8 Years Working in the UK | Honest Opinion
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2024
- Get one free app for life with Odoo! www.odoo.com/r/L6t After working in the UK for the last 8 years, how does it compare to Canada? What are the differences in work culture between these two countries? Let's chat!
My working life has changed a lot over the course of the last 8 years, but it's been a fun ride along the way!
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Hey! I'm Alanna - a thirty-something documenting my life as a Canadian living in England.
I share the ups and downs of an expat living abroad and what it's really like living in the UK. It's not always easy, but there's been so many wonderful experiences, too. I post a CZcams video every Tuesday plus an additional video every Saturday on Patreon + YT Memberships. I also livestream every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:30pm GMT/BST on Twitch.
Alanna x
have you ever worked abroad before?? how did it go? 💼 Cheers to Odoo - Get one free app for life! www.odoo.com/r/L6t
I've worked all round the world for the UK government, don't do it anymore.
I worked in a Spanish office for three years. The boss used to give us a hamper at Christmas which always contained tinned stuff like tuna, ham and a bottle of cava. He would also gift me free tickets whenever there was a bullfight. I kid you not!
Let me join the chorus of people telling you that, no, you are NOT subject to doubel taxes in the US *unless* you are outside the US *AND* working in a country that does not have a tax treaty with the US. And even then, you are only subject to US taxes if your global income *exceeds* US$98,000 for the year and only on the amount in excess of that $98k.
You made a couple of other mistakes about taxes too, so perhaps don't mention it unless you're *really* certain you've got it right, eh? :)
@@iatsdyou are correct, but to be completely fair, the fact that the US government requires its citizens to complete an annual tax return irrespective of whether they owe tax or not is probably where this nyth arises.
UK -> Ontario, seven years so far, I'm doing the citizenship thing so I guess it went well 😁 Company that employs me is French, so perhaps that's why we get Christmas parties and slightly better vacation than usual here. I don't personally find the tax system to be a big deal, I had to do the HMRC self-assessment in the UK and thought that was a lot worse tbh (maybe it's better now?) - but I do use software to assist, takes about ten to twenty minutes to complete usually.
I just moved back to America from the UK. I worked in an office for almost 3 years in England and the differences are astounding. I truely miss the British banter. I’ll be sad this Christmas because I’ll miss out on the big “Christmas Do”
No Christmas do in America? if not you need to push it forward!
It takes time to get accustomed to British banter but once you do it's quite infectious.
You learn very quickly over there that everyone takes the "micky" out of everyone else and if you can't take a joke then you will struggle to fit in.
@@redsquirrel1086 If someone is taking the mickey, they like you and watching or you have become a dick lol
The fun part is figuring out which.
"Do you remember that Alanna who used to work in the office?
The one who never contributed to the coffee costs, but always used to drink it?
Yeah... that one... ;) "
Great vid Alanna
We do forget sometimes just how lucky we are to live in the UK, especially when it’s holiday time. Not only having wonderful places here to visit with historic towns and castles, but, in a couple of hours travelling, we could be in Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels absorbing the delights those cities bring. Spain, Italy, Greece are great full holiday destinations for many of us, as is many of 5he Mediterranean islands.
I'm an American who lives in the US, and filing taxes here is an absolute nightmare. I didn't know it was similar in Canada until I watched this video. These tax companies lobby the US government to keep the system complicated on purpose so they can make more money. I am sad to hear that Canada has a similar state of affairs.😢
I'm British in the UK and haven't filled in a tax form for 30 years.
@@charlestaylor9424I’m retired now but never filled in a tax return in my whole working life.
@@charlestaylor9424 That is amazing. I'm happy that you don't have to go through the same nasty process that I do.
@@simonrobbins8357 That's even better. I'm happy for you too!
It’s sad. There is a way to automate this very clearly! I’ve never filed a tax form myself in decades.
I used to be a boss, thankfully I was liked, plus I am strict but the first person to have a laugh. This particular girl who had been working with me for a year, had to have her dog put down, I cleared it for her to have a week off. She became pregnant maternity leave I made sure she was paid full wage for 12 months. I looked after my staff. The best thing was in return every month our targets, were met and more. I retired at 50 that was 7 years ago. To this day I see all 20of them, still go out with them all, god father to 3 kids . Every one let the company within 6 months after I retired.
Treat staff how you would like to be treated. It’s simple.
A week off for having to have her dog put down!? and you even cleaned the dead dog for her?!?! Incredible! 😉
@@DaveBartlett lol just correct it for you
wow, anyone wold be blessed to have a nice boss like you!!
@DaveBartlett well you are a horrible person who cannot read properly.. 'cleared it for her to have a week off' means it was ok'd with personnel..
I'm guessing you're not Mitch Mitchell. 😊
I’m not a fan of the after work drinking thing, if that happens where you work - mainly because I’ve just spent 8 hours with those people and they usually talk shop. Much prefer going home!
Its been the ruin of a many marriage, Drinking culture is slowing dying out.
I haven't worked in a foreign country but I did work for Air France for about a year. It was cathartic, I would highly reccomend to anyone who has worked in customer service. Our "guest relations" training consisted of learning the phrase "ce n'est pas un problème pour moi, c'est un problème pour toi" also free wine and cheese in the break room!
omg 😂 incredible
@@AdventuresAndNaps From my limited French, from when I left school in the 1984:
"That is not my problem, it is your problem!"
