How are things workwise in Europe really?

[NoahFence]

So I'm fairly convinced that corporations are run by the biggest pieces of garbage mankind can muster. At least here in the US.

A typical corporation works you to the bone, requires more, gives less and simply does not care about the people making it possible.

Case in point - my wife's company is the largest one of its kind in the US. They buy up little companies that do what they do, and get bigger every year. Splendid. Then, once a year like clockwork, put out their annual report saying how great they are and how much more money they made than in the last year. The reward for the hard working employee?

Their health insurance premiums go through the roof. The company saves money this way of course. For instance, this year, it's $1,800 out of pocket more than it was last year.

Her raise this year? $1,000.

Yep. She got a raise and LOST money. The American Dream.



This is but one aspect of how things in America are just awful. Everything, and I mean everything costs more year after year and hardworking people like my wife and I make less and less every year.

She was wondering how things go in Europe. Are the working conditions better? When you get a raise, do you actually make more money? She mentioned something about a 4 day work week. Is that accurate? How is the lifestyle of the typical European? Do you find yourselves enjoying life more? What are the trade-offs?

Sorry for the rant. This is very frustrating.

[WildCat]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

So I'm fairly convinced that corporations are run by the biggest pieces of garbage mankind can muster. At least here in the US.

A typical corporation works you to the bone, requires more, gives less and simply does not care about the people making it possible.

Case in point - my wife's company is the largest one of its kind in the US. They buy up little companies that do what they do, and get bigger every year. Splendid. Then, once a year like clockwork, put out their annual report saying how great they are and how much more money they made than in the last year. The reward for the hard working employee?

Their health insurance premiums go through the roof. The company saves money this way of course. For instance, this year, it's $1,800 out of pocket more than it was last year.

Her raise this year? $1,000.

Yep. She got a raise and LOST money. The American Dream.

You can thank the US Congress for that, they're the ones who tied health insurance to employment decades ago and have only tightened the bonds ever since. If hers went up $1,800 the employer share probably went up $3,500.

btw, is your wife Warren Buffet's famous secretary or does she hold some other position at Berkshire-Hathaway?

[NewtonTrino]

We have been absorbing increases in healthcare costs of 40% a year for the past several years without passing it on to your employees. But nice strawman.

At some point though somethings gotta give. The current health care scheme is untenable and retarded.

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

She was wondering how things go in Europe. Are the working conditions better? When you get a raise, do you actually make more money? She mentioned something about a 4 day work week. Is that accurate? How is the lifestyle of the typical European? Do you find yourselves enjoying life more? What are the trade-offs?

Sorry for the rant. This is very frustrating.

If you get a raise or are promoted, it really does depend on how much the raise is or if you cross a tax threshold.

If your raise puts you just over a higher tax bracket, then no, in the short term you will not make any more money.

I think that maternity, paternity, sick leave and carer's leave are probably better in Europe than they are in the US.

I think the working week is really going to vary, I am contracted to work 37.5 hours per week, and flexi working hours are possible so that I could arrange my time to only be in 37.5 hours per week.

This year I will probably be working more than 37.5 h/week, but the trend it for large companies to stick to the European working time directive.

If you own your own business, I am sure many work very long hours.

As far as lifestyle goes, we have more holidays, which does make it easier to enjoy yourself.

I am on the current maximum for the time in my job (most people start at something like 22-24 days), and I am on 33.

We also have 8 bank holiday days, and due to the nature of my job in healthcare, I may have to work some of these days. This year I am only taking off 3 of the bank holidays and working a part of the other days so I will, in effect, have something like 40 days of annual leave.

I don't count my sick days, which I think is really an odd thing to do.

I can't remember the last time I have had a sick day, but I did have a year from hell several years back (more than one issue, but one was a fully ruptured achilles tendon) when I was signed off sick for nearly eight months, and during that time I did receive full wages.

Trade-offs?

I did just get my yearly return and see that approximately one-fifth of my salary was taken off for things like taxes, national insurance (healthcare and unemployment), and I think this also includes my pension deductions, but not all of my wages are taxed at 20% due to the progressive tax brackets.

There is also a 17% sales tax on some items, but all items are priced inclusive of the tax, so you don't have a shock at the till when it is added.

I am an immigrant to this wee isle, and England has been very, very good to me.

I think it is pretty easy to enjoy life when you can just pop over to another fab city like Paris, or visit Italy, drink fantastic wine and eat fanatastic food in absolutely gorgeous cities.



While I think the USA is a very nice country to visit, there is no way in hell I would live there.

[DrDave]

What items have a 17% sales tax in England?

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Tatyana

...snip...

There is also a 17% sales tax on some items, but all items are priced inclusive of the tax, so you don't have a shock at the till when it is added.

...snip...

VAT is now 20% on most items.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

...snip...

