Re: Holiday entitlement
 

I will get 3 weeks plus 12 bank holidays straight off, then when I've done 5 years service (counting the 4 years I've already done before the transfer), it will rise to 4 weeks and then 5 weeks when I've done 15 years, 6 weeks when I've done 25 years (if I'm not insane by this point).

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

I get three weeks here and find it's pretty limiting in terms of what you can do with your year. We are planning to go back to the uk for two weeks at xmas...then my father in law is visiting in June, so that will be another week and that's it. Three weeks maybe doesn't sound bad at first but I really resent the lack of hols. I really miss being able to take a week off here and there to just potter about etc, which canadians just don't understand.

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Yes but although it might be the same amount of holiday I'd say there is a big difference when you can't choose when to take half of it! Hubby is used to a weeks skiing, a week or two of a summer holiday, 10 days off over Christmas, long weekends, and then various other days throughout the year i.e. days off for childrens sports days/xmas plays, etc. We're lucky as he's staying on his UK contract so will still get 25 days holiday but I know he'd struggle with only 2 weeks per year, particularly as he'd want to take time off when people come to visit from the UK.

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Hi
I get 2 weeks paid, I have a boss that is quite good about me taking some upaid leave but I dont think it compares in anyway to the holidays that you get in the UK even with the stats. I have been told you need to have been in a job for 5years to qualify for three weeks paid. As some people have said, two weeks just about takes you home to see your family. I know of one woman who is told when she can take her holidays and is only allowed one week in the summer and has to keep one week for christmas. Just a different way I suppose.
Buggalugs

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Not true. Plenty of people have had that much (or more) right from the start.

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Maybe, but that is the minimum allowable under BC employment standards, to which some industries stick with. A lot depends on the industry, labour shortages and how much an employer wants to attract a specific sector of the labour force.

An employer must give an employee an annual vacation of at least 2 weeks, after 12 consecutive months of employment, or at least 3 weeks, after 5 consecutive years of employment.

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Ok, to encourage people who may be thinking of Canada and be put off: I've just got a job offer with about 4.5 weeks (four weeks plus Christmas week) here in Vancouver, so they are out there. That's practically what I had in the UK, give or take a couple of days (and we get more stat holidays here).

In all my negotiations I've made clear from the start that my expectations on leave were as important as salary and that we moved here for lifestyle reasons and this was absolutely key.

Even with the more traditional companies I'd spoken to (who might normally start on two weeks) I found compromise wasn't that difficult to come by (i.e. 3 paid + 1 unpaid, or some other arrangement).

It's true that it IS, by and large, hard to get a lot of leave here, but it is ALSO true that this is changing and you should never go into a negotiation assuming you're not going to achieve anything more than two weeks. One of the guys who interviewed me recently acknowledged that people are starting to expect more, and this is being factored in more regularly than in the past. This applies also to things like flexible hours and home working.

Myself and my wife are now both employed in our first jobs here in Vancouver (in very different fields), and both have 4+ weeks holiday.

Best of luck to anyone looking for work right now!

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Actually, that sounds a little more encouraging......As you said, for me the issue of leave would be as important as, if not more important than, salary.

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

I too made it clear to potential employers I would want 4 weeks leave. I got it and had two offers of it. BUT it is an accupation under pressure and they are slightly more desparate than your average employers. My O got 4 weeks as well

Gryphea

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

Just thought I'd add my bit...

I work in the Oil and Gas industry here in Calgary. Employers here recognise prior service when awarding vacation time. I have been in the game for over 10 years so was offered 4 weeks straight away when I started. Plus my personal day's off and bank holidays in all totals 41 days a year (in the UK I had 39 made up of 5 weeks vacation and bank holidays)
If I was new to the industry I would be offered 2 or 3 weeks vacation with the PDOs and bank holidays and would build up my entitlement with years of service.

Cheers

Dobbie :thumbsup:

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

That's very interesting. Maybe I'll be alright after all!

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

loads of positive replies maybe will start the ball rolling for PR .:thumbsup:

Re: Holiday entitlement
 

I get three weeks + stats. I don't need to come in between Christmas and New Year if I'm not busy so that is almost 4 weeks. Also, we are quite flexible about hours so I don't need to use vacation time for dentist appointments and so on.

I always seem to end up taking some of my vacation as pay as I never get round to taking it all.