Work life balance in the USA

Floppybits

Deleted User wrote: »

Apart from the hours, I could not stand the fake upbeatness American's seem to need to display. Like yay this company is great. All of the ones I work with are positively over the fuking moon to be there every day.

It is creeping in over as well. I have seen it in the a few places I worked people would be working morning noon and night and you can see that they are being taken advantage of but they wont hear a bad word said about the place. Even seen one person who was given a budget to spend on a night out and instead of using the whole budget they would cut back on things like an extra drink voucher or 2 so that they wouldn't spend the budget. After doing all that the company didn't think twice when it came to laying them off.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Apart from the hours, I could not stand the fake upbeatness American's seem to need to display. Like yay this company is great. All of the ones I work with are positively over the fuking moon to be there every day.

I've worked for many American companies and that does annoy me. People giving off the impression they skip into work everyday singing Zip Da Dee Doo Da.

Meanwhile they're all coffee addicts because they left the house at 6am, won't get home til 7pm and after work beers are generally unheard of.

Also regarding living there, the tipping culture starts to get really grating.

Floppybits

Deleted User wrote: »

I've worked for many American companies and that does annoy me. People giving off the impression they skip into work everyday singing Zip Da Dee Doo Da.

Meanwhile they're all coffee addicts because they left the house at 6am, won't get home til 7pm and after work beers are generally unheard of.

Also regarding living there, the tipping culture starts to get really grating.

The worst is that you are walk into a shop and you get big false smile and welcome yada yada, then you are looking around and they are over can I help you with anything, would you like me to set up a changing room for you, I'm shirley or whatever if you need me I will be just over here. I have to bite my tongue to stop from saying "F**k Off and leave me alone, I'm just having a look" and the whole "have a nice day now". Drive ya mad and it is every shop or restaurant you go into. Said to my sister I don't know how you do it and she said you get use to it.

JustAThought

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I've worked for many American companies and that does annoy me. People giving off the impression they skip into work everyday singing Zip Da Dee Doo Da.

Meanwhile they're all coffee addicts because they left the house at 6am, won't get home til 7pm and after work beers are generally unheard of.

Also regarding living there, the tipping culture starts to get really grating.

Y well you don’t have to eat out 7 days a week. Only I guess in Amedica the food is so varied, reasonably priced and attractive that you can afford to. Unlike here. Where we also mostly tip.

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Y well you don’t have to eat out 7 days a week. Only I guess in Amedica the food is so varied, reasonably priced and attractive that you can afford to. Unlike here. Where we also mostly tip.

The food in Dublin is very varied as well, and no, we don't mostly tip not even close to the extent of the US, where everyone from the taxi driver to the guy who opens the door for you expects a tip.

Thelonious Monk

I had to do a few weeks onboarding for a new job, in Indianapolis, a few years ago and yes the upbeatness doesn't fly with me personally. How am i supposed to get as enthused as you about digital marketing.
During meetings they would say things like "Can I get a whoop whoop" and they'd all do it and start raising the roof with their hands etc. I was just scarleh the whole time.
Or when they'd announce that we have a very special guest speaker and we're so lucky and it would turn out to be the head of accounts or something and they'd all be gasping with excitement.
Give me cold hearted cynicism every day over that.

Invidious

Floppybits wrote: »

The worst is that you are walk into a shop and you get big false smile and welcome yada yada...

I'd prefer a big smile and a welcome to a surly grimace from some bored shop assistant who couldn't care less about helping me.

Thelonious Monk

Invidious wrote: »

I'd prefer a big smile and a welcome to a surly grimace from some bored shop assistant who couldn't care less about helping me.

I think there's a more natural friendliness somewhere in between the two that Irish people are pretty good at when they want to be

Snotty

Didn't see anyone mention the lack of job security, which is one of the biggest negatives. I work for a US company and go over regularly, I can't tell you the amount of times a meeting would get cancelled and when I ask why, its because that person was let go, it actually happened during a meeting once, the guy got a tap on his shoulder, needed to step away for a moment to talk to his boss and was escorted out of the building.
However this company are very generous on the holidays, starts at 20 days, max out at 30 now, but I think staff who stared over 15 years ago can get a max of 45 days!
But the biggest issue I would have living and working in this US is the healthcare, us Irish take it for granted, if you are sick, your will get treatment here, you may have to wait, it "might" be too slow, but for the majority of illnesses you'll only worry about the illness and not how you could lose your family home because of the bills. One girl I work with in the US has arthritis, she has great health insurance from our company but she still has to pay $3000 a month for her injections and that is already subsidised.

Floppybits

Invidious wrote: »

I'd prefer a big smile and a welcome to a surly grimace from some bored shop assistant who couldn't care less about helping me.

At least the surly one is honest. It is the fakeness that is the head wrecker all this pretending to be happy to see you and all that crap. Then in the restaurants and you ask for bread and the server rattles of 10 to 15 different breads which you don't get the names of over half of them and just say one of the few that you did catch not knowing what it is and god forbid don't tell them it's your birthday.

