The Differences in Canadian and American Workplaces

Although Canada and the United States share one of the longest borders in the world, there are some big differences in lifestyles between the citizens of these countries, especially when it comes to the workplace.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Although Canada and the United States share one of the longest borders in the world, there are some big differences in lifestyles between the citizens of these countries, especially when it comes to the workplace. Canada has more laws than the United States about working hours, paid time off, and even leave for new parents. Canadian Visa Professionals seek to assist people from all over the world move to Canada to take advantage of many of these perks. Here are five ways that Canadian workplaces are different from those in the United States.

  1. Canadian work less hours than their American counterparts.
    According to a Gallup report from 2014, American workers spend about 47 hours per week at the office. The image that Americans are workaholics is not just a stereotype! In contrast, the Canadian government reports that full-time employees spend about 36 to 40 hours per week at their jobs.
  2. Canadian workers take more breaks during the day.
    In America, workers typically get one short lunch break in their workday. Canadian workers, however, are mandated to receive a 30-minute break every five hours, and a 24-hour break every week.
  3. Canadian workers enjoy more vacation time.
    In the United States, the government does not have laws that require employers give their employees a certain amount of vacation time every year. Because of that, vacation time varies widely across jobs and most workers only receive about two weeks off per year. However, Canada requires that employees who have worked at a company for less than five years receive two weeks off and three weeks once they have worked there for more than five years.
  4. French is spoken in all workplaces in Quebec.
    In Quebec, every person has the right to be served in French, and workers cannot be refused a job because they do not speak English. In America, though, workers usually must speak fluent English and service is not guaranteed in any other language.
  5. Canadian parents are guaranteed time off when their children are born.
    The United States does not guarantee maternal or paternal leave for new parents. In Canada, the government requires employers to give mothers up to 15 weeks off to spend with her new baby.

Canadian Visa Professionals work with many people every day who want to enjoy Canada’s healthy workplace environments. If you would like more information, contact Canadian Visa Professionals today to learn how you can make Canada your new home.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#a4a4a4″ icon_size=”32″ block_title_front=”Test yourself! (Hover with mouse to reveal answers)” block_desc_front=”1. How many weeks are granted at most for parental leave in Canada?
2. Where French is spoken in all workplaces?
3. How many weeks of vacantion do you get for working more than 5 years?
4. How many hours a full-time employee spend at their jobs weekly?” block_title_back=”These are the answers:” block_desc_back=”1. 15 weeks.
2. Quebec.
3. 3 weeks.
4. 36-40 hours.” ult_param_heading=”” title_font_style=”text-decoration:underline;,font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:24px;” desc_font_size=”desktop:16px;”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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