Work life balance in the USA

Doylers · 23-11-2020 9:17pm

I'm in Canada had two jobs in the last two years. First job was 15 days leave a year, second was 21 days. It's all up for negotiation just never forget that. They don't want to give you an extra 10K? Fine get 5 more days off etc.

ShatterAlan · 23-11-2020 9:18pm

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

Higher than where? Mexico? Bangladesh? Eritrea?

The US doesn't even make the top 10 in Quality of Life rankings and is barely in the top 20 on the Happiness Index.

Invidious · 23-11-2020 9:24pm

Deleted User wrote: »

It's not really as it puts everybody under more pressure. And besides all that the worry of financial ruin is very common over there, particularly if there are any health issues. The low number of days off is horrible too.

It is great for people who have made their millions. Very little of that is being made in the young generation though. Millennials own 4% of the wealth, and the oldest millennial are now pushing 40.

So maybe a generation ago Ireland was worth leaving for a normal job in the US, now it isnt. Unless you are top level IT, it isnt worth it.

On the other hand the least bad thing about the US is friendly staff.

Financial issues cause people endless worry in Ireland too, from what I see. Just look back to 2008-12 when the state of the economy was all anyone could talk about. There's now a whole generation growing up wondering if they'll ever be able to buy their own home.

In the US, the number of days off typically increases with seniority. And I'm sure many of those millennials will eventually benefit from large inheritances. How much wealth do they expect in their 20s and 30s?

In the past generation, American multinationals have brought over 100,000 jobs directly to Ireland, so Irish people don't have to go over there for them. That said, if you're an ambitious, motivated person, there are a lot more rewards in the US than in Ireland, such as higher wages, lower taxes, better schools and universities for children, and more affordable homes in many parts of the country.

ShatterAlan · 23-11-2020 9:29pm

NSAman wrote: »

I'm sure you are a shining employee.

Like I said no place is utopia. If you know somewhere that is, please inform us all.

I enjoy my work here, as I'm sure my employees do too. I doubt with your obvious attitude you would fit in here.

Anecdotal evidence is no yardstick.

Can you live on minimum wage in the US? Simple answer is NO.

45% of Americans cannot come up with $400 in the event of an emergency.

In America there a people paying off student loans into their 40's and 50's. Some never clear the debt. A lifetime of penury for a useless degree in criminal justice or social studies.

ShatterAlan · 23-11-2020 9:39pm

Invidious wrote: »

Is Irish public transport anything to get excited about?

Every country has its good points and bad points. You seem incapable of acknowledging anything good about the USA — fair enough, but your biases are glaringly obvious.

People are talking about the quality of life and standards of living in the US and how they are the best.

They're not. Not even close and I'm simply pointing that out.

It's very easy to point out certain aspects while conveniently ignoring the obvious failings.

And people also point out amazing scenery as if a natural phenomenon is somehow a testament to American greatness like the American people built the Rocky Mountains or the beaches of Cape Cod.

Invidious · 23-11-2020 9:45pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

People are talking about the quality of life and standards of living in the US and how they are the best.

A highly educated and motivated person can achieve better living standards and higher quality of life in the US than almost anywhere else.

And people also point out amazing scenery as if a natural phenomenon is somehow a testament to American greatness like the American people built the Rocky Mountains or the beaches of Cape Cod.

Exactly the same could be said about the Cliffs of Moher or the Ring of Kerry, and yet the Irish proudly talk about their beautiful scenery in much the same way.

blaze1 · 23-11-2020 9:50pm

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.

I was due to make the move over at the start of the year with an Irish company, at the start it was due to be same benefits - 23 days per year with the 10-13 public holidays in the US. Turns out as no one on the US team was taking anywhere near that, they made the US team go to 15 days. Public holidays from what I hear, you would be lucky to get half of them, they vary from state to state. I think most places on give Federal days. Healthcare is also ridiculous. I would look to OZ/NZ if the chance came up.

NSAman · 23-11-2020 10:54pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Can you live on minimum wage in Ireland? Simple answer is NO.

Fixed that for ya!

24-11-2020 12:22am

Invidious wrote: »

Financial issues cause people endless worry in Ireland too, from what I see. Just look back to 2008-12 when the state of the economy was all anyone could talk about. There's now a whole generation growing up wondering if they'll ever be able to buy their own home.

In the US far more houses were taken by banks. And I see you didn't mention health. That hangs over everybody. Even the upper middle class.

In the US, the number of days off typically increases with seniority.

It increases with length of time working of course, but that is a disincentive to leave a company ( or you fall is back to 10).

And I'm sure many of those millennials will eventually benefit from large inheritances. How much wealth do they expect in their 20s and 30s?

Well their parents had 25% or so of the wealth in their time. Believe it or not the old used to be poorer than the young and middle aged.