@@davebilson It's not a problem for me, it's a problem for you
Or "I am French and I do not care about your problems. Please, go away and stop disturbing me."
@@matchmade44 That would e Quebecois.
I always go on holiday over my birthday, one because I don't want people to know I'm getting older, and two, because then I don't have to buy chocolates.
I hate working from home. There are too many distractions, there's no one to ask advice or bounce ideas off, nowhere to walk round to think, and my flat isn't big enough to have a work space and I don't like working where I live, working at the table where I eat.
Great video, Alanna. I nearly always watch, rarely comment but you always deliver.
I spent my working life in UK schools.
Our 'birthday' arrangements were always someone keeping track of the birthdays and organising a joint card from the whole staff to the birthday recipient, which we all signed - and yes, the Birthday Girl/ Boy would be expected to bring in treats of some kind on the day.
The school I was in for the last 20 years of my career also started a tradition that if it was someone's Big Birthday (one ending in a zero) there was additionally a buffet lunch or afternoon tea paid for by the school out of the team building/ wellbeing budget, and organised by a small group of colleagues for everyone to enjoy.
After work drinks only ever happened for the Christmas 'Do' and the end-of-school-year 'Do'.
I worked in an office in Manchester where there was a list in the kitchen of who took tea, coffee, sugar or milk, so anyone deciding to brew up had no excuse not to brew up for everyone. On one occasion my coffee was delivered to my desk by the local beat bobby who was encouraged to pop in for a brew when passing.
I'll take "things that never happened" please Alex, for $200
@@charlottelanvin7095 Lol. It wasn't until I watched random Jeopardy reruns online that those statements made any sense to me. Jeopardy only really took off in North America, and to those of us who grew up and live abroad, seeing Jeopardy in movies is always confusing.
Here in Australia we don't have a gameshow remotely like Jeopardy, it's definitely not part of common pop-culture here. You'd be surprised how different things can be in other cultures, I'd believe DavidJones332's comment.
@@charlottelanvin7095 Brit here. I definitely believe the policeman delivering tea to his desk. One place I worked in London the guy on the security desk knew a lot of visitors, obviously - postmen, traders, police, traffic wardens, etc - and he was continually getting them to buy drinks and snacks for him while he put his feet up. I would often come into work and find a group of cops and postal workers standing around his desk drinking tea and eating biscuits. Beat bobbies are less common now, especially in big cities, but I'm sure similar interactions are common in small-town USA.
@@charlottelanvin7095 You lose. It was actually Chorlton Street Coach Station in 1991, when I was the Regional General Manager. Anyone who's ever worked in the bus industry will tell you that you never need to make funny stories up -any one of us could write a book about our experiences.
I worked as en engineer in a small design office in the early 90s. The whole office would go to the local pub at lunchtime every Friday and the senior partners would be buying rounds. Nothing ever got done on the Friday afternoons.
I worked in an office once, they would go around at the end of the week taking money for next week's coffee and tea. I didn't like this. So from the off, when I first started I'd say I only drink water but then make a coffee saying it's for someone else, find somewhere quiet and drink it. Ha
I wonder why?
So many British people seem to knock the UK these days and don't realise how blessed we are work-wise, compared with some countries. PAYE and at least 28 days hols - marvellous. Mind you, compared to the French we are still in the Dark Ages. Everyone seems to have August off in France and most appear to retire at 55. And get this, according to a Brit friend of mine who lives in France: If you leave your job, you get 80% of of your wage paid by the Government for a year, so everyone seems to have a year off at some point. I have probably got some of the facts on this a bit wrong, but you get the idea.
That 80% of your wages you refer to isn't paid for by the Government. It's paid for by the taxpayer. The Government doesn't have any money of its own.
@@redsquirrel1086 That is in France, not in the UK. True, it is paid from taxes, but the French don't seem to mind. President Macron of France has recently tried to extend the working age to retirement, causing huge protests. Not sure how France manages it all. Probably borrow a lot. France also has a strong military, national car and aeroplane industries. UK does not any more, so something is wrong somewhere.
By law, 1 in 100 French employees has to be a trade union official, paid for by the employer. If the company is big enough to have 100 union officials, one of them has to be a union official too, um, again. The union representatives need their own union representative. I'm unclear if that person gets two salaries, two holiday allowances etc.
And yet the French manage longer holidays, 30-35 hour weeks, 25% higher productivity, minimum one hour subsidised sit-down lunch breaks in employer-supplied canteens, etc etc compared with the British. How? It helps that employers and government invest in their employees as much as in computers and capital equipment, and training budgets are not always the first to get cut. Youth unemployment is higher, but there's less use of short-term contracts, umbrella companies and zero hours. Also I got the impression there's less office banter and general slacking, people disappearing to smoke cigarettes, fiddle with the photocopier, etc. Maybe they throw fewer sickies too, with managers who avoid conflict and look the other way. As with the Germans, work is real and serious, and then you stop.
@keithlillis7962 ...also remember France still operate colonial taxation on its former colonies in Africa to the value of half a billion euros a year...
