Working in Canada vs the US: 5 differences in work culture and employment practices

If you are planning to migrate, you’re probably not moving to start up your business, but to work as a paid employee, so it’s important that you know what to expect in different workplaces. The United States and Canada are next-door neighbours, but there are some differences in their work culture or employment practices.

Canada appears to do away with many of the practices that Americans find objectionable in its workplace culture. For instance, Canadian laws specify how many hours employees must put in and how much vacation time they are entitled to annually.

Here are the major differences between working in Canada and the United States.

Work hours

According to a 2014 Gallup poll, the average full-time American worker works 47 hours per week, reinforcing the global stereotype that Americans are addicted to their jobs. The government in Canada on the other hand, has strict labour laws that ensure that workers have enough time off to enjoy their lives.

According to the Canadian government, the majority of full-time workers in Canada work between 36 and 40 hours per week.

The first thing you’ll notice about working in Canada is that they don’t work nearly as much as the ones in America.

Breaks

Americans have a reputation for being addicted to their desks, taking few breaks even to eat or walk around.

Employees in Canada are entitled to a 30-minute break every five hours and a weekly 24-hour break, ensuring that workers are not on the job round the clock.

Paid vacation

Every country has different requirements for employee vacation time, and it appears that almost every other country does it better than the United States.

Workers with less than five years at a company are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation per year, which increases to three weeks after their fifth anniversary at their workplace.

In contrast, there is no legal requirement in the US for employers to provide paid time off. Many businesses give their employees two weeks off, but the typical employee only uses approximately half of that time.

Bilingual

Workers in Quebec, a province with a large French-speaking population, are free to conduct business in French and cannot be denied employment because they don’t understand English.

Every person in Quebec has the right to receive service in French, according to a provincial charter. That implies that the typical Quebecois job is far more bilingual.

Maternal and Paternal leave

Additionally, the US does not mandate that new parents receive paid leave; instead, it leaves this decision to the discretion of each employer. Many newlyweds experience pressure to go back to work sooner than they’d like to in order to avoid appearing uncommitted to their employment.

In Canada, mothers are eligible to up to 15 weeks of paid leave, and many new parents receive as many as 35 weeks of combined leave.

Many Americans are curious about life in Canada north of the border. For many Americans, the American Dream has been fading away for years, and they have begun to seek greener pastures. Given the proximity of Canada, it makes sense to wonder if it is possible to live and work there instead.

Decision-making

The US and Canada have different ways of coming to an agreement on how to move a project or an issue forward. In the US, there is a reliance on facts, figures and statistics usually with case studies made through a presentation. Meetings are done to convince the rest of the team that your recommendation is better so that everyone can come to an agreement.

In Canada, decision making are more democratic with a consensus that requires a group action to move forward. Less individualism is involved and the team is more inclined to listen to others before an agreement is reached.

Communication

Americans are known to be blunt and straight to the point. They ensure time is not wasted and nothing is misinterpreted. Canadians, on the other hand, in an effort to be polite, hold back a bit. They are normally less inclined to directly say they are not interested in a decision. They just rely on a tactful manner to say it.