That said, if you're an ambitious, motivated person, there are a lot more rewards in the US than in Ireland, such as higher wages, lower taxes, better schools and universities for children, and more affordable homes in many parts of the country.

Where people would normally go i.e. California or New York, the wages are higher, but the sum take of all taxes largely the same, the schools can be abysmal, and the houses are not affordable. Universities are expensive. and in general probably over-rated.

JustAThought · 24-11-2020 12:47am

The Floyd p wrote: »

JustAThought must be on commission from some USA multinationals with the amount of gross generalisations they're making about how the USA is this paradise with low crime, wonderful employers and superb tourist destinations.

Sounds like something you'd hear in an advertisement from the USA tourism board ffs.

!!! No - and Im well aware of its negatives and was amongst the first to point out the importance of good benefits in terms of medical. But I see posters here putting such nonsense about that it makes me wonder why they are determined to stop the OP from taking a break and following his/her dream. I’ve worked there as I have repeatedly said and have friends and family long time living there - all of whom have good work benefits, have had health issues but had them covered through work bar one who fell as she left her workplace after being fired (not covered 4k bill for ambulance :0). And all take holidays - paid ones. None have been shot or murdered or victims of crime - and they live in beautiful homes and have great lifeatyles. The begrudgery and scaremongering on the thread is shocking - its like tall poppy syndrome - scythe down the person who dares to dream and put them off so they will be in the same spot as everyone else - including the self professed carer and self professed long term unemployed who are loudest in talking about violence and frightening the OP off. His question was about jobs and holidays - not the lunacy of trump and black lives matter protests by whites.

Most of the people I know who emigrated to the states regardless of whether they had third level education or not or whether they started as labourers, truck drivers, working for insurance companies, banks, multinationals or in design or have all great jobs, great careers, great prospects, pensions, steady jobs and all take multiple holidays every year.

& yes - driveby shootings happen, there is a drug problem, there is a politics problem , and black lives matter - there are lots of threads for that - this is one about work opportunity in the usa & holiday time. OP will wonder all his/her life if they missed the boat and a big opportunity in not going
becUse of fearmongering on the internet and people with experience of
working there jot saying what a great Nd totally different experience it is - for experienced professionals - and how incredibly well paid and lowly taxed you are as a professional
worker. Particularly in comparison to the bull**** you often have to put up with here.

And despite everything NOBODY I know has emigrated back here - not by themselves, not after they got married, not even when they hd kids. They all say the same
things - career, community and quality of life - they know there is absolutely no way they will have anything like what they have in the states back here. And so they stay, take holidays back home, can afford for one to work and one to be a stay at home mother and have beautiful house in NY, can afford to send one parent over for the two month summer holidays to visit the grandparents and not bat an eye . And these are ordinary working in mangement or owning their own SME level people - not IT start ups, not IT geniuses -
just ordinary Irish people who took a chance and took a risk and made a better life for
themselves. Why work so hard to put the OP off his/her short term dream after all the sacrifices they have already made.

24-11-2020 12:53am

JustAThought wrote: »

Most of the people I know who emigrated to the states regardless of whether they had third level education or not or whether they started as labourers, truck drivers, working for insurance companies, banks, multinationals or in design or have all great jobs, great careers, great prospects, pensions, steady jobs and all take multiple holidays every year.
.

You said that, but it's a bit dubious that Irish people could in fact emigrate to do those kind of jobs in the last few decades, unless they won some kind of diversity lottery.

There are parts of the US where a normal salary can go a long way though, but Irish people tend not to immigrate there.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 1:03am

Invidious wrote: »

A highly educated and motivated person can achieve better living standards and higher quality of life in the US than almost anywhere else.

Exactly the same could be said about the Cliffs of Moher or the Ring of Kerry, and yet the Irish proudly talk about their beautiful scenery in much the same way.

Can they though?

We're talking about work life balance here. This notion of if you work hard you'll have a great life in America is just not true. US workers work longer hours with less free time than practically all other OECD countries. Wages are stagnant and have been so since the 1970's.

And if you lose your job what kind of safety net is there? Do you get paid maternity / paternity leave in the US? Maybe some companies throw their employees a bone of a paltry few weeks but they are the exception. You get paid to go to college in Denmark. You are charged tens of thousands of dollars for a college education in America that is probably on a par with the Leaving Cert...ORDINARY LEVEL.

I had friends in the US who I had to help with the Mathematics module of their degrees. I was teaching them simultaneous equations for fcuks sake. You know, the sh1t you do for the Junior Cert in Ireland. What the hell were they learning at the age of 15 in high school? Their times tables?

Forget about the 1%. If you can make $20 million a year in New York whereas only £13 million in London what's the difference. Either party has it made and won't ever have to worry about money. But if you drop down to the middle class or working class that's where you see the differences. A waitress or barmaid in say Amsterdam can have a decent life whilst just working the one job. Paid holidays, health coverage, affordable rent, good amenities and infrastructure. In the US that is beyond reach. She would have to work 2 or maybe 3 jobs to make ends meet. If the bar/restaurant in Amsterdam is having a slow night the waitress is bored. In America she suffers financially and might not even have enough to cover the week's bills.

