bromleygirl

Thank you Lion. I'm so glad that there are other people like me that get that too. The American work ethic is such that they work longer working week - sorry Scrumpy I forgot to mention that full-time is considered at least 40 hours a week, have much less annual leave and a lot of them end up not taking all their vacation days and selling them back to their employer - go figure!!

After education, annual leave is probably second on my list for my reasons to move back.

RaymanInPA

The biggest thing over here is that theres no room for the free-loaders. Either you work here or you starve. Sure all of us can expect to be unemployed now and then, but if you don't get on-your-bike and find a job fast you will end up in at the soup kitchen. Thats the way it. Whinging and moaning about how hard life is aint gonna help over here.

In the UK theres a cusion (Unemployment/Housing Benefits) to stop you hurting yourself too bad, over here there ain't - so be aware of it and try and save approx 9 months living expenses.

Pulaski

Ooops! I got Presidents day (Wall St closed) mixed up with Veterans day (Wall St open), but otherwise ... if you don't believe me, check this list. ...... I win!

bromleygirl

I would agree with Ray also. It's true if you loose your job it's just not your job that you are loosing - it's all the other things that make up your " compensation package" that's what they call your pay in the States which is not just your monthly income but your health insurance, life insurance depending on employer etc.

It is harder to claim unemployment here also. In order to claim you need to have worked for the last 18 continous months - thats how I understand it. There is no saftey net here from the government and if you are on welfare I think that you can only be on it for so many months.

doctor scrumpy

And yet despite all these conditions that would make the UK unions go ballistic, the US economy is no better than ours.

RaymanInPA

Yeah, sure. Go as an out of work coal-miner in Taffydwynedd in Wales what his options are? On second thoughts dont bother I can list them here:

1. Go to some shit-hole town in SE England where you cant afford to buy a house and serve Big Macs making just enough to pay your rent and tax (which goes on Muslim refugees) until you're too old to even work at Mc D's.

Yeah, the lack of security for the working man in the US would make the UK commie unions scream, but I can sure as hell tell you this pal - if I lost my job I'd rather take my chances and relocate to find work over here than I would in the UK.

Pimpbot

Have you ever watched Roger & Me, Ray old "Pal" ? If you had, your utopian idea on American working life would be blown out of the water. The people of Flint Michigan would argue that their job prospects are just the same as the coal miners that you mention when the GM plant shut down. You make relocating somewhere else sound like its as easy as waking up in the morning.

Keep looking at everything over here with Rose tinted glasses Ray old Pal. It should keep you that small level you appear to be away from insanity.

RaymanInPA

Pimpbot - I hate to give you another dose of the reality-bell so soon after the one before, but the fact is that the guy in Flint Michigcan can be dumped by his boss one-day and the next be on the other side of the country working in the current boom town.

Thats the thing with the US - its never in recession all over and combined with the willingness to move to find work it creates and incredible opportunity.

Sure theres still going to be the whingers and moaners who don't want to travel to find work if it takes them more than 10 miles away from home, but they'll end up on the scrap heap anyway, so who gives a damn.

Pimpbot

I suggest you rent the film and take off the rose tinted glasses.

I think the "reality-bell" has made you deaf

Pulaski

Sorry, I'm with Rayman. The harder it is lose staff when times are bad the less likely an employer is to hire extra staff as business picks up.

The steadily increasingly restrict employment laws in Europe, and that are being foisted on the UK, are causing irreparable damage to the competitiveness of businesses there.

Lion in Winter

I seem to remember reading the results of assorted studies that in fact productivity here is lower than in Europe (including the UK) where they have much more vacation. I've supported myself since I was 18, so it's not that I'm allergic to work (although if I suddenly won the lottery I wouldn't complain). I also seem to remember reading one of the measure of the advancement of a society/civilisation is the amount of leisure time they have to develop other aspects of their culture - music, art, long baths, etc. etc.

ukoilman

Hey,

I don't want to make you all envious but, I work for an International Oil Company and have done for 9 months, prior to that I was contracting for the same company for 12 months in Tempe, AZ . Then they relocated me to Bartlesville, OK.... where... its near Tulsa.

I get 5 weeks annual vacation plus if I work an extra 1/2 hour per day I get a day off every month making a grand total of 37 days vacation per year!!

The company normally gives 2 weeks starting vacation. I got 5 weeks cos they took my 20 year oil industry credit experience earned in the UK into account. So I was treated as an equal employee.

Their health plan sucks though!!! Can't have everything I guess.

ukoilman

I forgot the public holidays an extra 9 days so... I am into 46 days vacation, and yes I do find time to work and I do take the vacation, and so now do my fellow American workers who have had their eyes opened since I arrived.

DaveC

Hope it rains for those 46 days.......... No offence!

Daltrey

Interestingly enough, I work in Canada and my wife works
in the US (we live in a border community),and of course taxes are higher in Canada similar to the UK.

But,here's what those tax dollars do,here is what I get
after about 11 years at the same spot.

Job related,

Full health plan (ie.eyecare,massage therapy,etc) in addition to free public health care.

4 weeks vacation

1 3/4 sick days per month

90% dental paid

time off for appointments-paid

11 holidays all paid or taken off

and as a side note in Canada women receive 1 year pregnancy leave paid at full wages !

Here is what she gets after 8 yrs at the same place.

2 weeks vacation
no sick days, no work no pay
no time off for appointments
no health care offered(and she manages a doctors office !)
about 3 holidays paid out of 9 or 10 (don't quite understand
having a holiday and almost everyone works it?)

6 weeks pregnancy leave.

There is slightly more work in her field on the US side and she makes pretty good money so she sticks with it.