President May be in Trouble

[Carinata]

And he didn't even call her fello.......

 

[dave partington]

I've learned to sleep through the sound of the other shoe dropping.

 

[Weda737]

(EWWWWWWWWWW)

Sorry Nanci, but now you know why that term sticks with me... Still really want a Snoball cake now though...

 

[dave partington]

Sorry Nanci, but now you know why that term sticks with me... Still really want a Snoball cake now though...

Sometimes one can see the snowball effect on threads :sidestep:

 

[Weda737]

Sometimes one can see the snowball effect on threads :sidestep:

:roflmao: x infinity. Oh yeah, I got that.

 

[Bonkers_Scar2011]

There is one thing I really don't understand. Can anyone tell me why Americans are not automatically insured when they take on a job? My tax includes income tax, unemployment, pension, accident, healthcare. We pay a higher percentage here but get more at the end of the day.
We can afford going to doctors n hospital without having to worry about the costs for example.

I spent the last four years in Jersey, UK and the situation there shocked me to be honest. There are loads and loads of foreigner who don't speak the language (cause there are no jobs in their countries - esp Portugal, Spain, Romania + Poland) and send all of their wages back home to support there families. Whilst this is good for other countries, it is slowly but surely killing Jersey's economy. Prices are ridiculously high and locals are frustrated - which I understand. I was lucky enough to get a job there and support myself but I really did (no claiming benefits and all that even tho the situation there was tough).

People are often surprised why Austria's unemployment rate is so low - well we keep our jobs for our own people. Obviously there are no laws against letting foreigners work in Austria as we are part of the EU (unfortunately!!!) but they have to be well educated and speak good German. If not they will never climb up the career ladder and be stuck doing cleaning jobs and the like.

The situation here in Europe makes me sick to the stomach. Joining the EU definitely was a very, very bad idea - for countries like Austria for example - but a godsend for countries like Spain,etc. But I am worried about the US too, if you guys go down - we all will...

 

[Nanci]

There is one thing I really don't understand. Can anyone tell me why Americans are not automatically insured when they take on a job? My tax includes income tax, unemployment, pension, accident, healthcare. We pay a higher percentage here but get more at the end of the day.

I guess it depends on what type of job you have. What field you get into. My job has all that, and something like 34 days of PTO. And dental insurance.

So many people want a "fun" job, but in my opinion, you can lead a more comfortable life and have time and money for fun hobbies if you put some thought into what needs you will have as an adult, and what type of employment will offer benefits that fit those needs. Plus, I love my job anyway

 

[diamondlil]

There is one thing I really don't understand. Can anyone tell me why Americans are not automatically insured when they take on a job? My tax includes income tax, unemployment, pension, accident, healthcare. We pay a higher percentage here but get more at the end of the day.
We can afford going to doctors n hospital without having to worry about the costs for example.

I spent the last four years in Jersey, UK and the situation there shocked me to be honest. There are loads and loads of foreigner who don't speak the language (cause there are no jobs in their countries - esp Portugal, Spain, Romania + Poland) and send all of their wages back home to support there families. Whilst this is good for other countries, it is slowly but surely killing Jersey's economy. Prices are ridiculously high and locals are frustrated - which I understand. I was lucky enough to get a job there and support myself but I really did (no claiming benefits and all that even tho the situation there was tough).

People are often surprised why Austria's unemployment rate is so low - well we keep our jobs for our own people. Obviously there are no laws against letting foreigners work in Austria as we are part of the EU (unfortunately!!!) but they have to be well educated and speak good German. If not they will never climb up the career ladder and be stuck doing cleaning jobs and the like.

The situation here in Europe makes me sick to the stomach. Joining the EU definitely was a very, very bad idea - for countries like Austria for example - but a godsend for countries like Spain,etc. But I am worried about the US too, if you guys go down - we all will...

That's interesting, because in the UK, in nursing and in medicine, it's no longer a requirement to pass an English language test to work for EU members nationals, as it's apparently against EU ruling. There have been incidents where a lack of language skills has caused harm. I'm not calling into question the actual skills of the people who come here to work, but in critical situations language barriers can make a life or death difference.

 

[Quixotic]

Can anyone tell me why Americans are not automatically insured when they take on a job?

