I Worked in Canada and the US — Here's What's Actually Different

Americans live scared to death of losing the job as there is no health insurance. And they will kill each other to get ahead of their fellow co-workers, even when that means just staying in place. That's why they overwork - to stay on the good side of their bosses. Also, look up the video "No Healthcare. Undrinkable Water | Millions of Americans are Living in Third-World USA".

Oh, you can be walked out literally because your boss doesn't like you anymore, yes, in Canada!

Totally incorrect. In America you can be fired for “Cause”. A large range of reasons. Sexual harassment, theft, basically anything common sense that would get you fired from anywhere. If you are n underperforming employee, management is required to document and attempt to help you turn things around by providing a structure that is designed to help you improve. The only other method that can be cold and unsympathetic is when your position is downsized.

Blah Blah Blah, Why does America dwarf Canada? Work ethic. If you don't like it, go back home.

It sounds like American companies expect results. They are doing much better than Canadians in the wallets.

Many years ago I contracted at a large US corporation. They constantly preached "Teamwork" which translated to "Know your job. Do your job. Do not help others with their problems; it's time you could spend on your own job. Do not ask for help; ir's an admission that you don't know your job." Rarely heard any of the usual office chatter and there wasn't much smiling.

Thoughtful observations that ring true.
One other key thing that is different that you may not have experienced yet is... when you get laid off with minimum severance pay in US, your excellent health care ends immediately. COBRA says they must offer you the option of paying for continued coverage for a few months. The first time I experienced this as a Canadian living and working in the US it was scary to all of a sudden have no income AND a new $1,000 USD per month expense that covers some of your health care costs. In Canada health care continues regardless of work status so you aren't slammed quite so hard. Then I worked for a small startup. When that went broke there was no COBRA just thanks, you performed great, but we just cannot pay you anymore.. so have a nice life.
As a tech exec, I worked mostly for US firms whether living in Canada or US. So I think I was kind of in the US mindset. It was kind of like being an athlete equipped with heavy shoes. Our cultural style didn't sell as well, but outperforming still got you ahead. I thoroughly enjoyed the career and did well. My conclusion is the US system is not great. I think the Europeans have it better. A work life balance may not make you a billionaire, but being a billionaire may not make you happy.

Any manager can fire you. They lie to do it.

USA optimizes to maximize upside (and ignore the downside), Canada optimizes for minimizing risk. This can be seen in the global financial crisis where the US banking system almost failed, while Canada was largely fine. However, the US system makes for a much richer country - and if you care about having more money to spend on less successful people then you should want a richer country. But it seems one cannot have it both ways.....

Most of what you are saying NOT TRUE. In both Canada and the US, most labour laws are set by the Province or State. BC and New Brunswick are as different from each other as Idaho and Georgia. The nice - nice sociology nonsense you are attributing to Canada MIGHT be true in woke offices in Ontario. Don't expect it out in the real world.

I don't know what industry she works in but seems to be generalising alot about the work environments.

Your essay really opened my eyes. I have tried harded myself out of a job more times than I'd like to admit here in Canada. Car dealerships... I always hit a ceiling where the owner or the big manager doesn't want to move at the pace I want to... The best is I would always get severance and EI! You can't just fire someone for nothing here! These days I work in local government and in a union... I've learned to adapt and exploit the system. Most concentrate on being lazy while I grab up the next job up the pay scale. I can't be fired for over achieving because so little are achieving it would be stupid. :) Good video though!

The American workplace accurately reflects American culture and values that center around individualism and capitalism. The Canadian workplace centers around collectivism and socialism. That's why the US is a super power and Canada is not. It could be, but won't be for those reasons, among others.

There's NO process or warnings needed to fire someone in Canada, I don't know where she gets that from but its complete BS! And NO you don't need severance either!!

Why would you give up free health care to move to this God forsaken country?

Good grief. I cannot imagine going to the US from Canada. US culture is so awful with such a low quality of life.

I joined a union when I went to work for a lab. We did have the same protections you mentioned in Canada. There are 15 million workers in unions in the US.

Canada embrace socialism, it never work, some states are embracing similar, it never work especially when you ran out of somebody's money (Margaret Thatcher). I am a minority from a third world country, I achieved the American Dream by working hard and develop some skills that is marketable.

But to your answer yes you can be fired from a job and walked out the door in Canada. I have a great job now though in Canada I'm a IT manager for a Huge Lawyer firm and I do get raises and promotions without asking. 2 weeks ago we fired our receptionist on the spot and escorted her from the grounds. I know because HR came to me just before this happened to lock her our of our systems.

