Any advice for foreigners when accepting work? what to ensure/ask/check

[Flaxen 2]

I've applied for work in social services area... and at the interview I had some vague responses regarding the conditions. I asked about how many annual leave days... could I take leave without pay (as I'd like to annually visit family back home)...

Should I get this in writing?

I am apprehensive about not asking what I 'should'... and finding out later due to an issue!

I come from a country where employment was pretty much a Govt Act.. legislated.. with some good basics.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You will find the US tends to be stingy with leave and unpaid leave is roughly the same as saying please let me go unless you are key to the company. Your standard vacation is typically after you worked a year and may only be 2 weeks combined sick and vacation time.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Don't try to ask this in the interview. It looks bad on you ("I really want a job, but how much can I not work and still get paid?"). Wait for the job offer, and then negotiate the particulars. Once they want you, then you can ask all of that stuff and come to an agreement. But wait until they want you.

[ArianneChris 6]

This is one of the things I really did not like about the "pros and cons of us moving to the US". In NZ, Aus or the UK, you would typically get 1 month off each year, and it is common for people to take this off in big chunks (1-2 weeks at a time, sometimes even the whole month). My fiance told me that in the US, this does not typically happen. Apparently it's very hard to take more than a few days off at a time, specially if you just started. However, people who work in the government sometimes get more vacation time, so that might be the case if you work in social services?

With regards to mentioning it in your interview... I think if you want to be safe, you can phone the HR department after your interview to ask about this. But if you have positive vibes while talking to your panel of interviewers, well, you can ask it at the "Do you have any questions?" part. It's a legitimate concern, I don't think it'll look bad on you. You're just asking really, since you're new to the country, and they will know this from the interview.

[kitthekat 1,317]

I'd ask about the paid time off because it's something that would be important to me too, but I'd be careful to phrase it diplomatically, and definitely after I'm sure I have one foot in the door at the very least.

What you could do is, after you get the job offer, but before you accept, write in to HR and ask for clarification on the terms of employment, remuneration, benefits, etc.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

This is one of the things I really did not like about the "pros and cons of us moving to the US". In NZ, Aus or the UK, you would typically get 1 month off each year, and it is common for people to take this off in big chunks (1-2 weeks at a time, sometimes even the whole month). My fiance told me that in the US, this does not typically happen. Apparently it's very hard to take more than a few days off at a time, specially if you just started. However, people who work in the government sometimes get more vacation time, so that might be the case if you work in social services?

With regards to mentioning it in your interview... I think if you want to be safe, you can phone the HR department after your interview to ask about this. But if you have positive vibes while talking to your panel of interviewers, well, you can ask it at the "Do you have any questions?" part. It's a legitimate concern, I don't think it'll look bad on you. You're just asking really, since you're new to the country, and they will know this from the interview.

I have never heard of anyone being restricted to only taking a few days here or there. I would quit, personally, if that was the job I was offered. 2 weeks is a standard baseline, but many people get more, and it is something you can negotiate. If you are better skilled, more in demand, you can get a better deal.

But this is not something to bring up in the interview. Same with salary.

[ArianneChris 6]

I have never heard of anyone being restricted to only taking a few days here or there. I would quit, personally, if that was the job I was offered. 2 weeks is a standard baseline, but many people get more, and it is something you can negotiate. If you are better skilled, more in demand, you can get a better deal.

But this is not something to bring up in the interview. Same with salary.

Yeah, I thought that sounded bad. But apparently my fiance's company just doesn't sound great. Employees are seldom allowed more than a few days off, their 401k plan nets you loss instead of gain (cause the employee needs to shoulder the cost of the management company's $75 per month overhead cost). If this were the case, would you be able to negotiate this with HR? Or is it just best to find a new company? My fiance is a software developer, so there is demand.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Many companies want you to request any more than a few days off and the senior employees are usually given preference for choice times such as before / after Thanksgiving or Christmas to make holidays longer.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yeah, I thought that sounded bad. But apparently my fiance's company just doesn't sound great. Employees are seldom allowed more than a few days off, their 401k plan nets you loss instead of gain (cause the employee needs to shoulder the cost of the management company's $75 per month overhead cost). If this were the case, would you be able to negotiate this with HR? Or is it just best to find a new company? My fiance is a software developer, so there is demand.

Oh, gosh, run from that company. Loss on 401K? geez... what is the point?

My husband is a developer and he gets 4 weeks off a year. I know Google gets 5 weeks.

[ArianneChris 6]

Oh, gosh, run from that company. Loss on 401K? geez... what is the point?

My husband is a developer and he gets 4 weeks off a year. I know Google gets 5 weeks.

I know! It's like they're saying "Here's how much we care about you and your future..."

Anyway, thanks for the input. It's good to hear that I'm not the only one thinking that those benefits are quite bad. He just graduated this year and took this job because it meant he didn't have to relocate and he could save more money that way. I can't wait til I get an EAD and get a job so he can start looking for a different one.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

At my first job interview I asked about unpaid time off because of my father being elderly. I simply said "My father is in his 90's, in the event there is an emergency back home, is unpaid leave available?" when he asked about questions. Of course the interview was very informal and I had a good "vibe" otherwise I would have waited to see if I was hired on. I was subsequently hired and never had to use the unpaid leave option but I was happy being upfront.

With my current employer I didn't even interview. They saw my resume through a hiring agency and wanted me to start right away so I didn't get to ask any questions. I started in late May last year as a temp, hired in June and by September I had to leave at a moment's notice because my father had passed. They had no problems with that (and I would have quit if they did) and in fact even paid me for a week of that leave.

Really depends on the company. Everything you're telling me though sounds shady as h*ll. However my husband had a similar crappy job at one point because of an unexpected redundancy and he took whatever job he could to keep the roof over our heads and is now in a job he loves. You do what you have to do.

I'm considering another move as I was headhunted today... always hard to decide.