It's because employers aren't required to provide benefits (health care, vacation time, sick pay, etc.) for employees at all unless the employees are full-time and members of a labor union. People in this country don't like it when the government tries to take over their private business, so that's why employers always resist laws that would make them pay to insure their workers.

People are often surprised why Austria's unemployment rate is so low - well we keep our jobs for our own people. Obviously there are no laws against letting foreigners work in Austria as we are part of the EU (unfortunately!!!) but they have to be well educated and speak good German. If not they will never climb up the career ladder and be stuck doing cleaning jobs and the like.

Illegal immigrants aren't "officially" allowed to work in America. You need to have certain papers that say you're a citizen or you have a green card in order to register for paying income taxes. Some employers avoid this, though, to get the illegal immigrants to work for less money than minimum wage or they outsource jobs to countries where people work for cheaper. They're trying to save money so they can pass part of the savings along to the customer, to make Americans want to buy the cheaper product. This doesn't allow fair competition for the employers that are using legal labor, so the legal ones are driven out of business and we're left only with the companies using illegal labor or outsourcing.

 

[Bonkers_Scar2011]

That's interesting, because in the UK, in nursing and in medicine, it's no longer a requirement to pass an English language test to work for EU members nationals, as it's apparently against EU ruling. There have been incidents where a lack of language skills has caused harm. I'm not calling into question the actual skills of the people who come here to work, but in critical situations language barriers can make a life or death difference.

You can't even get a job as a Chef here without passing a German test first and I support that 100%!! People who really want to work here, for whatever reason, should be made to learn the language and adapt to the lifestyle. If someone is not willing to do that - well I am sorry it is not their country and they are free to go somewhere else.

Do you know anything about the situation in Jersey? I hated it there. Locals are unhappy but not willing to go to work for minimum wage and lots and lots of Portuguese and Polish work for pennies cause it is still more than they would get at home.

I guess it depends on what type of job you have. What field you get into. My job has all that, and something like 34 days of PTO. And dental insurance.

So many people want a "fun" job, but in my opinion, you can lead a more comfortable life and have time and money for fun hobbies if you put some thought into what needs you will have as an adult, and what type of employment will offer benefits that fit those needs. Plus, I love my job anyway

I know what you mean but at least a good health insurance should be standard IMHO and should be offered in any kind of job. Here it doesn't matter whether you're a cleaner or a doctor - people always have health, unemployment, accident and pension insurance. We pay a certain percentage ourselves and the rest pays the employer.
We are also entitled to at least 5 weeks paid holiday a year - how can one expect someone to only take like 2 weeks off of work a year?!?! I could never do that...

It's because employers aren't required to provide benefits (health care, vacation time, sick pay, etc.) for employees at all unless the employees are full-time and members of a labor union. People in this country don't like it when the government tries to take over their private business, so that's why employers always resist laws that would make them pay to insure their workers.


Illegal immigrants aren't "officially" allowed to work in America. You need to have certain papers that say you're a citizen or you have a green card in order to register for paying income taxes. Some employers avoid this, though, to get the illegal immigrants to work for less money than minimum wage or they outsource jobs to countries where people work for cheaper. They're trying to save money so they can pass part of the savings along to the customer, to make Americans want to buy the cheaper product. This doesn't allow fair competition for the employers that are using legal labor, so the legal ones are driven out of business and we're left only with the companies using illegal labor or outsourcing.

Well illegal immigrants aren't allowed to work here either but it's mostly European immigrants and our borders are open. We can work without a permit in almost every country here in Europe.

Same thing is happening here in Europe too. Most of the stuff is produced and manufactured somewhere in Asia and local companies of course can't compete with those prices.


What's the average American wage a year? I think our wages, compared to what I have heard about American wages, are a lot lower. Is cost of living really that much higher? Surely it depends on where you live??

 

[Michael823]

We are also entitled to at least 5 weeks paid holiday a year - how can one expect someone to only take like 2 weeks off of work a year?!?! I could never do that...

My mom's been at her job for almost 5yrs, and they only give her 2 weeks vacation time a year, which was only 1 week for first few yrs. They keep her (literally) at about 39hrs a week, just to avoid full time pay (and insurance), and still she ends up working 40+ hrs quite often when you include OT. Heck, there are days where she has only a 10-15 min break (if any at all) during a 12hr work day. And if I might add, she's also yet to get a single Christmas bonus.. the kids who work at the grocery store across the street only have to work like 15hrs a week to get a thousand dollar + bonus every year.

