How do you find the work ethic over here?

Longer hours & shorter holidays make a difference.

I'm probably working with some of the best qualified IT people I've ever worked with, which is good.

Standards are probably higher and I find I put more effort in to get stuff right first time.

For the first time ever I've actually got a lot of respect for the people I work with, which is a novelty after 15 years in IT.

I'm also in IT. The main difference I find is that people here seem happier, more willing to help, and generally have more of a positive attitude rather than complaining about their lot. I work in a process improvement team. It's refreshing to be around people who are genuinely interested in trying to do things better than last time.
Ed.

Does anyone work in an academic setup? was wondering if working long hours during the week and weekends was the norm?! or if people do respect their off time?

Obviously depending on your work and deadlines, but jsut an ask about the norm...

You're expected to work hard and play hard in Canada - drinking hard has its place and time too.

I started my working career as an academic researcher in the UK before moving into IT - I can't imagine the academic world here is as full of socially inept disorganised misfits.

That final description wasn't mine, it was a polite paraphrasing of a comment by a departmental secretary at a University I attempted a PhD at - she had been around UK academics for a couple of decades and was much more blunt in her judgements.

I'd be interested to hear how the Canadian academic world compares.

Is it true Canadian employers dislike their staff going to the pub at lunchtime?

Speaking to some of my wife's friends, they have a look of sheer horror when I tell them about alcohol fuelled drinking sessions at lunchtime.

The only time it became a problem for me was when I had a meeting directly after returning from lunch - it became mildly embarrassing hopping up to go to the toilet every 5 minutes.

Yup - beers after work are fine, but not at lunchtime in my experience.

Some weeks lunch is just an extra hour of work for meeting clients and networking.

Stampede week is the exception - a lot of downtown companies have day long drinking sessions.

Yes, in general, going to the pub at lunchtime would be a bad idea. I would say in North America most people might wonder if you were an alcoholic. So drinking alcohol at lunch is something that I wouldn't recommend. That may seem harsh, but drinking (very moderate) is more acceptable later in the evening - after work.

If you smell of alcohol at work here you will likely be fired. It is an absolute no-no in office culture. The "alcoholic" label will also follow you around in the less populated areas. If you take clients out - they can drink, but professional ettiquette is that you do not under any circumstances. Dinner appointments are less fraught with pitfalls as you can usually have one glass of wine with dinner with no comment. Women are particularly vulnerable to the "drink problem" label and I have seen a female staff member in one job in 1998 fired for having a G&T with a Japanese client. The client (p***k that he was) "tested" her with the offer of a drink and apparently expected her to say no. The complaint about her lunchtime indiscretion got back to the office before she did and she was fired on the spot.

Get used to ordering a coke or pepsi, it's about as exciting as corporate life gets.

If you break the unwritten rules, get used to being fired on the spot

Blimey - it really is that different here.

I've had interviews in pubs in London before, and successfully been offered jobs after enjoying a couple of pints with the 'interviewer'.

Not much chance of that happening here then!

I used to employ a british expat who would sometimes come to work on Monday mornings a little hung over. I never really took him to task for such indiscretions, but I think most employers would have given him a one-time warning or fired him on the spot.

I know a few Canadians who have a habit of turning up some mornings with a hangover - it seems to be tolerated, but I wouldn't try it myself.

OK can I only comment on the one place I have worked - no idea how typical they are for the accounting profession or Canada

- yes drinking at lunch time seems to be frowned upon, I was told once by a more senior member of staff it was inappropriate that I ordered a pint whilst in a resteraunt at lunchtime with a couple of other staff (they all had soft drinks). Personally I think it's a load of arse that you can't have one drink (I'm over 30 years old for gods sake) and have ignored the informal warnings but no doubt it's noted and held against you

- on the work ethic the big difference I have found is the Canadians regulary work weekends (often in my opinion needlessly). Whereas in the UK people would work late nights in the week to avoid the weekend working here people seem happy to do shorter hours and work on the weekend if necessary to make up for it. This can be irritating if you are in team scenarios as you have little option for flexibility.

- the final "culture" thing that's struck me is how petty/bitchy a lot of people are and there's also a greater obsession with rank and how you report to etc.

Like I say no idea if this is typical of other places but it represents my experiences

I used to find Redbull could counter the effects of hangovers, especially two or more. So now I know the real reason Redbull isn't sold in Canada. You're nicked sunshine!

A few decades ago, boozing during the day in Canada was much more common than it is now, boozing had gotten out of hand. Consequently, laws were toughened and drinking during the day became frowned upon. Canadians ought to be proud of this cultural change because alcoholism is much less a problem today than it was 30 years ago. We don't have a yob culture here as a result. The same change has occured with smoking. Both smoking and drinking have become less and less socially acceptable over the years. Basically, the same trend has occured in the US of A.