Benefits - I'm In Shock

[Kooky Korky]

I didn't know that the 25 days of PTO we get must be used to be paid for holidays. I knew they were for sick time, vacation days, and personal emergencies. But they also must be used to get paid for the holidays that the employer "gives" us.

How does it work at your place of employment?

[OCNRN63, RN]

Back in the good old days, we had vacation time, sick time, 2 personal days and your birthday. Holidays were paid; if you worked a holiday, you got paid holiday time (in my case, it was time and a half), plus a paid day off you could take later.

I saw the change over to just personal time around the mid 90s; we still got paid holidays, though. By ~2000, it was all just PTO.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Lori, I've spent a couple of hours explaining the difference to American nurses who have come to Canada to work. Sick hours bank, vacation bank, statutory holiday bank for full timers. Their heads just about explode when we mention the one year maternity leave.

Bah! You Canadians are just a bunch of slackers! Our employers run us into the ground...and we like ​it!

[canadianhungarian]

Calling us slackers - LOL! My cousin has her BSN ad working full time at a hospital in Austria (Vienna). I think she works in cardiac or icu. She gets 4 weeks holidays (to start! Ok can't take it all at once) 14 SICK days and 4 personal days. I thought Canada had it lucky (which we do) but 4 weeks holidays - that's the norm in Europe - I wish! Lol!!

[OCNRN63, RN]

Calling us slackers - LOL! My cousin has her BSN ad working full time at a hospital in Austria (Vienna). I think she works in cardiac or icu. She gets 4 weeks holidays (to start! Ok can't take it all at once) 14 SICK days and 4 personal days. I thought Canada had it lucky (which we do) but 4 weeks holidays - that's the norm in Europe - I wish! Lol!!

I know--their benefits are amazing. Perhaps if we modeled what the Europeans did there would be less burnout and fewer sentinel events because nurses are working fatigued.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Their heads just about explode when we mention the one year maternity leave.

Good lord I can only get 6 weeks paid and that's because I took out an STD policy on my own.

[loriangel14, RN]

Good lord I can only get 6 weeks paid and that's because I took out an STD policy on my own.

It's part of the Universal Health Care.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Good lord I can only get 6 weeks paid and that's because I took out an STD policy on my own.

I just cannot fathom returning to work after only 6 weeks off! You Americans be crazy!

Go Canada!

[Fiona59]

Good lord I can only get 6 weeks paid and that's because I took out an STD policy on my own.

My first thought? A policy on Sexually Transmitted Diseases!

But really, six weeks? How is that remotely humane?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

But really, six weeks? How is that remotely humane?

Because more than 6 weeks is socialism. Why do you hate FREEDOM?

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

6 weeks public holidays and 1 paid day Off a month as the working week is 38 hrs but we work 40 because of our shifts so we accrue a day in liu every 4 weeks. Sick leave is accrued, 3 episodes without a Dr cert 3 stat decs each of which can be for up to 3 days. 3 paid study days.

Ahh unions and a Labour government.

[Fiona59]

6 weeks public holidays and 1 paid day Off a month as the working week is 38 hrs but we work 40 because of our shifts so we accrue a day in liu every 4 weeks. Sick leave is accrued, 3 episodes without a Dr cert 3 stat decs each of which can be for up to 3 days. 3 paid study days.

Ahh unions and a Labour government.

But remember unions, universal healthcare and a socially responsible welfare system are the work of the devil and anti-American.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

My first thought? A policy on Sexually Transmitted Diseases!

But really, six weeks? How is that remotely humane?

Ha, STD = Short Term Disability. Every job I've had that was the only way to get paid maternity leave was to buy a Short Term Disability policy. I've always had to purchase it from the get-go because if you don't enroll when you start the job, you have to prove "evidence of insurability" if you try to enroll during open enrollment. With my medical history, I'd never be able to get this insurance so I pay for it in case I ever need it.

In the US, there is no guaranteed maternity leave. FMLA guarantees that you can take 12 weeks off but not all employees are covered by FMLA and an FMLA leave is unpaid.