I grew up in the USA was Canadian born though. I find work in the USA work is rewarded do a good job or extra on the job you get promoted faster up the chain. In Canada I find you have to ask for promotions or raises. You can do a great job put in extra hours show interest in your job and never get one raise or promoted in anyway. I worked for the county of Chesterfield VA during the 90's. I started with a temp agency as a grunt working cleaning ditches. But I worked hard, I put in extra hours, made sure our work sheets for the day was done reguardless if it was time to go home. Even when others left the job I stayed to finish our work sheets. The county after 6 months decided to employ me directly. So I got increase in pay from min wage at the time 4.25 an hour to 8 dollars an hour and they put me in charge of work sheet timing and crews. I worked another 6 months in that and improved work loads for crews and saved money for the county. The next year they paid for my own truck driving course 14 ton with air brakes. 4 months later I was driving the truck. Also was making 15 an hour. That is promotion for work. In canada I have worked many jobs doing the same thing improving them and never get one promotion at all unless I asked for one.

I am glad you live in the states, you deserve it.

This could’ve been a 10 second video. Americans are required to work hard to keep their jobs. Canadians can slack off, and the government will protect them.

the differences sound more like working with men or women. The US you describe sounds like a company of only men. The Canadian description sounds like a company with an HR department and women.

WOKE is what Americans say Canada is today!

In any work culture, one must learn and adapt to the social/political protocol. It seems that you were not able to decipher or adapt to the Canadian work culture. The US work culture is more corporate biased, less emphasis on employee mental health, which can have serious effects on productivity. Individualism can degrade team effectiveness. There would be many more instances of individuals withholding ideas to forward one's own interest rather and contributing to team progress. It's also interesting that the European model with generous vacation, maternity leave, and sick leave times have had no effect on productivity.

what you call harmony and community in Canada is actually just NEPOTISM. Try being an immigrant with a literal PhD from a Canadian university and yet struggle to find jobs or progress within one. You're delusional.

So, why didn"t you stay in Canada? Why do so many Canadians come to work in the US?

you can get a poutine in america. they just call it disco fries.

The US also has slave labor! The private, for profit prison stystem makes more profit as their number of inmates (inventory) increases, profit increases also with cut backs in food...who cares if their diet is bread & water or heat? It's ugly & they are forced to work!

The United States has a work environment that is competitive. That competition and reward system spurs innovation. If you do not like competition you will hate working or living in most US Industrial or High Tech markets.

after watching this video, the first thing to come to mind was "bullshit"

It depends on the company, and if you're unionized or not in Canada. I have seen in Quebec a major company that the CEO is hands-on micromanages and must aprove all expenses above 100k in a multi billion dollars company. That's a line of upper management waiting for approval and it works, cost and opex is low. It resembles a lot the US work environment. You're are challenged constantly in committees and must find the right solution at lowest cost. It's not for everyone, but it is cut throat.

A state is not the same as a province.

i take it youre an office worker, because alot of what you talked about doesnt seem to apply to cuntroction. my bosses def arent doing the complement sandwhich thing nor do i know any employer that woruld. they just tell you where you are fucking up and how toi fix it. normally with a comment about my level of education

I agree with most of the statements. I spent most of my working life in Canada, then moved to the USA. I don’t agree about termination in Canada, I have shown up to find I had zero access to the building. I have gone to business meetings and told to drop the company car off at the closest office. Never has that happened to me in the USA. Yes I barely take PTO because I feel bad to and yes I am still more for team work not myself. I finally found a company that is more into team work than the individual

Team-player is overrated. All teams have that one person who is little more than an ankle weight... they don't deserve the same status as the ones who hustle and put in the work. You SHOULD be recognized for your efforts, especially compared to others - this is how a business, a person and a community ACTUALLY progress. It's transparent and merited.

Appreciate your insightful comments on corporate/country culture. I totally agree on collective vs individual approaches to work and think you expressed these very well.

At 4:51, don't you mean "peace, order and BIG government?" The Canadian society hones agreeable drones, that are easily fooled and manipulated.

really don't get this - "it's all just different ways of doing things and the only judgment i what it means for me" rather than about questions of the limits or exploitation and reward - its a balance and there is a conversation to be had about the morality and efficacy of that balance - otherwise we are simply selling out our souls (and our lives) to those in power. And in America that is unequivocally the corporations and the super rich with their funding of the system. Very often in the US the stories you hear are those who have flourished in that environment but not the other side. Why did US employers take on 9 million undocumented workers, mainly in agriculture, construction, and hospitality - simply profit - and these workers face exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and significant wage disparities.

Our system produces better outcomes. Our system is clearly better.

In Canada, because Canadians have no civil rights, all someone has to do is lie about you or start a rumour about you and you'll get fired. In America you have rights, chiefly defamation of character rights. Furthermore in Canada, if an employer can't find a Canadian to hire, they just run to immigration Canada for an endless supply of unsuspecting foreign workers who don't know any better. You should see the number of foreign workers some employers in Canada keep firing and going through. It's astonishing.

I doubt most immigrants are actually too modest to self promote