@@glastonbury4304 I didn't know that. Thanks.
What a delightful lady and great advert for Canada and Canadians. Kudos to her and her work ethic for being employed continuously.
I'd love to see her in Switzerland - we have great coffee in the offices typically.
There are certain 'Friday night drink from work' experiences that I'll remember for life. I'd once organised a tour around our local brewery for 6pm on a Friday night. All of the places had been filled, but then one guy had to drop out and one of our employer's management invited himself along to fill the vacancy (he was something like our boss's boss's boss!)
The tour part of the evening wasn't a problem, but when we were shown into the breweries own bar, we knew he'd probably cramp our style and put a bit of damper on things.
The tour guide went behind the bar and said: "Right then, I'll serve you all for your first drink, and after that you can help yourself, and the bar is free until 11pm". He turned to the 'bossman' and said: "What can I get you?" and the answer he got was: "You wouldn't have a dry white wine, would you?" the tour guide's reaction was as surprised as ours. We were in a brewery for goodness sake! We were supposed to be sampling the beer they produced. The tour guide replied: "No I bloody wouldn't!". (He actually followed that with an instruction to go away, though in the form of the two word one, that begins with and ends with 'F') The bossman had a half pint of a lager and then left, and the rest of us could relax.
(Incidentally, as 11pm approached we had a whip round (collection) for our guide, who was so appreciative, he extended service until 12am. We actually rolled out of there sometime after 1:30am. One of the best nights, and certainly the cheapest, any of us had ever had.)
Love the vlog as always ❤❤❤
Worked in France for a few years on and off (3 months UK, 3 months France), for a British company. Due to an agreement between the UK and France, as long as you pay tax in one country, you do not pay it in the other. At the time the taxes in France were around 45%, but they don't pay VAT, so goods were cheap in France, compared to the UK. So paying tax in the UK, and buying every thing you need in France was win, win. Oh!! and to top it off, about once a month, someone used to drive one of the companies diesel hire cars to Spain (2 hours away), where prices were even cheaper.
Another common thing is for a person to bring biscuits or sweets into the office when they get back from holiday from the place they went on holiday!
Ahh of course! You're totally right ☺️
Don't forget the hol photos as well!
Moved from the UK to the US. The thing I found difficult was in the US, people would just wander up to your desk to chat. In the UK, you're mostly focused on work and chit-chat is reserved for breaks.
Sorry I disagree. It depends on the firm's culture.
What? That's not true at all 😂 you must have only worked in one place in the UK. One strange place at that. You crazy
If only you worked here in the 80s and 90s. On the first day of my first job I was taken by my new boss to the works bar at 10:30AM, Monday morning and bought two pints. That really set the tone for the office - complete madness looking back!
Used to work in Financial Services and Friday was always 2 Hours in the pub at lunchtime then trying to stay awake from 2 to 5 pm hahaha It was a different 🌎 to today.
In Canada we use instant coffee on camping trips and for emergency use when we run out of regular coffee since it has a multi-year shelf life.
Regarding sick days, I can only speak for where I work but we have a limit - they use something called the Bradford Factor, which generates a score based on the number of sick days taken, multiplied by the number of instances you've taken sick leave. So if you have 3 days sick in January and 2 days sick in March, your Bradford score would be 10, 5 days, 2 instances.
There's a threshold that if you go over it then it's raised as a concern, and if you go way over it without a valid reason then it goes to more serious consequences.
I think this might just be a thing at certain companies, this is the first time I've heard it. It sounds like its more of a formula that employers can use to identify potential warning signs and then discuss with their employees, I don't think it affects your right to take sick leave or get statutory sick pay.
Obviously if you have excessive periods of sickness your employer might end up letting you go and the Bradford Factor is one way to try to evaluate that, but I think this is rare.
It's called the Bradford Scale. I believe quite a few Local Government Authorities (Councils) use it.
It always seems weird to specify how long someone can be ill in a year. It suggests that people have a choice whether to be ill.
Great video Alanna! I don't know how people can cope with only 10 days holiday!
Like you, in March 2020 I went from working full time in the company office to working entirely from home, and stayed doing this until I retired in March 2023 even after the office fully reopened (it helped that I was a department of one so I didn’t have to coordinate with anyone else about my work). As I’m pretty much asocial I didn’t particularly miss the noise in an open plan office, nor did I regret missing company social events (which I absolutely hated). Not that I didn’t get on very well with my colleagues - I did - but I got much more work done in my dining room ‘office’ (and I saved on the commuting cost as well).
As a Brit living in the US who's total income was from Britain, I was given the choice of paying income tax either in Britain or in the US but not both. I chose to pay in the country in which I lived. Also, I claim US social security based on being fully paid up into British social security. The two countries have reciperocal agreements.
I believe though that if you are a US citizen, living/working elsewhere you still have to file tax returns/pay tax in the US.
It really depends on the industy you work in in the UK. I work in IT. Its not uncommen to get free breakfasts in the office (Fruit, cereals etc). Usually Gym membership too and other assorted perks. Even if you just want an admin job, go hit hit up a tech company. You will probably also bag those perks.
Thanks girl for sharing
Have an amazing wonderful day. ❤❤
My first job was back in the 1960s, think it was two weeks holiday back then plus Bank Holidays, which I believe started as compulsory holidays for bank workers.
