An American woman has revealed the biggest culture shock she encountered after packing her bags and moving to Australia.
Kerrene Taylorfrom Washington, moved to Perth for work almost a decade ago.
One day, the professional photographer suddenly fell ill the day before work and decided to call in sick.
Kerrene was shocked that her boss had been kind and accommodating and hoped she would recover soon.
“The biggest culture shock in Australia is work-life balance,” she said in a video.
She explained her experience on her popular TikTok account.
“I needed sick leave today, it was no problem, which is the opposite of my experience working in the United States,” she said.
“In Australia, I apologized for asking for annual leave and an employer made fun of me. Most of the time, if I need time off, it’s acceptable and allowed.
Kerrene revealed that some former employers in North America made her feel like an “inconvenience” and a “burden” because she needed a break from work for whatever reason.
“I’m sure there are great employers in the United States, but it’s just one of those things that I’m really grateful to be here because I can be sick and take time off and that n “It’s no big deal, it’s just something that happens because I’m human,” she said.
American woman revealed the biggest culture shock she encountered after packing up and moving to Australia
Hundreds of Australians have shared their views on seeking leave and working-life balance in the United States.
“In Australia we first ask for annual leave and if this is refused we report ourselves for those days in case of illness,” one joked.
“I’ve actually been asked to take annual leave on numerous occasions,” said another.
“I called in sick three days ago because I had a bad dream and I wasn’t in the mood. All my colleagues wished me a speedy recovery,” one woman shared.
But not everyone has had the best experiences with Australian employers.
“Not all Australian companies are this accommodating, I worked for a toxic place that made us feel guilty about being sick,” one man shared.
“It definitely depends on the sector,” said another. “Hospitality and retail can be very toxic when there are furloughs.”
“I work in retail and someone asked for annual leave over a year in advance for a wedding and was turned down,” one woman revealed.
“I’m Australian and just moved into administration after ten years in hospitality,” one shared. “This is the first job where I feel like I’m ‘allowed’ to take time off.”