Do you think that American manufacturing workers have it better than their German counterparts? Not a chance. And teachers in America get the royal shaft. They're treated like shit by government and parents alike. I've read stories of them having to donate blood for extra money.

I know I bemoan anecdotal evidence and isolated case but I'll break my own rule and accept the consequences. I was working in IT in New York and earning $70k 20 years ago. Not bad for a 20 something. So after tax I was taking home about $3800/3900 a month. My rent was low so after bills like rent, car insturance, commuter rail ticket were paid I was down to about $2600 per month disposable income. I had health coverage with the job but it was a fairly meagre plan with no dental. I was then offered a job in the Netherlands. Same type of job except a lot less hours, twice the amount of holidays. I had a fully furnished all inclusive apartment on a canal, no need for that car...exceptional transport network to get to work. After bills were paid I had nearly 5500 euros disposable income each month.

JustAThought · 24-11-2020 1:07am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You said that, but it's a bit dubious that Irish people could in fact emigrate to do those kind of jobs in the last few decades, unless they won some kind of diversity lottery.

There are parts of the US where a normal salary can go a long way though, but Irish people tend not to immigrate there.

simple really - JI, green card, citizenship. In the mid 1990s and early 2000 that was the route. And now its do postgrad here - on your grant - and avail of the recriprocal 18 month ‘free’ visa for recent grads scheme or for oldies get a transfer after 3 years in management to stateside.

Or family visa sponsorship from a naturalised family member who will vouch for you.

There are lots of other categories of visas you can (now) apply for but they were the ‘easy’ routes back then mostly used. Marrying and applying for residency also worked ( when genuine - not Thai bride or Vegas night style!)

Trump has of course changed a lot and Biden mY be cancelling Ll that now, but the postgrad & 18
months visa or J1 or Irish transfer from a multinational are still well trodden routes. Last
time I looked about a year ago the family sponsorship was still available for Irish. Plenty left
off their desirable list but we are still holding strong.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 1:07am

blaze1 wrote: »

I was due to make the move over at the start of the year with an Irish company, at the start it was due to be same benefits - 23 days per year with the 10-13 public holidays in the US. Turns out as no one on the US team was taking anywhere near that, they made the US team go to 15 days. Public holidays from what I hear, you would be lucky to get half of them, they vary from state to state. I think most places on give Federal days. Healthcare is also ridiculous. I would look to OZ/NZ if the chance came up.

There's only 7 public holidays in the US IIRC. You're back at work on the 26th of December FFS.

24-11-2020 1:10am

JustAThought wrote: »

simple really - JI, green card, citizenship. .

J1 to Green card? Is that possible?

I was a h1b over there and I didn't get a green card. But then I didn't apply.

JustAThought · 24-11-2020 1:11am

ShatterAlan wrote: »

There's only 7 public holidays in the US IIRC. You're back at work on the 26th of December FFS.

why did you stay in america so long shatter as you clearly hated and despised it aNd everyone in it and seemed to have such a rubbish job in a dreadful & deadly & filthy area?

chrissb8 · 24-11-2020 1:30am

JustAThought wrote: »

why did you stay in america so long shatter as you clearly hated and despised it aNd everyone in it and seemed to have such a rubbish job in a dreadful & deadly & filthy area?

Experience? A good try at living another a life before Shatter decided against it and thought he could get better?

I'm sure he's not the first one to see things in hindsight in his life and maybe now he has a perspective because he lived somewhere else afterwards that showed a better way of living (Amsterdam).

Move to America if you want. But this whole notion of every country has its issues is a fallacy. America is a failure in too many regards riddled with issues and a very obviously inferior standard of living.

You say living is having X, Y, Z. I say living is having a realistic chance of succeeding, and even if you don't succeed you aren't punished for it.

There is no world where the pros of living in a America matches a place like Western Europe, and certainly no way in hell the weighing scales tip even, in regards to the cons.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 1:33am

Deleted User wrote: »

J1 to Green card? Is that possible?

I was a h1b over there and I didn't get a green card. But then I didn't apply.

You cannot just get a green card. The easiest route in the past was the Green Card lottery (Donnelly / Morrison visas) apart from that there is no way to just rock up to the US and get a job legally. If you are the offspring of a citizen you qualify for a Green Card. If you marry a US citizen you can apply for Green Card status but that can take years. The J1 visa is a once off work permit that allows you to work in the States if you are a student and it lasts about four or five months maximum. There is no path from J1 to Green Card.

The H1B visa IIRC allows you to work for 2 years but only with the one company. If the job sucks and they treat you like crap and you quit then pack your bags and get on a plane because you aren't eligible to work anywhere else.