During my second job it was four weeks of holiday, but no longer than two weeks at a time. Wanting to do a holiday in Australia I gave a years notice of my plan so I could have a month off.
Certainly glad not to deal with USA holiday culture!
Now it's one long holiday following retirement, but still things to do.
In England & Wales, under the extreme circumstances when you might not qualify for any 'earned' holiday days (though I can't imagine what those circumstances might be,) you'd still be paid for the following 'bank holidays' : New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, Late Summer Holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. That's EIGHT paid 'days off' at least. (For Scotland and/or Northern Ireland, this might be different, though they probably get even more days off there!)
And remember that allowed Holiday days are the legal minimums - some employees may provide more.
Vacations abroad are common from the UK, and due to the amount of employees' holiday allowances, vacations farther afield, (to the Americas, Africa, the Far East, and Australasia, etc.) become a realistic possibility. How many Americans live their entire lives, having never left their home nation?
Interesting comparisons. My experience in Canada was unlike yours: I worked for a Cdn coy for over 25 years (my second career - having been a soldier for 32 previously), these were the typical benefits: upon hiring: 10 days total sick and bereavement leave and 3 weeks of vaca. Every 5 years vaca entitlement increased by a week to a max of 4 weeks a year. Additionally, although the PAYE system is brilliant, I used Turbo Tax for years - and found it simple and straightword.
Thanks Alanna for a great video, 10 days holiday in Canada blimey 😮 is that the work till you drop scheme. We haven't always had good holidays in Britain when I started working we used to get two weeks in summer and a week at Xmas and that was it.
Bank holidays?
@@niallrussell7184 bank holidays were just ordinary work days, and if you didn't like it f...off. 😕
praise wkpedia ~ it appear holidays origin fm the feast in saint patron days ~ The Wakes Week is a holiday period in parts of England and Scotland. Originally a religious celebration or feast, the tradition of the Wakes Week developed into a secular holiday, particularly in North West England during the Industrial Revolution. In Scotland, each city has a "Trades Fortnight"; two weeks in the summer when tradesmen take their holidays.
Although a strong tradition during the 19th and 20th centuries, the observance of the holiday has almost disappeared in recent times, due to the decline of the manufacturing industries in the United Kingdom and the standardisation of school holidays across England.
I used to bring in 20 jam doughnuts ,custard creams and Jammy dodgers from the local tescos on my birthday. The dept had about 25people. When I was working on a project that required a lot of engineering fitting work, Id take some over to their dept to make sure I was their preferred 'customer'. Got to grease the wheels lol
In the US, our situation was similar to how Alanna described it in that the company paid for coffee and tea and supplies. However, we had a rotating list with our names on it for someone to bring in donuts or bagels or anything of their choice for Fridays. So we always had a Friday treat.
I have used bags of doughnuts many times the future currency of the world lol 😂
When I started work the holidays were ten days plus bank holidays and one extra day for every five years at the company. When I finished work they were 25 days plus bank holidays. Forty years ago I worked in Germany. There employees had six weeks holiday (with full pay) and for every day off we were paid the equivalent of an extra half days pay! However I don't know if that was for all companies or just a local arrangement between our works council and the employer.
I work from home four days a week and have to go into the office on only once. This way we get all the benefits of home working but also get the social aspect of working with others. This is helped by also having daily “Teams” meetings where we do online quizzes etc
I'm a retired medical professional. I have worked in more than a dozen countries in three continents, and I have NEVER had to 'file taxes' as a routine.
They are talking about it getting rid of it in Canada, since for PAYE employees its pretty much pointless - you can file your taxes and then get a letter from the tax office telling you you are wrong, because they work them out anyway. Where it does have value, is that you are able to claim for things that you normally wouldn't in the UK, thinks like eyeglasses, descriptions, dental work.
It's the Americans you should feel sorry for, who must fill out their IRS forms no matter where they are. An American living and working in another country, is expected to file their taxes just the same, and are expected to pay taxes to the US as well despite not having been there, or even living there. I'm not quite sure how it works, but as a US citizen living overseas, you must fie your taxes, but then can claim some sort of relief based on what taxes you have paid wherever you are living. It's a horrible system
THANK YOU.
When I started working, it was in a large office in the City. By coincidence, in the first few weeks two or three people had birthdays and brought in cream cakes as was the custom. At the time I just thought we had cakes once a week! Still love that top, Alanna.
I have worked for my current company for 30 years. When I first started, we finished work on a Friday at 4:30 pm. After about two years they changed so that we finish at 1 pm on a Friday, yes 1 pm. I would be extremely unhappy to have to work a full day on a Friday. Also, at our office we have a Coffee Bar with a full time Barista, as well as a free on-premise 9:56 gym and full time personal trainer. Gosh yes, and 28 days hols per year. Gotta love working in the UK.
Just a minor clarification, as Canadians we’re responsible for getting our tax returns filed but we don’t have to do them personally. There are many companies and accounting firms that do tax preparation and you could even let your brother-in-law or someone else do them if that was there thing and they were a lot more competent than you are, but you’re still responsible for the results. My Wife uses Turbo-Tax as well and it’s worked very well.
