no no no
states are BAD.

I was in Georgia, and hated every fucking second of every fucking minute working for a bastard who thought he was god's gift to the human race, and the rest of us should be content to lick his boots when not working 24/7. the holiday time over there is nonexistant (friend's husband had no holidays for his first 5 years in a job, then 5 days, at his manager's discretion for the next 5 - if he performed well. they got married and were not allowed a honeymoon, and have never had a day off together. this is not considered unusual), working hours are shit, and outside of major cities, there is fuck all to do except watch pigs squeal and rednecks drool.

as you may have gathered I did not like my time there.

The czech republic on the other hand... cheap beer, work hours fairly flexible, people are lovely, and cheap beer. need I say more?
( ascorbate, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 11:51, 3 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

oh
and healthcare is SHIT over there - if you're not employed, you're unlikely to be insured, and then you'll end up in massive debt if anything goes even slightly wrong.

stupid fucking country.
( ascorbate, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 11:53, Reply)

surely
With annual leave, you get what you negotiate from the outset?

As for the health care, I think it's fair to assume that everyone knows you need medical cover for the States and it's not something the dole out based on your taxes, as your taxes are used to buy bombs to drop on the innocent.

I'll look at the states in more detail.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 11:59, Reply)

you would think so
but it's all at the discretion of your boss. mine was a cunt of the very highest order, and although I was told at the outset that I could have 20 days holiday a year, it turned out that I was actually only allowed 10, and then only if he let me. I took 8, and got so so much shit for it, you'd have thought I'd slaughtered his firstborn or something.

a good friend of mine lives in San Francisco, was told the same (oh, 20 days, yup, fine), then got there, and now has 0 days a year. She is looking for another job. apparently, even having it in writing is useless.
( ascorbate, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 12:02, Reply)

There is virtually no white collar worker protection.
Unless there is a union, vacations are a joke. Sometimes you get great bosses who treat you like humans, other times you get shit on. With the economy right now, don't count on getting much in the way of benefits. The 8 hour day is long gone and 10-11 hrs (on salary, not hourly pay) are becoming the norm.

Its embarrassing to live here most times.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 12:42, Reply)

It may be shit to live and work in the States but travelling over there would be Ok surely?

( girlinthehole, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 13:15, Reply)

A lot of the old money southerners, love the English
If you go to the deep south (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi) and speak to the rich, old southern family people in a posh accent and act like minor royalty, they will love you and treat you like a queen (or king as the case may be).

Whatever you do, don’t say anything nice about New York or our present president.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 13:32, Reply)

very true
even mentioning Obama's name without spitting was a bit dangerous in Georgia - and I was living in a hippy univeristy town, which is traditionally 'blue'. god alone knows what it's like in the sticks.

and travelling in the US is great fun - no problems there - it's just working there is shit.
( ascorbate, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 13:54, Reply)