I've never heard of a citizen / resident simply being able to sponsor you.

JustAThought · 24-11-2020 1:52am

we are all aware that you cannot just ‘get’ a
green card - there is a process and yes - incredible to imagine - you do actually have to apply for one for a chance to be granted one.

A naturalised American citizen can sponsor a family member - or used to be able to
up to the last time I looked - so for example my (Irish) sibling who applied for, did the test, swore the oath, passed all the scrutiny and and was
granted citizenship can apply to sponsor me. as
could my first cousin who married an american etc There are other family visa types (or used be) but these stuck for me as both would work. Different rules for different nationalities and u18’s,
step children etc - they are thorough.

Shatter - you still havn’t mentioned
why you stayed in america for seven years, a
country and people whom you clearly hated and despised and which you have nothing good to say about.Why did you choose to stay and torture yourself? Planes fly both ways.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 2:07am

JustAThought wrote: »

why did you stay in america so long shatter as you clearly hated and despised it aNd everyone in it and seemed to have such a rubbish job in a dreadful & deadly & filthy area?

I didn't know any better at the time. Working and living in other countries opened my eyes up to how the place is not all it's cracked up to be.

It was fun when I was younger. I didn't despise the place OR the people. I had a nice job, a girlfriend (who turned out to be a wacko, but that's a different story) a nice circle of friends, etc. But you can have that anywhere. The US doesn't have a monopoly on these basic human comforts. Looking back I wouldn't have spent as long as I did there. I held out for citizenship but once that came through and I left the place I had no desire to return. Everytime I go back I feel this overwhelming weight of the state bearing down on everyone. Petty rules, people in uniform everywhere on their own power trips just itching to give someone a hard time, sit under a tree reading a book in a park or walk around taking photographs and you can almost be sure that someone will call the cops on you because this is not "normal behaviour" and you look "suspicious" and of course the cop will demand ID, obscene displays of military prowess and plastic patriotism when I just want to watch a few guys hit a ball with a stick and run around a field, stupid laws like having to produce age verification to enter a bar and get a beer even though you look like Gandalf, seething racism, the all-too-quick way that they say "fuck him" when someone is unlucky, the lack of awareness of anything going on in the world outside their own borders felt stifling

I enjoyed my weekends going out in Manhattan. I loved things like diners and delis and I loved the Chinese food in NY. I enjoyed taking road trips up to New England and staying in seedy little motels. I've been in 20 states and to be honest they almost all look the same. Of course Colorado is going to look a lot different to Texas but leaving aside temperature and scenery the homogeneity of the place was boring.

JustAThought · 24-11-2020 2:12am

Well I am relieved that you did have some lovely memories ( despite the bunny boiling) and have some good experiences and happy memories for
all the years you spent there. Life is too short.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 2:13am

JustAThought wrote: »

we are all aware that you cannot just ‘get’ a
green card - there is a process and yes - incredible to imagine - you do actually have to apply for one for a chance to be granted one.

A naturalised American citizen can sponsor a family member - or used to be able to
up to the last time I looked - so for example my (Irish) sibling who applied for, did the test, swore the oath, passed all the scrutiny and and was
granted citizenship can apply to sponsor me. as
could my first cousin who married an american etc There are other family visa types (or used be) but these stuck for me as both would work. Different rules for different nationalities and u18’s,
step children etc - they are thorough.

Shatter - you still havn’t mentioned
why you stayed in america for seven years, a
country and people whom you clearly hated and despised and which you have nothing good to say about.Why did you choose to stay and torture yourself? Planes fly both ways.

Your sibling or first cousin can't do anything to obtain you legal residency in the US.

Call the INS and they will tell you the same thing.

Palmy · 24-11-2020 2:17am

radiata wrote: »

What part of the US are you thinking of moving to OP?
It can make a huge difference in your life depending on your location and what you're looking for. There's a huge difference in the cost of living throughout the States too.
If you're looking for a good outdoor type lifestyle, the states of Oregon and Washington are beautiful with beaches and mountains, and very laid back in general.
A lot depends on your financial situation too, if it's not great you can rule out a lot of the west coast or bigger cities as you'll need a headstart when you arrive.

Are you high, Washington just passed to make Crack,Meth and Cocaine legal for personal use. Plus it’s cold as hell for 6 month of the year.

Palmy · 24-11-2020 2:28am

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Your sibling or first cousin can't do anything to obtain you legal residency in the US.

Call the INS and they will tell you the same thing.

If you are a citizen you can get your parents over pretty quickly within a year. Getting a brother or sister over is possible but takes approximately 10 years to do. A cousin forget about it.

Palmy · 24-11-2020 2:32am

ShatterAlan wrote: »

I didn't know any better at the time. Working and living in other countries opened my eyes up to how the place is not all it's cracked up to be.