I had a hospital job where you could get egg and chips free anytime day or night as often as you liked. Often 4am at close of play! Quick sleep before doing it all again at 9am. Got about £150 a month accommodation provided. They didn't like us taking holiday allowance much so we didn't bother. Colleague went on horse riding holiday in South America. We had to work extra hard for that. Loved that job obviously PAYE. Are others seeing comments other videos "Adventures and Naps" says.....!?
Finish at 4am then start at 9am? Sounds illegal, not to mention unhealthy. Especially if you're surviving on egg and chips. And not taking holidays? At my company we are forced to. We must use up our holiday entitlement.
@@grahamlive Well I was young, in training and felt very lucky to have the job. Many of my friends didn't. Quite right it wasn't healthy. I found a few colleagues who got scurvy. It was about half a century ago!
I am British and have worked in Australia. The main differences are that time off and sick leave is earned pro-rata. So you have to have worked in that job for 12 months before you get your fill entitlement (which is similar to UK entitlement) However you also earn long service leave which is an additional 10 weeks leave you can take after 8-10 years. A plus point is if you leave a job and have not taken your annual leave or long service leave you are paid for those days. On the negative side, the working week is usually 38 hours not 35 hours as in the Uk and lunch time is usually half an hour. Office culture wise, there are 'morning teas' where people all bring a plate of homemade goodies and they are shared. Also people bring in excess produce like oranges and leave them for anyone to take home or eat in the office.
The pandemic changed things where where I work we now have a hybrid way of working from home and going on site as well.
I found WFH full time very lonely, missed the banter! I suppose.
However, I'd hate to work on site full time as well.
So that's a change.
Its hard for someone from a different country understand banter and I really admire you and others that move countries and fit in.
Quick Google search says additional 5 national holidays for Canada, apposed to 8 in the UK. Also 37.5hrs working week!
On tax I had the reverse experience. I moved (permanently) from the UK to France. I had never even looked at a tax return before, now I was faced with a French return, in what was then a foreign language to me. I hired an accountant.
Office coffee and tea? I never worked for a company that asked for contributions to a tea and coffee kitty. That said, I never worked for a company that provided decent tea or coffee. Always the store's cheapest brand.
Paid holidays in the UK usually include bank (or public) holidays of which there are 8. So in reality a Brit would regard his 28 days paid holiday as 20 days. Pretty much standard across Europe, though a few companies grant 25 days, but I do not know if that includes public holidays. My cousin lives in Saskatchewan. He gets 15 days paid leave, but tells me that is just Saskatchewan, and that other provinces get the (in my view inadequate) 10 days + 5 paid public holidays.
Sick pay. No comment, except that the system in the UK seems better.
Christmas parties. I hated them!
I'm now happily retired in France and no longer need to worry about work. But I do like your videos. It reminds how lucky I am to be retired and have the wherewithal to enjoy having nothing to do for anyone but me.
I have been self employed for most of my working career and the self assessment is definitely a pain but by the sound of it I think I much prefer the UK working arrangement, particularly the Bants and the cake. 😊😊😊
Definitely more cake! lol
When I worked for my own limited company, I had to submit self-assessment tax forms every year. I nearly always took the easy option of allowing the Revenue to calculate my tax from my submitted info. (Always less chance of prosecution if they rather than you, have calculated your tax liability,) but of course the date you have to submit your form is a fair bit earlier in the year. One year I got the dates mixed up and only realised at about 11:30am on the deadline day for submission. I ended up racing into my local city centre queuing up for what seemed an age in the tax office, and just managed to hand my form over the counter, about 3 minutes before the deadline.
The birthday treats situation is exactly what we do in elementary school in the US haha. We used to bring in our own cupcakes for our birthday in first grade! Never heard of it as an adult though.
The legal minimum paid time off for a UK employer is 28 days, although this can include the 8 bank holidays, so it would be 20 + the bank holidays.
I currently get 25 plus bank holidays so 33 in total.
Regarding vacation days in Canada: to be fair, two weeks (10 days) is the government-mandated minimum, what an entry-level employee will receive. Anyone being hired at a more senior level, with experience, if not initially offered more time will certainly have leverage to negotiate for it.
As a single man, I can't relate. I'm not into most things most others are, when I leave work everyone else drinks and goes out I go home cos I don't drink. Good coffee and movie at home for me. Ha
Don’t start drinking! Truly smart people know it’s really bad. So you’re smart! 😫😫😫🤯🤯🤯🤯
@@hanniffydinn6019 I've seen to many people, die by it or act inhuman from it and that's something I don't want for myself.
And that's why your single lol
You’ve only seen the tame version of drinking culture. In the 90s we would usually go to the pub at lunchtime for a couple of pints, almost always without food. After work we’d go again for another 2-3 pints, usually with crisps or nachos for people to share. This was every day. I worked for the government and the building even had a bar inside it so that we would waste less time by having to walk to/from the pub. Ahhh, the good old days…
Two exceptions I've seen to the kitty thing, some fancy firms give free tea and coffee, milk, sugar etc. And the other one is if you work in catering. Then it's assumed that you not only get free tea, coffee etc but whatever meals you are serving you get to eat that too (whatever is left etc). I mean catering, like working in a staff canteen, a nursing home etc, not working in a restaurant, I've done less of that and I think in many you don't get fed, but I could be wrong.
