Your vacation is HOW long?!?!?

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Hi,

I'm about to qualify in the UK, and was hoping to travel over to Canada in a year to work for a year or 2. The only sticking point, particuarly with my partner is how much vacation you receive. Is it right thats its just 2 weeks per year? And that you have to work for a year first before being eligable for vacation time?

If so, how do you cope, what about school holidays?

Thanks for any tips!!

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Your vacation entitlement depends upon your union contract. (Varies from 15 to 25 days per year) Part timers get a ratio of the whole entitlement. So, if you have a .5 FTE you would get 7.5-12.5 paid days.

Time off can be stretched out by starting ending your vacation time with the end of a shift rotation or proximity to statutory holidays.

Having said all that, I've seen people come to blows almost on the vacation list. Seniority is always the rule. I've seen married couples not able to get the same time off in the same hospital. School holidays, well, I worked casual so I could get summers and christmas off. Usually there is some sort of unit arrangement so that if you work Christmas you don't work New Years. Spring break and summer school holidays can be tricky depends on who has more seniority than you, who has a big trip planned, who's getting married. I knew of one nurse who when she couldn't get a vacation and leave of absence just quit to get the time she wanted.

Just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. There are reasons there are nursing shortages in Canada, (bad management, high work loads, lousy working conditions, some areas don't have full time positions and expect you to work 2 part time jobs, the winters suck.....)

(I forgot, again it depends on the employer but some don't let you take any time off you haven't earned (been there six months-- they usually let you take your time off but if you leave they recover the time they've paid for))

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I, on the other hand, love Canada, winters and all! True we may not get the holidays that others do but it is still a wonderful place to live and work. :)

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Who said I didn't love Canada?

My point is a lot of nurses think it will be better in another province or country and get a surprise when they find out it isn't. Remember that saying: the grass is always greener on the other side (that is until you cross the fence/river/mountains?)

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