It was fun when I was younger. I didn't despise the place OR the people. I had a nice job, a girlfriend (who turned out to be a wacko, but that's a different story) a nice circle of friends, etc. But you can have that anywhere. The US doesn't have a monopoly on these basic human comforts. Looking back I wouldn't have spent as long as I did there. I held out for citizenship but once that came through and I left the place I had no desire to return. Everytime I go back I feel this overwhelming weight of the state bearing down on everyone. Petty rules, people in uniform everywhere on their own power trips just itching to give someone a hard time, sit under a tree reading a book in a park or walk around taking photographs and you can almost be sure that someone will call the cops on you because this is not "normal behaviour" and you look "suspicious" and of course the cop will demand ID, obscene displays of military prowess and plastic patriotism when I just want to watch a few guys hit a ball with a stick and run around a field, stupid laws like having to produce age verification to enter a bar and get a beer even though you look like Gandalf, seething racism, the all-too-quick way that they say "fuck him" when someone is unlucky, the lack of awareness of anything going on in the world outside their own borders felt stifling

I enjoyed my weekends going out in Manhattan. I loved things like diners and delis and I loved the Chinese food in NY. I enjoyed taking road trips up to New England and staying in seedy little motels. I've been in 20 states and to be honest they almost all look the same. Of course Colorado is going to look a lot different to Texas but leaving aside temperature and scenery the homogeneity of the place was boring.

That’s what happens when you live in a Democratic state. They are leaving NY in droves. High taxes, homelessness, We can’t build houses fast enough in Florida.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 2:39am

JustAThought wrote: »

Well I am relieved that you did have some lovely memories ( despite the bunny boiling) and have some good experiences and happy memories for
all the years you spent there. Life is too short.

I did have a good time. I'm not going to lie. But I had better times in other countries.

You can have a great time in the US if you've got the money. But then you can have a great time anywhere if you've got the money. But I'd wager that a working stiff wage slave in the US would be much happier and lest stressed if they could transplant themselves to Belgium or Sweden or the Czech Republic.

I lived in Galway for a year. It was fun also but too small for me. But I would say that an American (who can handle the rain) would be infinitely happier there doing a "middle class" job than in say New Jersey.

I was in New Orleans last September and said to myself...yeah I could live here. But 6 days in the Big Easy is a lot different to having to get up everyday and go to work and pay the bills. I wouldn't be able to go on the lash every night in the French Quarter.

Friends of mine who live there (Americans) many of them are struggling. Kids, bills, falling wages, rising prices, a work-dinner-bed-work-dinner-bed existence.

Life IS too short for that.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 2:52am

Palmy wrote: »

Are you high, Washington just passed to make Crack,Meth and Cocaine legal for personal use. Plus it’s cold as hell for 6 month of the year.

I find this impossible to believe.....the drug laws that is.

And Washington State is not cold as hell (is hell cold?) for 6 months of the year. It's quite a mild climate. Temperatures rarely reach freezing point unlike states in the North Mid-West and North East. It's about the same as Ireland / UK. Temperatures in February are about 4C, March about 8C, April low teens, May high teens up to about 25 in July / August and dropping in a similar pattern down to about 3 or 4 in December.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 2:56am

Palmy wrote: »

If you are a citizen you can get your parents over pretty quickly within a year. Getting a brother or sister over is possible but takes approximately 10 years to do. A cousin forget about it.

This is not true. Only a parent who is a citizen can qualify a child for permanent residency and that only AFAIK means the father or the mother if the child was born out of wedlock.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 3:01am

Palmy wrote: »

That’s what happens when you live in a Democratic state. They are leaving NY in droves. High taxes, homelessness, We can’t build houses fast enough in Florida.

Give me a break. They are leaving New York because of COVID and they can work remotely. It has nothing to do with Democratic or Republican states. If you can work remotely then why would you see the need to pay to live in an expensive city where you don't need to be anymore. There's probably some who are moving to Cuba and that's apparently a communist dictatorship.

Manic Moran · 24-11-2020 3:21am

ShatterAlan wrote: »

There's only 7 public holidays in the US IIRC. You're back at work on the 26th of December FFS.

Ten, actually. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2020

Some are. I'm not.

My employer realises bugger-all gets done the week in between Christmas and New Year's, so we get it off. Similarly, almost every company gives the day after Thanksgiving off, even though it's not a public holiday, for the same reason. True, this is more an office worker thing, I have limited contact in the blue-collar world. But there's nothing saying the OP is looking for a blue-collar job.

My sister lives in Amsterdam with her husband. Owns a flat there, been living in NL for well over a decade. Seems like she likes it. No way in hell I'll be trading my Texas life for one in Amsterdam, though. If you like Amsterdam and the type of living which goes on there, then more power to you. Go with my blessings. To say that Amsterdam provides a better life than San Antonio, though, is a non-objective statement which very much is dependent on the individual making it.

Ultimately, 'quality of life' comes down to how much you enjoy it. If you didn't enjoy the US, so be it. Plenty of us do.