I've been self employed for years, but worked in a variety of jobs with colleagues when I first arrived in the UK for many years, first in Alberta and then BC. The one constant I have seen - or been a part of, is the acknowledgement of American thanksgiving. I've never worked anywhere, or attended a college, where that there wasn't at least one American working and no matter what, there will always be at least a pumpkin pie brought in to have with coffee and an acknowledgment that they are away from home and its a big day. 4th of July and stuff can just slide by, but never Thanksgiving
TY 🙏🙏
A lot of pubs do meals, you could've eaten with after work drinks. No need to copy each other.
I worked for a company here in the UK that paid for weekly supermarket deliveries of tea/coffee & milk as well as fruit, crisps, chocolate & cereal bars, cereal, the list go's on...
We had that but the opposite way. We're from the UK but spent a year in the US while my better half's company set up a new office etc there. We had a weekly pre-planned delivery of foods and drinks (which could be easily changed) and anything on top of that we got ourselves. It was very nice to say the least.
I worked for H&R Block in Ontario - that was certainly interesting! 😀
I've just retired (yay!) but was unfortunate to be sick for the previous 14 months. In that I got 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay... 😮 I did get a bit harassed by HR and their 'absence management' policy though, some of which is really dumb.
I've never worked anywhere which had less than 33 days holiday. The last place, in addition, you could either buy or sell five days. The one before you could request an additional 5 days unpaid (same as buying really). In schools and colleges 'term time' employees (including teachers) only work 195 days... that's 13 weeks holiday!
You can self certify for a week, which for most people will be 5 working days. Also there is Statutory sick pay and Company sick pay. Statutory sick pay is what the company must pay you, but many company's have more generous offers in their contracts that will top it up. SSP is £0 for the first 3 days off sick, and then it is up to £116.75 per week (part time and temporary employees qualify, but they wont pay you if you normally earn less than £123 per week and they only pay you for the days you would normally work) you qualify for a maximum of 28 weeks in a rolling year. Many Employers will pay you extra after you have been there a qualifying period with the maximum you can get going up each year - so topping up your sick pay for to full pay for a week after you have completed probation is not unusual with your entitlement going up each year. Some employers also take out permanent health insurance for their managers so even if you can no longer work you will still get an insurance payment.
SSP is absolute shite, it is the bare legal requirement but all the rules make it cheaper for a larger business to just be more generous. Small biz used to be able to claim the SSP from the Inland Revenue when their key employee is off work due to genuine illness if their NIC budget would not allow it.
It is sold by the government as a social security (why we all pay NIC), but unlike every other benefit it is absolutely not a social security. Basically a small biz has to go under helped by HMRC to allow the corporates to take over.
I'm pretty sure my dad would usually keep instant coffee around when we were young for when friends/family/other farmers came around.
You should have a serious chat with your dad 💀
My son-in-law works for a company in London where there are various different restaurants of different styles, all with good quality food / meals. They are allowed to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at work all for FREE if they so wish. They also have coffee shop grade coffee machines and the company runs free 'barista classes' so the employees can learn how to make really good coffee. And you guessed it the coffee and any and all other drinks are totally free.
I worked for a cuppla American companies here in London, for a very short time, and they used to close down on a Friday, at around 4pm, and have an informal get together and food was supplied by the Company, plus SOFT drinks and it was very nice ... we could NOT leave the office, someone had to deal with the phones and any queries, but generally we chilled out, and no real work was done. They used to call it something, but I can't remember what . . . Something like Happy Friday or some such name 😮😮 It was good 👍💯
2 hours in the pub on a Friday then 3 hours trying to stay awake till hometime 🤣 You had to be working in the 80's to understand how normal it was .
It's been a few years ago since I worked, but in the UK you legally have to submit a tax return even if you are P.A.Y. However if you are a 20% P.A.Y.E the authorities never chase you. However if you fall into this category and you earn more than £1000 interest , not including tax ring fenced items like Isas etc you do have to complete an income tax return
S 2:30
Being a 19 year long visitor working in UK, I have never got used to the drinking with no food thing after work. But when I order munchies to share like fries or nachos everyone will partake!
It’s a weird thing really. In every group there are those that can drink heavy, others like me like a few drinks and a bit of grub.
"Fancy going out for a pint or three?"
"Yeah, but I'm hungry, and those chips at the Dog & Duck are flippin' expensive."
"Don't worry, Kidkal7825's coming, he always buys chips for everyone!"
😊
Personal taxes in the UK is pretty straight forward. Its when you deal with business taxes when what you described what happens in Canada is exactly the same here. Purposely complicated is a spot on description..
I retired a few years back, but some of this makes me slightly nostalgic for office culture.
As I work for the NHS and have for 45 years I often have 2 weeks leave at the end of holiday year and take the first 2 weeks of the next years leave giving me a full month off
I worked in schools in France in 1999 as a language assistant and as far as I know the coffee (real coffee) was free. I also got a free lunch but that was only because I helped take the children to the canteen (which we had to walk through the town to get to). I didn't have to do that, but I was friends with the people around my age hired to do that and I'd rather go with them than sit for two hours alone while most teachers went home, or sit with older teachers for two hours in the staff room!