JustAThought

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I think there's a more natural friendliness somewhere in between the two that Irish people are pretty good at when they want to be

Service Industry and Irish just don’t mix.
And thats even when they’re paid to
it it and incentivised by tips.

I’d take a happy american smiling and willingly wanting to help any day over the sulry, bored, disinterested or slap-hazzard Irish any day.

Invidious

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I think there's a more natural friendliness somewhere in between the two that Irish people are pretty good at when they want to be

Irish people don't have a monopoly on natural friendliness ... Americans can be pretty good at it too. Many Americans are naturally warm, open, positive people ... it's not some fake act they're putting on just because they're terrified to lose their jobs, or whatever the prevailing narrative is here.

Invidious

Floppybits wrote: »

At least the surly one is honest.

Why do you assume that surly = honest and positive = fake?

Thelonious Monk

Invidious wrote: »

Irish people don't have a monopoly on natural friendliness ... Americans can be pretty good at it too. Many Americans are naturally warm, open, positive people ... it's not some fake act they're putting on just because they're terrified to lose their jobs, or whatever the prevailing narrative is here.

I know, but you don't have quite the same amount of "Hi I'm Kaycee I'll be your server today XD XD XD" over here as you do there, and that can be a bit annoying.

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

In Ireland if you are on a good salary between PAYE deductions and the few stealth taxes you will be paying aprox 50% of your earnings in tax.

You can guarantee you will be paying another 25-30% in either a mortgage or rent - unless you bought circa 1980.

Aside from health insurance, I know a friend whose property tax there is $16000 a year. This isn't unusual. In fairness though he has a massive house.

Invidious

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I know, but you don't have quite the same amount of "Hi I'm Kaycee I'll be your server today XD XD XD" over here as you do there, and that can be a bit annoying.

I've eaten in many US restaurants and honestly can't say I've ever been annoyed by someone being open, warm, welcoming, and helpful. It's generally the absence of those qualities that annoys me.

Thelonious Monk

Invidious wrote: »

I've eaten in many US restaurants and honestly can't say I've ever been annoyed by someone being open, warm, welcoming, and helpful. It's generally the absence of those qualities that annoys me.

I prefer a more subtle approach personally

OEP

"Professional" jobs pay a lot more over there too - an engineer, developer etc. . In my company, a person on my team in the US that is the exact same level as me is getting paid 30% - 40% more. And then they generally pay a lot less tax on that too.

JustAThought

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Aside from health insurance, I know a friend whose property tax there is $16000 a year. This isn't unusual. In fairness though he has a massive house.

And massive in America is something else.

Ofd because I was asking about
mortages and I understood that property tax, and federal taxes for the duration of the mortgage were things that were typically automatically factored in as port of the mortgage borrowing - thou no doubt companies are different.

At least over there if your tenant dosn’t pay the rent they can’t sit in your house for two years running up bills and rent debts they will never lay - police in, 2 day eviction - freeloaders out. I guess thats part of the services they get for their taxes - an efficient, functioning police system and consequences for breaking the law or contracts.

I’d love to see the gaurds policing the streets here, or taking criminals to task. or arresting half I’Connell St for drug dealing or defecating or shooting up on the footpath. I guess thats why so many of American towns and main thoroughfares are so clean, feel safe and are
pleasant places to be. Unlike the dark hole that is much of Dublin city centre.

Nermal

OEP wrote: »

"Professional" jobs pay a lot more over there too - an engineer, developer etc. . In my company, a person on my team in the US that is the exact same level as me is getting paid 30% - 40% more. And then they generally pay a lot less tax on that too.

People simply don't realise this. This difference is not explained by health insurance, or longer working hours. Living standards are vastly higher in the US, full stop.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-britain-is-poorer-than-any-us-state-other-than-mississippi

Invidious

Deleted User wrote: »

Aside from health insurance, I know a friend whose property tax there is $16000 a year. This isn't unusual. In fairness though he has a massive house.

Well, the average property tax bill in the US as a whole is around $2,500 a year. So paying $16,000 would not exactly be typical ... I assume your friend lives in a high-tax and/or affluent jurisdiction.

Wibbs

JustAThought wrote: »

I’d love to see the gaurds policing the streets here, or taking criminals to task. or arresting half I’Connell St for drug dealing or defecating or shooting up on the footpath. I guess thats why so many of American towns and main thoroughfares are so clean, feel safe and are
pleasant places to be. Unlike the dark hole that is much of Dublin city centre.

And yet America is well ahead of Ireland on crime rates in general and far ahead on violent crime.

JustAThought

Yes.
This is not a gun law or civil rights thread.

OP - have a look at any of the american multinationals with HQ in Dublin amd then look at
the lists of varied, interesting, extremely well
paid management roles and the salaries
they are offering in America. There is no comparison. Makes you wonder
how they are allowed get awY with paying practically zero company taxes here on a Global headquarters basis and yet pay the Irish staff poorly by comparison and retain the majority of the progressive senior level extremely well paid jobs in the states - all of which stTe their packGes and holiday entitlements. Worth travelling for. Especiially as an educated, qualified, experienced professional.