ShatterAlan · 24-11-2020 4:11am

Manic Moran wrote: »

Ten, actually. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2020

Some are. I'm not.

My employer realises bugger-all gets done the week in between Christmas and New Year's, so we get it off. Similarly, almost every company gives the day after Thanksgiving off, even though it's not a public holiday, for the same reason. True, this is more an office worker thing, I have limited contact in the blue-collar world. But there's nothing saying the OP is looking for a blue-collar job.

My sister lives in Amsterdam with her husband. Owns a flat there, been living in NL for well over a decade. Seems like she likes it. No way in hell I'll be trading my Texas life for one in Amsterdam, though. If you like Amsterdam and the type of living which goes on there, then more power to you. Go with my blessings. To say that Amsterdam provides a better life than San Antonio, though, is a non-objective statement which very much is dependent on the individual making it.

Ultimately, 'quality of life' comes down to how much you enjoy it. If you didn't enjoy the US, so be it. Plenty of us do.

Only 7 of those holidays are nationwide. President's Day, Columbus Day and Veteran's Day are only holidays in certain states.

dresden8 · 24-11-2020 5:14am

Invidious wrote: »

And I'm sure many of those millennials will eventually benefit from large inheritances. How much wealth do they expect in their 20s and 30s?

I think that's quite the point. Hard work used to be the path to wealth. Now inheritance is.

Which quite pisses over the whole trope of work hard, get rich.

Your point is, be born to rich parents, get rich.

The_Kew_Tour · 24-11-2020 5:42am

Worked for US Broadcaster and they still only gave 10 days off per year.

Had few friends who went to Canada and States during recession. Had good laugh at them when they were planning to make a trips home in summer and winter for Christmas. Was one or other as they found out hard way

99nsr125 · 24-11-2020 5:47am

Go to Canada, it's the best country in the world

Invidious · 24-11-2020 1:39pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

This notion of if you work hard you'll have a great life in America is just not true. US workers work longer hours with less free time than practically all other OECD countries. Wages are stagnant and have been so since the 1970's.

And back in paradisiacal Ireland, we have plenty of young college-educated people who are stuck in overpriced house shares or living with their parents, despairing of ever buying a home or having a family. All while they pay tax at a marginal rate of over 50% on their below-average salaries. Can they expect to have a great life here?

As for health care concerns, there are over 820,000 people on hospital waiting lists in Ireland. That's close to 20% of the population.

You seem to want to go on and on about the wretched lives that you believe Americans have to endure. Ireland is no picnic, either, and there are many people in Ireland (especially highly educated, hard-working people) who would be far better off in the USA.

Invidious · 24-11-2020 1:43pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

This is not true. Only a parent who is a citizen can qualify a child for permanent residency and that only AFAIK means the father or the mother if the child was born out of wedlock.

If the US citizen parent has lived for five or more years in the USA, a child born abroad is automatically a US citizen (not a permanent resident). All they have to do is register the birth at the US Embassy, and a Social Security Number will be issued along with a US passport.

Invidious · 24-11-2020 1:53pm

dresden8 wrote: »

I think that's quite the point. Hard work used to be the path to wealth. Now inheritance is.

Which quite pisses over the whole trope of work hard, get rich.

Your point is, be born to rich parents, get rich.

You're missing the point.

Someone is complaining that the millennial generation owns a small proportion of the wealth and the boomer generation owns far more.

Well, logically the boomer generation (currently in their 60s and 70s) will eventually pass on, leaving their wealth to younger millennials ... and eventually the next generation will be complaining that millennials own all the wealth.

It's a pointless argument, really, complaining that young people in their 20s and 30s don't own as much wealth as their parents.

Wibbs · 24-11-2020 1:54pm

Invidious wrote: »

And back in paradisiacal Ireland, we have plenty of young college-educated people who are stuck in overpriced house shares or living with their parents, despairing of ever buying a home or having a family. All while they pay tax at a marginal rate of over 50% on their below-average salaries. Can they expect to have a great life here?

As for health care concerns, there are over 820,000 people on hospital waiting lists in Ireland. That's close to 20% of the population.

You seem to want to go on and on about the wretched lives that you believe Americans have to endure. Ireland is no picnic, either, and there are many people in Ireland (especially highly educated, hard-working people) who would be far better off in the USA.

Are you recruiting, or trying to convince yourself? You're like a GO USA! poster or something.

Manic Moran wrote: »

To say that Amsterdam provides a better life than San Antonio, though, is a non-objective statement which very much is dependent on the individual making it.

Ultimately, 'quality of life' comes down to how much you enjoy it. If you didn't enjoy the US, so be it. Plenty of us do.