Tax returns used to be the same in NZ, it changed around the late 80s or early 90s so it was done automatically. I find it crazy that US/Canadian citizens have to practically beg the government to get their own money back, especially in these days of computers and automation.
I always envied office people who could spend a large part of the day drinking coffee. If anybody just left the shop floor to buy coffee, that would be their last day in that job. I once had a Christmas "do" in June. At one company, we had a woman on the shop floor who had been trying for a baby for years and was getting near the upper age limit. one of the bosses brought out a few small parcels then somebody else brought out a few more then more then more she ended up with enough to fill the company box van.
The best birthday was a woman who was a professional standard baker she would make a variety of cakes and bring them in.
When I worked in large IT companies, there was not a lot of banter (swearing was definitely frowned upon). But there was always free tea and coffee, and one company also provided fruit squash, decent biscuits and fresh fruit daily. But I think age of employees makes a big difference - my first company was full of mostly single people in their 20s and had a very lively social scene, but my next company had a lot more older people who usually wanted to go home to their families after work.
In the UK paid sick leave really depends on the type of role you're in. Better paid jobs and some office roles in general have paid sick leave. Workers in supermarkets, lorry drivers, restaurant workers and similar, often get no paid sick leave apart from statutory sick pay. In that case you get 3 days unpaid followed by SSP. But SSP is much lower than minimum wage. I feel like it used to be higher proportionally when I was younger (I'm in my 40s) but I'm not sure. So you can self-certify for the first 7 days, but you're not necessarily getting paid/paid much during that time. So it's such a two tier system, because many people do get full pay when off sick, that is (within reason) limitless. Others get a certain amount of paid sick leave each year (I get up to two weeks on full pay). And then many get only SSP after 3 days off.
On the sickness front: after four days of self-certifying you can then go on statutory sick pay which last a maximum of 28 weeks. After that your next recourse would be either New Style Employment and Support Allowance (which is contribution based) or Universal Credit (which has a health element and is income based). Remember you have employment rights, for example your employer must make reasonable adjustments to help you back to work.
They might be able to dismiss you on the grounds of capability if that doesn't work though. Think of someone going through cancer treatment and how that might affect their ability to work. A reasonable adjustment might be allowing them to work less hours, or work from home more. Claiming a disability benefit called Personal Independence Payment might also help them get work done.
I've worked in factories or workshops all my working life & there is a machine that you pay 10p or 20p for a coffee,hot chocolate or tea. I always took my own teabags & milk. Got a larger quantity & weren't paying for it.
Instant coffee is *not* coffee. My US friends are not double taxed in the UK, there's a dual tax treaty but they do have to file, any taxes paid in the UK can be set against any the US might raise. There's issues with things like ISA for example which the US just regards in the same way they would a GIA.
I really couldn't imagine only having 10 days of annual leave... 28 days feels like too little as it is 😅
Hi I came to canada in 2018 I have a LMIA and it runs out 2026 and im heading back to uk once I get my taxes done for 2025….. I do long haul drive 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 love the country but I’m struggling to book holidays as everything is so far away and 2 weeks is not enough time go away I find it tough it’s all work don’t have a life out here and I’m payed by the miles
Regarding the 'Christmas Do', in the UK business are allowed to spend money (up to something like £150 per employee) on these 'do's with no tax liability to the employee. It doesn't have to be Christmas but it does have to be in one lump. I had to deal with this as a self-employed contractor where I had to find ways to spend this each year that were acceptable otherwise my accountant would nag me for not making proper use of my allowances as an employer.
Hi we had two things which I guess is fairly common in New Zealand a weekly lotto pool and either instant coffee and tea morning and afternoon at the same time every day.
That difference in vacation time was a huge and welcome change when I moved from the US to Asia so many years ago. I went from 2 weeks to 8 weeks PLUS public holidays of which there are many, in my new home. After this I knew I would never be able to move back to the North American paid slavery system That was over 25 years ago and I am now retired and at the moment enjoying the UK. I split my time between China and the UK with much travel in between.
Every company I have ever worked for in the UK has provided free tea and coffee. I did work at one where you could pay 20p and upgrade to a coffee pod if you did not want the instant.
It should be noted that there is no legal requirement in the UK for an employer to provide any sick pay, though many employers do. The amount and number of days is usually stated in your contract of employment and may increase with length of service. Everyone however is entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) claimed as a state benefit. Though I am now retired, my employer paid a maximum of 120 days in any 12 month period at 100% of my salary.
My Canadian family referred to the instant coffee I much preferred to that stuff with paper filters and beans, in a poor attempt at a Scottish accent as “awfee cawfee “ when I was visiting from the UK
as a student I worked for a year in hospital admin - and someone would bring fresh toast from the canteen for elevenses, delicious!!
If you have never watched the only fools and horse's episode,the jolly boys outing a must see !!!😂😂😂😂
As I haven't posted anything for a while, I made this is a long post:
As a Brit who has lived in Oz for 17 years, here are some of my observations working in Sydney. I have no doubt other parts of Australia do things slightly differently.
All the companies I have worked for in Sydney, and there are many, have always provided coffee, tea, sugar etc. at the companies expense. Never had to pay for it.
