Do you really want your relative in the US ?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I worked lots of retail in college. Hated every minute of it. Wish to never go back but seeing how many IT guys in their 50s end up at Home Depot who knows.

Retail downunder actually pays a decent salary.

Unless the laws of math don't apply downunder (does money flow the opposite way?), I am sure that is factored into the cost of products as well.

I think you are given a sizeable beer allowance that has a $ value.

[SunDrop 59]

That, and the difference in employment law being determined by state law instead of federal/ national.

Annual entitlement to 4 weeks/ 20 days paid vacation is immediate, by law, in the UK. Some firms make you accrue it first (works out to be about 1.66 days/mth) others allow you to take it and if you leave the firm, they deduct the pay-per-day equivalent from your last pay check. Even temporary agency staff are paid annual leave.

Sick pay depends more on the company. Most allow up to 30 days, where 3 days consecutive don't require a medical certificate, day 3-7 you can self-certificate and 1 week and more requires a doctor's certificate. This is on full pay. If you are likely to be ill longer than this, you often take a pay cut but continue to receive all your salaried benefits (incl. paid vacation, pension rights, etc) and often over 6 months you get moved onto statutory sick pay through the government.

Pregnancy and child birth are a different deal of their own, but you are entitled to 6 months paid maternity leave and again, depends on the company as to whether this is full pay or statutory maternity pay. Most companies offer you at least 6 weeks full pay, a further 6 weeks partial pay and the right to keep your job and take leave with statutory maternity pay for 6 mths, up to a year long (meaning 6 months are unpaid). Again, you continue to benefit from your paid vacation time etc, so most women will take the 12 weeks and add on the equivalent days of paid vacation accrued during that time before returning to work.

My last job I worked 8.15-5.00 38 weeks of the year and 9-4 the remaining 14. During the year I was entitled to 9 weeks' paid leave (partially compensating for the extra 45 mins a day I worked during the 38 weeks) plus 10 national holidays. I'm 32 and was working as a Personal Assistant.

Think this is good, try looking at Sweden!

[Heracles 417]

That, and the difference in employment law being determined by state law instead of federal/ national.

Annual entitlement to 4 weeks/ 20 days paid vacation is immediate, by law, in the UK. Some firms make you accrue it first (works out to be about 1.66 days/mth) others allow you to take it and if you leave the firm, they deduct the pay-per-day equivalent from your last pay check. Even temporary agency staff are paid annual leave.

Sick pay depends more on the company. Most allow up to 30 days, where 3 days consecutive don't require a medical certificate, day 3-7 you can self-certificate and 1 week and more requires a doctor's certificate. This is on full pay. If you are likely to be ill longer than this, you often take a pay cut but continue to receive all your salaried benefits (incl. paid vacation, pension rights, etc) and often over 6 months you get moved onto statutory sick pay through the government.

Pregnancy and child birth are a different deal of their own, but you are entitled to 6 months paid maternity leave and again, depends on the company as to whether this is full pay or statutory maternity pay. Most companies offer you at least 6 weeks full pay, a further 6 weeks partial pay and the right to keep your job and take leave with statutory maternity pay for 6 mths, up to a year long (meaning 6 months are unpaid). Again, you continue to benefit from your paid vacation time etc, so most women will take the 12 weeks and add on the equivalent days of paid vacation accrued during that time before returning to work.

My last job I worked 8.15-5.00 38 weeks of the year and 9-4 the remaining 14. During the year I was entitled to 9 weeks' paid leave (partially compensating for the extra 45 mins a day I worked during the 38 weeks) plus 10 national holidays. I'm 32 and was working as a Personal Assistant.

Think this is good, try looking at Sweden!

Sounds fair and logical to me. It's 'azz backwards' here, regardless of the fact that an employee is doing the work, the workers are made to feel that they have to prove themselves. Shareholders and executives on the other hand, need not proven anything, just bank the money. Unlike the worker, they (somehow) apparently worked hard for this dividend.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Booyah!

[Captain Oates 911]

Sounds fair and logical to me. It's 'azz backwards' here, regardless of the fact that an employee is doing the work, the workers are made to feel that they have to prove themselves. Shareholders and executives on the other hand, need not proven anything, just bank the money. Unlike the worker, they (somehow) apparently worked hard for this dividend.

Just nipped back to see how my thread on immigrant relatives is going on...

Just to digress, I am a shareholder - I sat in the freezing underdrawing of a council house in Leeds for 5 years studying to become a professional. Then I worked hard until I could retire at 54 with a good wad. I invested it and now I am a shareholder and I get dividends. My pals were just whooping it up and not trying to get ahead - now they are still working - some in retail

Anyway, about this relatives thing....

