anotherlimey

I think I work less hours here, but I am expected to stay on when necessary - it just hasn't happened much... yet.

There do seem to be lots of brown nosers though.

cabritpop

utter utter utter bollocks. Then you die.

Schnorbitz

I am working more hours but my days are shorter. I'm in the office for 7am but gone at 5pm. Living closer means I leave the house at the same time as when I was in the UK but I get home at least an hour earlier. I've been pretty lucky with vacation days. In the UK I got 25 days per year, here I get 20. Sick days are seperate. But in my case though the salary is a whole lot better. I got almost a 50% increase on what I was getting in the UK. Sounds quite good but in the UK we were a dual income family. I'm a happy bunny!!

Lottie

Pro's
- get paid more
- get more recognition for the work I do
- get more opportunities
- work less hours - don't have to get in early to speak with Eastern Europe and stay late to speak with the US
- shorter commute to work

Con's
- vacation time
- maternity leave

May be more on the pro list, but you have to decide what is important in life to you personally.

Elvira

How is this possible? Surely this cannot be legal - even in the US?

Bob

depending on what state you live in, employers might have the right to fire, which means you can be shit canned with no notice and no reason and get nothing as compensation.....and if the company is "struggling"...the first thing that goes is decent medical insurance...and to qualify for benefits get harder....on paper where the missus works, the benefits are awesome, but they are nae on impossible to actually get...also the 401K is utter shite, they might match what you put in, but if you leave within 5 years you can't get there contribution.

taxes are a mare but will depend on where you live,...the hours are long and there's not much you can do about it...the missus works a 11 hr day, lunch doesn't get paid....don't get paid overtime unless you schedule it in advance, don't have sick time, well that's included in the holiday time, have to either work thanks giving or x-mas...not all public holidays are counted as holidays and if you work them, they aren't always paid extra....holiday at x-mas is shite in general, straight back to work on the 26th, no holiday between x-mas and new year.

maternity leave is generally shite...where the missus works, it is 6 weeks, if your higher up, can get up to 3 months, but that isn't paid.

Bob

because it's a good way to make people leave and get new bodies that qualify to for even less benefits...

sprintblue

I might not find it too bad then considering that......

I currently work 12 hour days & nights.


Well we do, but if your off more than 3 times or 5 days what ever comes soonest it's off to H.R, then you are allowed to be of one more time in the next 6 months, if you exceed that one time allowed your back in HR again for a warning then they give you the one time off in the next 6 months and if you exceed it again your sacked. So everyone just comes in to work and passes their illnesses arround!

I have to cover in effect 365 days a year, so far this yr ive done all bank holidays barring one day, amd workin xmas eve and xmas day and boxing day & new years eve and new years day. Even the staff who dont do shifts only get (if it didnt fall on a weekend for example) 1/2 day xmas eve, xmas day and boxing day, then back in and then one day off for new years day.

So I might not find it tooooooo bad!! I hope

elfman

I work longer hours here and get less than half the vacation time I did in Britain. Pay is marginally better here, taking into account the extra hours.

I have another issue with working over here - the attitude to training: I've only worked for one company here, but since they are the US's largest civil engineering consulting firm they may well be fairly representative of US working culture. The issue I have is that here there is almost zero support from employers for training and professional development. The engineering firms I worked for in Britain devoted significant time, money, and resources to training - sending people on courses, organising in-house training, and making sure that senior members of staff had specific delegated responsibilities to mentor and advise younger staff with regard to training and to monitor their progress towards appropriate professional qualifications. I don't see anything remotely similar here - my employers have some online project management training courses on the company intranet site and that's about it. Want to get a professional qualification? Then you're completely on your own - any courses you want to go on will be in your own time and at your own expense, and there will be no support from above.

I guess we're all meant to be ruggedly self-sufficient or something. Wouldn't want anyone to rely on any form of handout or welfare now, would we?

Angry White Pyjamas

Who do you work for?

sprintblue

I wouldn't like to say on a public forum........i know how you would love to stalk me!!!

Its in the banking industry

Angry White Pyjamas

Its only because you want a ride on my wave. You said so yourself.

I was just wondering if it was an American owned company. But now you said banking all becomes clear....one of the last bastions of Victorianic practices.

Manc

you call it a wave?
more a slow ebb me thinks.

Angry White Pyjamas

Bit of a low tide mostly these days to be honest

Partystar

We're in Arizona too, it's true, they can sack you for no reason, but you can also leave without giving notice too. I used to work for the NHS too, I had 25 days paid annual leave, 3 months full pay sick leave (then it goes down to half pay), 8 bank holidays, 6 months paid maternity leave, I could go on & on. I was on a great wage & was able to work from home (they would pay my phone bill for my work calls too), did whatever hours & days I liked without having to really report to anyone! I had it made, now hubby gets treated like crap at work & I'm a stay at home mum!