It's seldom I see whip rounds for birthdays, but there's always a whip round when someone is leaving, and a pleasant lunch and a few drinks. Bringing in cakes on your own birthday I have never seen here, and that's something I do miss about the Brit workplace.
We have office banter, but it's different, I've found it to be quite tame in comparison.
Occasionally people do go for a few drinks after work, but many people often start work early, and finish early and head off somewhere to enjoy the rest of the days sun, maybe the beach, or some surfing, or sailing. I prefer to hit the gym.
It is common for the company to put on some special event for staff during the day, to celebrate some event, morning tea, or a barbeque, or even a team building day, love those...not. Going to lunch as a group or team once a week is also very common.
Xmas parties are a big thing, and I usually get very, very drunk...
Typically vacation time is 20 days, and paid sick leave is 10 days.
We do our own tax returns, but there is online software provided by the government, but it's easy to get help, you can pay a tax accountant a small fee, it's not expensive.
A swift half after work = ten pints and a curry. I used to work for a company where we would have a works christmas doo which usually involved occupying a town hall or hotel with a ballroom and bars and .. never being invited back. Only a few hundred of us with a free bar. Fun times.
When I worked in London the company rented a place for the evening, food and drinks was well, so over the years I've been to Christmas do's at the Science Museum, The Old Bailey (not in the actual courtroom though) the Commonwealth Centre, which was fun because we had dodgems in the basement, whould've thought that "drink-driving" was, so much fun, and a few other places, they've stopped doimng that now though
@@colinbrown9549 Sounds fun. We have a hotel locally that used to be a government building of some sort so It has a functioning court room and associated cells, we never got round to trying that place though.
The banter is something that happens most in smaller organisations. Big companies have more forced santised environments these days.
i have worked in britain for many years. They start out nice and friendly and quickly turn nasty and mostly importantly they looked down on people who is not from them. They constantly change their mind and you are never on same page with them. They are exactly like their weather nice one min mean and cold the next.
Pubs have crisps!!😅😅😅
Dont forget the hefty belly filling Pork Scratchings lol
One popular pub used by doctors used to do free chips ... anytime I drink there I end up with a blank memory
Does anyone remember the Big D peanuts promotion featuring scantily clad girls that would nowadays be OF/Insta models covered in peanut packets - the more you bought the more you could reveal? Total 1970's. (I was an innocent child back then, I merely noticed funny stuff in the pub when my dad would allow me in).
@Drew-Dastardly definitely...And she would always be wearing a bikini!! Boooo!!
me and my partner lived in Canada for four years till last year. She only got 15 days off in her last job. Let's just say I'm not shocked we moved back.
In Belgium I get an email that my taxes are available. I can then look and change things, or just do nothing. This is a HUGE improvement over a few years ago, where I had to click OK.
I have 40 vacation days. On top of that there are several holidays. What I do is from April on take 1 week per month. And I take a city trip with most of them for a few days.
I’ve only ever worked in UK offices and never had a kitty for refreshments. The employer always funds the refreshments.
Not sure about Canada but in the US some holidays like thanksgiving and Christmas are taken out of your vacation time, it’s a real rip off living here and business often expect you to try an work yourself to death, the holidays and work ethic suck chocolate salty balls in America
I am always so surprised how much Canada is like the US, I always thought they were better than that. At least they don't make you file taxes. I very much resent having to do that now that I live in the UK, and don't even talk to me about the difficulties of banking and investing as a US citizen abroad (investing is basically impossible). Basically, I am incentivised not to cross a certain threshold in earnings to avoid complicating my life.
Drinking after work, no thank you. I do drink, but with friends away from my work place and family, as I see my co-workers almost every day of the week for 9 to 10 hours a day, I am not going to hang with them after work as well, I would go insane. Will join them for a party or a lunch on Weekends now and again, but not after work on Fridays, although sometimes we work Saturdays up an till 2Pm.
Thank goodness Canada is like the rest of the world (no double tax).........US Keeps saying they are the most free and best country in the world, but just a few hours watching vids on CZcams many American's now know that is just not true.
34 days annual leave plus bank holidays, flexitime, no core hours, upto 12 days a year flexi leave, 6 months full pay sick then 6 months 1/2 pay. I can take unpaid career breaks of upto 6 months. Home working as and when I want to depending on operational needs.
Instant coffee just reminds me of petty grievances. My parents always keep some on hand so that when they are arguing over who emptied the last pot without making a new one, the aggrieved party can just make a sad instant coffee.
Income Tax was introduced in the UK to fund the war against Napoleon. I think that war is over. National Insurance was introduced to fund NHS, unemployment and pensions yet my parents are facing having to sell their house to pay for their old age care. MPs should be paid minimum wage., PM should pay rent on 10 Downing St.
MPs getting paid minimum wage just opens the door for easy bribes. You pay politicians and other people in key positions enough so that they are much less likely to be tempted by a bribe. As corrupt as things are now with lobbying, you would hate to see what they country would be like if politicians were literally living in poverty.
It is really quite amazing how culturally similar Canada and the U.S. are, considering they are two separate nations. Yes, there are differences, but they extremely minor, for the most part. It's only when you start comparing one to any other country that it seems we have the same culture between us.