[Heracles 417]

Just to digress, I am a shareholder - I sat in the freezing underdrawing of a council house in Leeds for 5 years studying to become a professional. Then I worked hard until I could retire at 54 with a good wad. I invested it and now I am a shareholder and I get dividends. My pals were just whooping it up and not trying to get ahead - now they are still working - some in retail

Anyway, about this relatives thing....

Nothing wrong with that either.

The problem here in the US is that there is a grow dividends at any cost mindset. Consequently, the worker is shafted. Countries like the UK or Aus, still allow shareholders to make dividends and all that, however, just not at the expense of exploiting the workers.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

None of my relatives want to live in the US. They are all perfectly happy in Canada. They have good lives, don't have to worry about medical needs, have an excellent standard of living, friendly neighbours, clean, safe neighbourhoods, are either retired or have good paying jobs with good benefits, children enrolled in Universities with reasonable tuition and excellent reputations - and a snowblower in the garage . I never intended to fall in love with an American otherwise I would be happily still living in Canada too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

None of my relatives want to live in the US. They are all perfectly happy in Canada. They have good lives, don't have to worry about medical needs, have an excellent standard of living, friendly neighbours, clean, safe neighbourhoods, are either retired or have good paying jobs with good benefits, children enrolled in Universities with reasonable tuition and excellent reputations - and a snowblower in the garage . I never intended to fall in love with an American otherwise I would be happily still living in Canada too.

Sounds like it's time for you and the relatives to work on the spouse, at least in the long term. Perhaps entice him with Labatts and Timbits.

[Captain Oates 911]

None of my relatives want to live in the US. They are all perfectly happy in Canada. They have good lives, don't have to worry about medical needs, have an excellent standard of living, friendly neighbours, clean, safe neighbourhoods, are either retired or have good paying jobs with good benefits, children enrolled in Universities with reasonable tuition and excellent reputations - and a snowblower in the garage . I never intended to fall in love with an American otherwise I would be happily still living in Canada too.

Know whatcha mean - we are living in the US South of Vancouver Canada and we can play in Vancouver/Victoria and the islands which are stunning..

Luckily my relatives are not a marginal case and they are definitely not suited to the US which would chew em up and spit em out - so no decison to be made. Luckily my USC wife has a good job with good healthcare. Luckily she likes England so we could buzz off if she lost the job/healthcare. Luckily we are too old to have kids. Luckily we are too old to be building a career. So it's all luck for us but I do wonder about other people and how insanely hard it must be when there is a whole family involved and people change and want different things

If I had kids brothers/sisters who were educated and ambitious I would still caution them and get em to think long and hard coz building a life in one country if you are going to have kids there, is a very risky business as it isnt just a matter of jumping on a plane if you start to hate the place.

I am liking it fine at the mo but I am aware that things and people change, so I always have a fallback plan ready

[Mags 112]

My Dad fails to see the appeal of the USA (as do many of my British friends). It wouldn't make any sense for him to move over here and I wouldn't inflict it on him.

As to vacation time: I used to get 6 weeks paid vacation time in the UK after 5 years in the job. It was 22 days for the first year, 25 after 3 and then 30 days after 5. After ten years it went up to 35. I got up to 20 days sick leave; 6 months if certificated. I worked a 36 hour week.

Here? 2 weeks with roughly 10 days sick pay. 40+ hours per week.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Persephone

[Captain Oates 911]

My Dad fails to see the appeal of the USA (as do many of my British friends). It wouldn't make any sense for him to move over here and I wouldn't inflict it on him.

As to vacation time: I used to get 6 weeks paid vacation time in the UK after 5 years in the job. It was 22 days for the first year, 25 after 3 and then 30 days after 5. After ten years it went up to 35. I got up to 20 days sick leave; 6 months if certificated. I worked a 36 hour week.

Here? 2 weeks with roughly 10 days sick pay. 40+ hours per week.

Yes I used to work for a company based in Georgia and when I visited I couldn't believe the tiny holidays and long unpaid hours

The guy I was working with invited me to his house and his wife was telling me (when he was out of the room) she hardly saw him even at weekends and was sick of being alone. It was April and he had worked every day including weekends since Jan 1. The others had too

If I was a doctor from a third world country and my wife was too - then fair enough bring ma over coz we could look after her healthcare and bills and she maybe lives a dangerous and difficult life. But someone from Europe or from a poorer country who is doing ok and has friends and relatives ? -nope it wouldn't be an automatic choice anyway because it takes a certain personality type and certain circumstances to emigrate and not everyone can do it.

