An American woman has revealed the biggest culture shock she’s encountered after packing her bags and moving to Australia.
Kerrene Taylor, from Washington, moved to Perth for work almost a decade ago.
She described how she suddenly fell ill the night before work and decided to call in sick.
The professional photographer said she was shocked when her boss was kind, accommodating, and hoped that she recovered soon.
‘The biggest culture shock living in Australia is the work-life balance,’ she said in a video.
She elaborated on her experience on her popular TikTok account.
‘I needed sick leave today it was a non-issue which is the opposite of my experience working in the US,’ she said.
‘In Australia, I’ve apologised for requesting annual leave and I’ve been laughed at by an employer. More times than not – if I need time off it’s okay and allowed.’
Kerrene revealed that certain past employers in the US made her feel like an ‘inconvenience’ and a ‘burden’ for needing a break from work for whatever reason.
‘I’m sure there are great employers in the US – but it’s just one of those things where I’m really grateful to be here because I can be sick and take time off and it’s okay, it’s just something that happens because I’m human,’ she said.
An American woman has revealed the biggest culture shock she has encountered after packing her bags and moving to Australia
Hundreds of Australians shared their views on requesting time off and work-life balance Down Under.
‘In Australia, we apply for annual leave first and if it’s declined then we call in sick for those days,’ one joked.
‘I’ve actually been asked to take annual leave on so many occasions,’ another said.
‘I called in sick three days ago because I had a bad dream and was not in the mood. All my co-workers were wishing me a speedy recovery,’ a woman shared.
But not everyone had the best experiences with employers in Australia.
‘Not all Aussie companies are as accommodating, I worked for a toxic place that made us feel guilty for being sick,’ a man shared.
‘It definitely depends on the industry,’ another said. ‘Hospitality and retail can be very toxic with taking time off.’
‘I work in retail and someone requested annual leave over a year in advanced for a wedding and got declined,’ a woman revealed.
‘I’m Australian and I just moved to admin after ten years in hospitality,’ one shared.
‘This is the first job I’ve ever felt like I’m “allowed” to take time off.’
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