She's the only part-timer that the company has sent out for paint training, and other seminars (usually restricted to managers/full-time), but it's been more for their benefit than hers. Sure, she gets recognition and responsibility that only a few at her job get, but it's yet to come with even a penny raise. Sometimes I think they just take advantage of her kindness/willingness to work, simply because she's the type to do it without complaining. And because she takes pride in their trust of her, when really, she shouldn't go above and beyond until they pay up (.. but that's not an option to hold out right now, so they hold the power).

Personally, this is just as much of a problem in America as people believe the 'entitlement' crowd is. Sure, there are plenty of people abusing a system without paying into it. But from what I see, a lot of these corporate, rich, uncaring people at the top are just as much entitled. They want everyone else to cover their bases, without having to pay the costs of such duties. They have no problem showing up for store inspections in their brand new Mercedes Benz's, but they can't so much as give at LEAST a 20-50$ Christmas bonus to their employees (some who've been there for decades).

I think this country might inspire more people to give their best, if they didn't have to become a robot just to get by on near minimum wage. Of course some businesses are better than others, but when work is limited to find, many people seem to get trapped and victimized by people at the top who just see a bottom line, and not human beings with families.

 

[Nanci]

I know what you mean but at least a good health insurance should be standard IMHO and should be offered in any kind of job. Here it doesn't matter whether you're a cleaner or a doctor - people always have health, unemployment, accident and pension insurance. We pay a certain percentage ourselves and the rest pays the employer.
We are also entitled to at least 5 weeks paid holiday a year - how can one expect someone to only take like 2 weeks off of work a year?!?! I could never do that...

What about people who don't work? Okay, so you've been injured and can't work any more, because you're paralyzed. Here, disability "insurance" would cover you. But what if a person just didn't want to work- how does your country handle that? Can they get free benefits because they have children in the home, or because a doctor will _say_ they are disabled, although they actually _could_ work?

Europe, in general, is MUCH more generous with vacation time than the US.

 

[Bonkers_Scar2011]

My mom's been at her job for almost 5yrs, and they only give her 2 weeks vacation time a year, which was only 1 week for first few yrs. They keep her (literally) at about 39hrs a week, just to avoid full time pay (and insurance), and still she ends up working 40+ hrs quite often when you include OT. Heck, there are days where she has only a 10-15 min break (if any at all) during a 12hr work day. And if I might add, she's also yet to get a single Christmas bonus.. the kids who work at the grocery store across the street only have to work like 15hrs a week to get a thousand dollar + bonus every year.

She's the only part-timer that the company has sent out for paint training, and other seminars (usually restricted to managers/full-time), but it's been more for their benefit than hers. Sure, she gets recognition and responsibility that only a few at her job get, but it's yet to come with even a penny raise. Sometimes I think they just take advantage of her kindness/willingness to work, simply because she's the type to do it without complaining. And because she takes pride in their trust of her, when really, she shouldn't go above and beyond until they pay up (.. but that's not an option to hold out right now, so they hold the power).

Personally, this is just as much of a problem in America as people believe the 'entitlement' crowd is. Sure, there are plenty of people abusing a system without paying into it. But from what I see, a lot of these corporate, rich, uncaring people at the top are just as much entitled. They want everyone else to cover their bases, without having to pay the costs of such duties. They have no problem showing up for store inspections in their brand new Mercedes Benz's, but they can't so much as give at LEAST a 20-50$ Christmas bonus to their employees (some who've been there for decades).

I think this country might inspire more people to give their best, if they didn't have to become a robot just to get by on near minimum wage. Of course some businesses are better than others, but when work is limited to find, many people seem to get trapped and victimized by people at the top who just see a bottom line, and not human beings with families.

Oh wow... I guess we are pretty lucky here then.

What is full time in America? Here it is 38.5 hours a week or 168 hours a month. Like I said people get at least 5 weeks holidays a year minimum and we are only allowed work a maximum of 10 hours a day unless you work shifts but then you get rest periods in-between shifts plus additional payment for nights/weekends and/or bank holidays.