I see David Soul became a UK citizen so it can be done in reverse ! Wonder if he imported his family - bet he didn't

[Heracles 417]

None of my relatives want to live in the US. They are all perfectly happy in Canada. They have good lives, don't have to worry about medical needs, have an excellent standard of living, friendly neighbours, clean, safe neighbourhoods, are either retired or have good paying jobs with good benefits, children enrolled in Universities with reasonable tuition and excellent reputations - and a snowblower in the garage . I never intended to fall in love with an American otherwise I would be happily still living in Canada too.

Spot on there. My family refuses to even visit. Prior to meeting my spouse, moving to the US was simply not an option. If I could go back in time (Butterfly Effect), I would have simply had my spouse move to Aus. I would never have even found VJ. Probably would have been less bitter and hateful too.

The quality of life I experienced in Aus, even with income lower to what I am earning here, is second to none.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Booyah!

[Captain Oates 911]

None of my relatives want to live in the US. They are all perfectly happy in Canada. They have good lives, don't have to worry about medical needs, have an excellent standard of living, friendly neighbours, clean, safe neighbourhoods, are either retired or have good paying jobs with good benefits, children enrolled in Universities with reasonable tuition and excellent reputations - and a snowblower in the garage . I never intended to fall in love with an American otherwise I would be happily still living in Canada too.

Spot on there. My family refuses to even visit. Prior to meeting my spouse, moving to the US was simply not an option. If I could go back in time (Butterfly Effect), I would have simply had my spouse move to Aus. I would never have even found VJ. Probably would have been less bitter and hateful too.

The quality of life I experienced in Aus, even with income lower to what I am earning here, is second to none.

I reckon we are all living in our own little bubble s which are either fine (for now) or totally manky depending on all sorts of factors...

Were we living on a beautiful estate by the sea in California with pots of money and lots of friends, it would be a totally different picture. Perhaps it is how we live and who is around us rather than where we live...

But for sheer administrative and nervous expenditure, and worry that I was responsible, I wouldn't like to bring a relative into the U.S.

Reading the OZ forums there are Brits who loathe it and some who totally love it - the loathers seem to have hit family problems very often. Not always - but many decide no inside 6 months.

I wonder if there are any who didn't like the U.S. until they imported a family member and then it went ok after that.

[jundp 191]

Do you get at least 4 weeks paid leave? No to mention, 10 days paid public holidays.

Slightly more.

I get to carry over 2 weeks, which I usually do.

Let me get this straight, you are provided with more than 4 weeks annual leave every year.

I get about 11 weeks paid vacation, plus all the major holidays And we have health insurance paid for by my husband's employer. So yeah, I feel pretty blessed.

To the OP: none of my husband's relatives would ever move here again, but they did live in America for 6 years. His father is a physicist and was transferred to Boston in the late 90s. They like it well enough, but not enough to move back. They prefer Germany.

[Captain Oates 911]

I get about 11 weeks paid vacation, plus all the major holidays And we have health insurance paid for by my husband's employer. So yeah, I feel pretty blessed.

To the OP: none of my husband's relatives would ever move here again, but they did live in America for 6 years. His father is a physicist and was transferred to Boston in the late 90s. They like it well enough, but not enough to move back. They prefer Germany.

I considered Germany. I was dating a psychiatrist in OstFriesland. When I told my son I was off to Germany to see a psychiatrist he said 'about time'. Little Rat. Munich would have swung it, but Bremen ? She wanted to live in Wester Ross, Scotland - makes the wilds of Washington State look like Times Square.

I am trying to have the run of both continents so I can experience the best of both and hopefully avoid the worst of each.

I wonder how it would be if it was all like the EU and people could just move easily back and forth..... I wonder if they would move their families. How many Brits do move to Germany permanently and how many Germans move to the UK permanently. They can move tomorrow with no papers required - but they don't much - and those who do, don't seem to move their families.

[Heracles 417]

I reckon we are all living in our own little bubble s which are either fine (for now) or totally manky depending on all sorts of factors...

Were we living on a beautiful estate by the sea in California with pots of money and lots of friends, it would be a totally different picture. Perhaps it is how we live and who is around us rather than where we live...

But for sheer administrative and nervous expenditure, and worry that I was responsible, I wouldn't like to bring a relative into the U.S.

Reading the OZ forums there are Brits who loathe it and some who totally love it - the loathers seem to have hit family problems very often. Not always - but many decide no inside 6 months.

I wonder if there are any who didn't like the U.S. until they imported a family member and then it went ok after that.

Family is definitely something that affects someone's experience. It's something I definitely underestimated. Moving to the DC area, we have neither my wife's nor my family here. I'm not exactly keen on making any friends here, so it has impacted my experience.

At the end of the day, my family would not move here nor would I want them to.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Booyah!