Pretty much what MM says. Some will like it some won't. Like any country in the west. It's very dependent on the individual and it also very much depends on where in the US you go and what career you find yourself in. Hell it's like that across the Irish sea. London is quite different to say Aberdeen. I know people who love London, I personally couldn't stand the place, but that's just me. Being Irish with qualifications under your belt, that you paid significantly less than Americans pay would put you at a serious financial advantage right off the bat, so that's a plus point.

Wibbs · 24-11-2020 2:00pm

Invidious wrote: »

You're missing the point.

Someone is complaining that the millennial generation owns a small proportion of the wealth and the boomer generation owns far more.

Well, logically the boomer generation (currently in their 60s and 70s) will eventually pass on, leaving their wealth to younger millennials ... and eventually the next generation will be complaining that millennials own all the wealth.

It's a pointless argument, really, complaining that young people in their 20s and 30s don't own as much wealth as their parents.

While you have a point, it's quite the different landscape to when America was in her boom times of the 50's and 60's, when access to higher education and the workforce and property was very much spread more evenly(If you were White of course). For the average young American coming out of WW2 generational wealth was far less an issue than the young American faces today.

Invidious · 24-11-2020 2:01pm

Wibbs wrote: »

Are you recruiting, or trying to convince yourself? You're like a GO USA! poster or something.

Not recruiting at all, just stating facts for the benefit of those who seemingly believe Ireland is an idyllic paradise and the US a wretched hellhole.

If someone is a "working-class stiff" as someone phrased it above, they're probably better off in Ireland.

For anyone well-educated and skilled, especially in tech, it's a no-brainer. They'll make far more money, pay much less tax, and have an overall better standard of living in the US.

NSAman · 24-11-2020 2:03pm

Wibbs wrote: »

Are you recruiting, or trying to convince yourself? You're like a GO USA! poster or something.

Much the same as Amsterdam and the Netherlands, I absolutely hate the place. Different strokes for different folks. As for England, I would never again go there, I even avoid transferring by plane if at all possible.

Pretty much what MM says. Some will like it some won't. Like any country in the west. It's very dependent on the individual and it also very much depends on where in the US you go and what career you find yourself in. Hell it's like that across the Irish sea. London is quite different to say Aberdeen. I know people who love London, I personally couldn't stand the place, but that's just me. Being Irish with qualifications under your belt, that you paid significantly less than Americans pay would put you at a serious financial advantage right off the bat, so that's a plus point.

Every country has its positives and negatives. As you say it is all down to the individual. I have lived and worked in many countries, for me the US has allowed me to develop ideas, initiatives and obviously make money more easily than anywhere.

Invidious · 24-11-2020 2:13pm

Wibbs wrote: »

While you have a point, it's quite the different landscape to when America was in her boom times of the 50's and 60's, when access to higher education and the workforce and property was very much spread more evenly(If you were White of course). For the average young American coming out of WW2 generational wealth was far less an issue than the young American faces today.

The decades between the end of WWII and the oil crisis of the '70s saw the greatest economic expansion in US history. The boomer generation was fortunate enough to live through benefit from that — but such a period of economic growth was both unprecedented and atypical. Before WWII, the US was suffering through the Great Depression. Using the boomer generation as the yardstick by which to measure everything before or since is clearly a flawed premise.

As for access to higher education in the 50s and 60s ... in 1960, only 10 percent of American men and 6 percent of women had a college degree. Now, 37 percent of women and 35 percent of men have degrees. Millennials are far better educated than their parents' and grandparents' generations.

Palmy · 24-11-2020 2:52pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

I find this impossible to believe.....the drug laws that is.

And Washington State is not cold as hell (is hell cold?) for 6 months of the year. It's quite a mild climate. Temperatures rarely reach freezing point unlike states in the North Mid-West and North East. It's about the same as Ireland / UK. Temperatures in February are about 4C, March about 8C, April low teens, May high teens up to about 25 in July / August and dropping in a similar pattern down to about 3 or 4 in December.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/buoyed-by-oregon-drug-decriminalization-vote-washington-groups-propose-similar-plan-for-2021-legislature/?amp=1

jrosen · 24-11-2020 3:11pm

I definitely think hard work is rewarded in the US and it certainly imo is a place where anything is really possible work wise. People are very open minded and those who show initiative are given a platform.

I think minus kids we would still be there and have a damn nice life. But everything is extremely expensive, rent, kids activities, medical. Its not a place to be if money is tight..

NSAman · 24-11-2020 4:46pm

jrosen wrote: »

I definitely think hard work is rewarded in the US and it certainly imo is a place where anything is really possible work wise. People are very open minded and those who show initiative are given a platform.

I think minus kids we would still be there and have a damn nice life. But everything is extremely expensive, rent, kids activities, medical. Its not a place to be if money is tight..

I agree that hard work pays dividends here, BUT you have to work smart also. This, in my humble opinion, is where the vast majority of Americans fall down. They do work hard. Too hard! They lack the knowledge and education to make the most of their system.