We also get a Christmas bonus (double wage) and one in June (double wage).

Also break time have to be taken seriously. Say I work an eight hour shift - I get 3 15 mins break plus have an hour lunch. I get paid for my breaks but not my lunch... Some companies even have one hour lunch - some pay it, some don't. But we have to take breaks and get paid for them.

And I agree, more people would work harder if they actually saw a benefit for them. I would not work a stupid amount of hours and give my best just to get by on minimum wage and only be able to pay my bills.

I work to be able to have a life not the other way round.

 

[Bonkers_Scar2011]

What about people who don't work? Okay, so you've been injured and can't work any more, because you're paralyzed. Here, disability "insurance" would cover you. But what if a person just didn't want to work- how does your country handle that? Can they get free benefits because they have children in the home, or because a doctor will _say_ they are disabled, although they actually _could_ work?

Europe, in general, is MUCH more generous with vacation time than the US.

People who don't work cause they do not want to work are cut off from getting benefits fairly quick. You have to proof that you are actively looking for work or else the job agency will stop all payments to you.

There is no "disability" insurance here, your general health insurance (or your accident insurance) covers that too. My dad had a skiing accident a few years a go and is classed as 50% disabled. He fractured his lower spine and right leg. He works a full time job and our country kind of helps his employers with his wage by covering a part of it- they do that to make companies employ people with disabilities. He also got a payout from his insurance company. Companies can choose between employing disabled staff or pay a "fine" to the gov't if they don't want to do that. The gov't then uses that money to help other companies that do employ disabled people.

And no it is not easy to get a doctor to say you are unable to work because of a disability if you could work. My dad had to see lots of specialists before they gave him his certificate of disability. A doctor only gives you a no to work if you are really seriously disabled - like you said paralysed or similar.

Having children in the house has no impact on it either. People (especially mothers) get benefits for two years (maternity leave) and then child support until the child starts to work or finishes school/uni but its not that much really.

 

[BloodyBaroness]

People who don't work cause they do not want to work are cut off from getting benefits fairly quick. You have to proof that you are actively looking for work or else the job agency will stop all payments to you.

There is no "disability" insurance here, your general health insurance (or your accident insurance) covers that too. My dad had a skiing accident a few years a go and is classed as 50% disabled. He fractured his lower spine and right leg. He works a full time job and our country kind of helps his employers with his wage by covering a part of it- they do that to make companies employ people with disabilities. He also got a payout from his insurance company. Companies can choose between employing disabled staff or pay a "fine" to the gov't if they don't want to do that. The gov't then uses that money to help other companies that do employ disabled people.

And no it is not easy to get a doctor to say you are unable to work because of a disability if you could work. My dad had to see lots of specialists before they gave him his certificate of disability. A doctor only gives you a no to work if you are really seriously disabled - like you said paralysed or similar.

Having children in the house has no impact on it either. People (especially mothers) get benefits for two years (maternity leave) and then child support until the child starts to work or finishes school/uni but its not that much really.

That's it! I am moving to Austria! Sounds like my kind of place.

I'm sick and tired of all the "my neck, my back" people riding out disability and making it hard for people who really need it to get it.

 

[fyrefocks]

Aye aye, Cap'n Tits!

 

[Nanci]

Does Austria have mandatory military service, and does it offer education tuition assistance for college?

 

[beautifullywild77]

Mark believes that everyone should be mandated to serve at least 2 yrs in the military or civil service.

 

[Bonkers_Scar2011]

No, we do not have mandatory military service. Men can choose between civilian service or one year military service. Most choose civilian service I think. I would too to be honest.

It is difficult comparing US school system to the school system here. There is primary and secondary school and then students decide whether they wanna work and begin an apprenticeship (you already work for a company but have to go to school as well, takes 3+4 years - 300 different professions) or students decide to take their A-levels (different schools) and then go on to Uni. So people who don't want to take their A-levels usually start working at the age of 15 (like me). They offer assistance for college but I am not quite sure how this works.

 

[rich333]

Mark believes that everyone should be mandated to serve at least 2 yrs in the military or civil service.

I played in a rock band.....does that qualify??? :eek1:

Also, In time of war...I COULD be called upon to make Parts for Military

use..does that count?? I'd rather use my Brain to beat the enemy as opposed

to shooting him.