criodain

So, what's it like?
A mate of mine worked in the USA once, and didn't really like the serious work attitude there. Now, you can't tar em all with the same brush I know, but you would have a perceived laid back work attitude in Australia, somewhat similar in some parts of Ireland. I also found it laid back in Italy, but am curious to know what the Canadian work lifestyle is like?
I know it's hard to generalise....

dormy

I have only worked in a couple of places since I have been here, but I have found in both that there is a huge blame culture. Rather than working together and helping each other, folk go out of their way to tell tales and try to catch each other out when making mistakes. Small things are blown way out of proportion, and this means a very distrusting environment.

I feel that people have very fragile ego's and will do anything, no matter how petty, to make themselves feel superior, at anyone's expense.

iaink

How long is a piece of string? Canada as such doesnt seem to have a work atmosphere any more than the UK does, each company has its own micro culture, so really it depends on a particular employer, some are more casual that others.

Souvenir

I think that's a very accurate view. I worked for a Canadian company as a freelencer very briefly and several years ago. The backstabbing/cover your own butt mentality appalled me. It's why I terminated my association with the outfit.

My missus works in an office environment and, from what she tells me, what I experienced is pretty standard.

In Canada, like some other countries, you don't work for a company but at it.

Almost Canadian

The seniority thing really gets me as well. You must obey what the most senior person says, even if s/he doesn't know their ass from their elbow. Very frustrating.

Auld Yin

fledermaus

Well I am lucky then in that I work with nice people. It's a very small hospital with comparatively high standards and a good atmosphere. Definitely a no blame culture, but on the other hand I get infuriated by an attitude of we've always done it that way so why change. This seems to permeate Canadian life generally. That and a not looking beyond the borders to see how others do things

Simon Legree

It's the way we learned it in the UK and I always thought we had cornered the market for that mindset so to speak !!! A good example of this would be the British motorcycle industry back in the 60s. All the two wheeler fans will know only too well about that.

iaink

Generalisations really dont work. I doubt any of us has worked for enough canadian organisations to be able to make a call over all. You cant say pioneering firms like Ballard or RiM are insular and parocheal. My current firm certainly isnt, all ideas are welcomed. But that was not as true with a previous employer, but then Ive found that in the UK too.

I would say that dress codes are more relaxed, but that doesnt really say much about the work atmosphere.

JamesM

My experience of working at Telus.

Dress code is more relaxed, People do not work as hard or as smart, Less humour, Less comraderie, Lots of politics and power struggles, People not wanting to deviate from their specific job description. No one ever wants to go and grab a beer. On the plus side lots of training, pizza and doughnuts during meetings and expensive coffee machines.

fledermaus

hmm Britain 1970s Canada 2000s

My experience of working in hospitals in the past 20 years has been that we always looked for new and better ways to do things, never assumed that our way was the best. You had to prove it with clinical audit and evidence based practice. It seems that wWhen they do implement an idea it's years after anyone else, plus they think they are the first to do it that way.

An example. Britain has had one stop clinics for breast cancer diagnosis since the early 1980s. On the news this week Princess Margaret Hospital announced that that's what they have been doing. They called it innovative.

Butch Cassidy

EXCUSE ME.
Alberta is going to the first province to introduce such an innovative idea.

SAW 04

Ive found exactly the same thing. Not sure if its just this part of the country or across the board?

Cassie 10000

I'll second you on that.

It also depends on what profession your in, my husband is an engineer and having a great time and settling in he loves it. It took a while for his work mates to open up at first though, but he's got there (took about four months)

I work in retail and its very much dog eat dog and I won't be dragged into it. If I'm wrong about something I've done, I hold my hand up and say so. My supervisor is always trying to blame others apart from himself its a shame he can't admit his mistakes and feels the need to blame others to look good in front of the manager.

Ramsey

But sometimes this approach isn't too bad.... How many times in the UK have you heard of millions being spent on new "innovative" ideas only for them not too work or for people to revert back to the old methods???

The banking system here is pretty ancient in some ways..... however, that is probably why they are still standing!

I don't necessarily agree with it (especially with health care clinics that are obviously beneficial), but sometimes not jumping on the bandwagon and instead using tried and tested methods works.

Having said that, the "But it's how we've always done it" approach is doing my head in at my place!!!.... And people who can talk for hours about their previous experience (and will at any opportunity!) but have not the slightest clue how to make a decision or fix a problem.