MsStote

SharpshooterTom wrote: »

I've long considered wanting to move to the US at some point in my life. I recognise it has some serious flaws, but my main gripe about the country is with the lack of annual leave the US (and Canada) both have. Am I right in saying the US has NO guaranteed paid leave whatsoever and it has be negotiated with an employer before hand? I also read that approximately 25% of Americans don't get ANY paid leave whatsoever? I think the average American only gets just 10 days off a year? In Canada its not much better either with 2 weeks only (and wages are also lower than the US).

AUS/NZ appear to have a similar work-life balance to that of Ireland/UK by contrast. A minimum of 4-5 weeks plus an extra 10-13 paid days for public holidays which is a pretty good deal, so I'm open to moving there also. But the lack of paid work leave is a bit of a drag about North America. I'd be ok with 3 weeks but 10 days or less would depress me.

Canada you get time off and you have good healthcare. You may make a lil more in the US but have to remember they must pay their own health insurance or you risk ruin. Cost of living in higher as well.

Wibbs

JustAThought wrote: »

Yes.
This is not a gun law or civil rights thread.

You were the one who referenced America's "efficient, functioning police system", and with a straight face to boot.

OEP

Nermal wrote: »

People simply don't realise this. This difference is not explained by health insurance, or longer working hours. Living standards are vastly higher in the US, full stop.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-britain-is-poorer-than-any-us-state-other-than-mississippi

Using GDP to compare is quite misleading though

NSAman

Wibbs wrote: »

And yet America is well ahead of Ireland on crime rates in general and far ahead on violent crime.

Amazingly enough, check out where the crime is happening and what areas of crime areas they are happening in.

I do not even lock my doors here. My front door has been open for 7 years at this stage, never being locked once. (I am not even sure I have a key for the door).

Would I do this in metropolitan areas? Nope.

Here, nothing happens without someone seeing it. Community watch, community welfare, community help and support is something that they pride themselves on. Some people may find that intrusive, I personally never have. I like living in a community where they help each other.

ShatterAlan

JimmyVik wrote: »

I worked there for a couple of years. I had 20 days holidays which was very good for over there.
But after the first year in my performance review he says to me. "I see you used all 20 days of your annual leave?. What happened?"
It was only afterwards I found out that if you dont have at least 50% of your annual leave untaken, they consider that you must not be motivated to work enough and are a slacker.

Colleagues were so surprised I had taken all my leave when I told them what happeded. Even they thought I was taking the p!ss by using my annual leave.

And Americans and others who lick America's arse will try to tell you that tis kind of sheepish, blind devotion to the job is actually a virtue when in fat they are all a bunch of lemmings who slave away, stay late, come in on weekends etc, just to protect themselves from being canned.

It's disgusting.

ShatterAlan

NSAman wrote: »

God you are lovely!

Funnily enough, living in the States has its benefits.

Yes if you have a decent job, the perks are better but you have to work.

Is it perfect? No. Tell me ireland is perfect and I shall call you a liar.

America has the best and worst of everything for employees. Employee protection is zero. Depending on the job you have, the benefits vary greatly.

I employ a few people here. They are completely covered with medical insurance on very good plans $250 deductible. They have 401ks which we match. Hours are flexible and we enjoy a good work life balance. Holidays / vacation time is worked up to a maximum of 20 days.

The one thing that Americans do that many Irish do not do, is give all to their work. They have to, otherwise it’s easy to let people go.

For the OP, you really have to consider negotiating with any employer. Making money here is easy. Tax is less. But.... you have to save and save hard. Most Americans are only a few paychecks away from homelessness. The culture of shopping is ingrained in people here. The price of living is not cheap here. Certain things that we take for granted as cheap in Ireland are expensive here. Cell phones, tv/cables/satellite are crazy. Electricity is cheaper than Ireland. Lately food costs have sky rocketed.

Housing (depending on where you live) can be either crazily expensive or very affordable. Take housing costs into consideration when moving and where you move to. Some states have zero personal income tax, others take a fair share. Deductions are the major difference between tax in Ireland and tax here. Use your head and you can make a nice tax refund at the end of the year.

To make money, llc’s and self employment are the way to go.

America is certainly not utopia. Then, no country on the planet is.

I always hear the "America's not perfect but no country is..." trope when you point out the glaringly obvious shortcomings of the place.


Never any acknowledgement or attempt to address the very addressable shortcomings. This bollocks of you work 9 to 5 but god forbid you stick to that and don't devote your every waking hour to the poxy job is pathetic.


And 10 days holiday a year is Dickensian. The French with their shorter work week and generous holiday allowance are actually 16% more productive than American workers.

Stone Deaf 4evr

JustAThought wrote: »

A lot of people I went to college with including family members (who didn’t go to college) emigrated to the states and all of
them have good lives, great houses and lifestyles, go on holidays and trips overseas several times a year, most have second homes - bought not inherited, and their kids have the kind of outdoors,BBQ, family friendly littleball lives we see on TV. Its certainly not the deerhunter kind of squalor and hardship painted here.

another poster may have pointed this out, but I havent read the whole thread, but likely, none of your mates were saddled with the insane student loans that kids in the states get.