Schindlers Pissed · 24-11-2020 9:05pm

*Disclaimer* I've never lived in the US but I've been to New York many times, more than 25 times for a holiday.

The one thing that struck me with NYC is the rat race, I normally drank in Connollys, or The Perfect Pint, or the Pig and Whistle just off Times Square. What struck me was as other posters have said, office workers might come in for a couple of beers after work but then they scurry away onto the Subway and home to one of the boroughs. I would think it's difficult to make true friends and build true relationships over there.

The hardship of getting around too, it's so impersonal. We often went out to Hoboken for a few pints with my extended family, so get to the PATH station in Manhattan, out to NJ, have the pints, then checking a timetable to get the PATH back. Nobody talking to each other...etc etc....

I really enjoy NYC and I would say to the OP to take the chance, don't have that "what if" feeling in a few years time.

My cousin over there has a really good job with unlimited leave, but as she says herself, you don't get time to take it! She leads a team so when she gets back there's a mountain of work so it's just not worth it....

Also, in the last few years it's gone really expensive with the exchange rate....I used to buy lots of electronics because I like tech but the last couple of trips I didn't bother....there's no value in New York anymore in my opinion.

jrosen · 24-11-2020 10:55pm

Schindlers Pissed wrote: »

*Disclaimer* I've never lived in the US but I've been to New York many times, more than 25 times for a holiday.

The one thing that struck me with NYC is the rat race, I normally drank in Connollys, or The Perfect Pint, or the Pig and Whistle just off Times Square. What struck me was as other posters have said, office workers might come in for a couple of beers after work but then they scurry away onto the Subway and home to one of the boroughs. I would think it's difficult to make true friends and build true relationships over there.

The hardship of getting around too, it's so impersonal. We often went out to Hoboken for a few pints with my extended family, so get to the PATH station in Manhattan, out to NJ, have the pints, then checking a timetable to get the PATH back. Nobody talking to each other...etc etc....

I really enjoy NYC and I would say to the OP to take the chance, don't have that "what if" feeling in a few years time.

My cousin over there has a really good job with unlimited leave, but as she says herself, you don't get time to take it! She leads a team so when she gets back there's a mountain of work so it's just not worth it....

Also, in the last few years it's gone really expensive with the exchange rate....I used to buy lots of electronics because I like tech but the last couple of trips I didn't bother....there's no value in New York anymore in my opinion.

I know those bars well. You will find most locals avoid Time Square like the plague.

Alot of people live and raise their families in the city. But eventually yes they move out for more space. Which if you think about it alot of Irish people do the same, move for space. How many families moved from Dublin to the commuter belt to get more bang for their buck?

The benefit in NYC is that you can time your watch by the NYC subway system. You can get to every corner of that city by train. Crossing platforms when needed at no extra cost to catch a different tram.

Now the PATH is a whole other situation. But alot of people I know use the ferry to get from Hoboken and Jersey City. Its pricer but 6 mins your in downtown Manhattan.

Manic Moran · 25-11-2020 4:54pm

I think NYC is to Americans what Paris is for Frenchmen. To foreigners, and to people who live in those cities, they are the centers of their respective universes, but the rest of the country has little time for them. It takes a very specific attitude of person to live (and enjoy living) in those megalopoli.

Unfortunately, when folks go visit on vacation, it's often to these big cultural/economic centers. It's much easier to spend a week visiting sights in a concentrated area like NYC or Boston than enjoying what life has to offer in Denver. I don't know if there's a way around this problem, but consider, if you were going to consider going to live in France or the UK, would you only be picking the one or two biggest cities despite the chances being that those are the only places you've been to, or would you keep the options open a bit more?

25-11-2020 7:57pm

Manic Moran wrote: »

Ultimately, 'quality of life' comes down to how much you enjoy it. If you didn't enjoy the US, so be it. Plenty of us do.

Also comes down to your luck. Fall on hard times where you lose your Health Insurance, would you 'enjoy' the US then? If you had an accident and they took you to a out-of-network hospital, would you enjoy the bill?

They take you to an in-network hospital, but the doctor is out-of-network, would you enjoy that bill?

They take you to an in-network hospital, use an in-network doctor but an out-of-network lab, would you enjoy that bill?

Would you enjoy running for cover as a shooter opens up in a mall or school? Or enjoy living with that risk every day?

arctictree · 25-11-2020 8:03pm

salonfire wrote: »

Also comes down to your luck. Fall on hard times where you lose your Health Insurance, would you 'enjoy' the US then? If you had an accident and they took you to a out-of-network hospital, would you enjoy the bill?

They take you to an in-network hospital, but the doctor is out-of-network, would you enjoy that bill?

They take you to an in-network hospital, use an in-network doctor but an out-of-network lab, would you enjoy that bill?

Would you enjoy running for cover as a shooter opens up in a mall or school? Or enjoy living with that risk every day?

What happens in the US if you can't or just won't pay the bill?

Work life balance in the USA

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