum across Canada in practice it varies so much between industries and companies that any generalization is largely irrelevant.

I even have one client whose vacation policy is "take as much vacation as you want or need. Just make sure your work is covered."

Originally Posted by Reeders (Post 12289016)

The work culture in Canada is simple. It is up to you to determine how much you will produce and for what rewards. Those who produce more are rewarded more.

Originally Posted by Reeders (Post 12289016)

You're in Canada, not in the UK. What happens in the UK is irrelevant if you live in Canada.

Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 12289028)

(I acknowledge Ax's points that not all workplaces are the same and that I work in fairly brutal sector, nonetheless I've been exposed to a lot of workplaces and these are my general impressions).

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 12289044)

Much of your client experience I think is with US companies?

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 12289044)

My take is that vacation & general employment conditions are worse in the US than Canada.

Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 12289059)

I agree with this but think the gap between employment conditions in the UK and that in Canada is much greater than that between Canada and the US. The one feature of the Canadian job market I think unusual, apart from the limited time off, is the rampant nepotism. Even large firms take on the children of employees as summer students and then make them lifetime employees despite there being better candidates queuing around the block. They'll promote this as "supporting the local community" or similar.