She was wondering how things go in Europe. Are the working conditions better? When you get a raise, do you actually make more money? She mentioned something about a 4 day work week. Is that accurate? How is the lifestyle of the typical European? Do you find yourselves enjoying life more? What are the trade-offs?

Sorry for the rant. This is very frustrating.

Sorry for ranting - but I find the idea that the forty odd countries in the continent of Europe can be lumped together in any way that means you can answer a non-geographical question about "how things go in Europe" annoying!

Seriously there are huge difference between all the countries in Europe - I mean for a start most of them speak foreign languages and use funny money!

You can perhaps better ask "how things go in the EU countries" but even then that is probably too much of a generalisation to be able to answer your question with any degree of accuracy.

[NoahFence]

Originally Posted by NewtonTrino

We have been absorbing increases in healthcare costs of 40% a year for the past several years without passing it on to your employees. But nice strawman.

At some point though somethings gotta give. The current health care scheme is untenable and retarded.

Well then how come every flippin' company is trotting out their "We're awesome and much better than last year" company-wide memos, and the next day telling their employees they are getting less and less benefits while there are wage freezes?

Her company actually went through a corporate-wide HR re-title everybody thing that I can't even begin to explain, end of the day - she was DEMOTED! What her pay range was, say Pay Grade 10, was now pay grade 7. She routinely saves the company on the order of millions of dollars per year, and gets DEMOTED without so much as a "hey, by the way...." they just told her 2 years in a row she couldn't get a raise because she was at the maximum in her grade. Last she knew, she was less than 1/2 way through her grade. I mean, wtf!?! They didn't tell their employees their grades changed. I wish to FSM she'd get a new job so I could say what company this is. They're a retarded old boy's network. It's someone's job there to figure out how to screw their employees. The more creative and out of left field the better.

It's that way in A LOT of American companies. This is why OWS pisses me off so bad, because they sort of have a point, but they're completely clueless.

[NoahFence]

Originally Posted by Darat

Sorry for ranting - but I find the idea that the forty odd countries in the continent of Europe can be lumped together in any way that means you can answer a non-geographical question about "how things go in Europe" annoying!

Seriously there are huge difference between all the countries in Europe - I mean for a start most of them speak foreign languages and use funny money!

You can perhaps better ask "how things go in the EU countries" but even then that is probably too much of a generalisation to be able to answer your question with any degree of accuracy.

Good point. I'm sure there are vast differences from one locale to the other. My bad.

+10 Interweb points to Darat.

How about your neck of the woods? Do corporations routinely hire consulting firms tasked with figuring out how to screw over the people who made them what they are?

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by DrDave

What items have a 17% sales tax in England?

Click on the link below for a full list or reduced or zero rated VAT items (which is probably easier than listing the things that do have VAT).

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/introduction.htm

Rates of VAT

There are different VAT rates, depending on the goods or services that are being provided. Currently there are three rates:

standard rate 20 per cent
reduced rate 5 per cent
zero rate 0 per cent

The standard rate of VAT is the default rate - this is the rate that's charged on most goods and services in the UK unless they're specifically identified as being reduced or zero-rated.

Examples of reduced-rated items

These are some examples of goods and services that may be reduced-rated, depending on the product itself and the circumstances of the sale:

domestic fuel and power
installing energy-saving materials
sanitary hygiene products
children's car seats

This isn't a complete list of reduced-rated items and services.

Examples of zero-rated items

These are examples of goods and services that may be zero-rated, depending on the product itself and the circumstances of the sale:

food - but not meals in restaurants or hot takeaways
books and newspapers
children's clothes and shoes
public transport

This isn't a full list of zero-rated items.

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

Well then how come every flippin' company is trotting out their "We're awesome and much better than last year" company-wide memos, and the next day telling their employees they are getting less and less benefits while there are wage freezes?

Her company actually went through a corporate-wide HR re-title everybody thing that I can't even begin to explain, end of the day - she was DEMOTED! What her pay range was, say Pay Grade 10, was now pay grade 7. She routinely saves the company on the order of millions of dollars per year, and gets DEMOTED without so much as a "hey, by the way...." they just told her 2 years in a row she couldn't get a raise because she was at the maximum in her grade. Last she knew, she was less than 1/2 way through her grade. I mean, wtf!?! They didn't tell their employees their grades changed. I wish to FSM she'd get a new job so I could say what company this is. They're a retarded old boy's network. It's someone's job there to figure out how to screw their employees. The more creative and out of left field the better.

It's that way in A LOT of American companies. This is why OWS pisses me off so bad, because they sort of have a point, but they're completely clueless.

I work in the public sector, so while I will move up a pay band this year, I am not getting an overall wage increase (it is normally some tiny thing like 1-3%).

I live in England.

Where I work, I also get London weighting, which is extra money in my wage package as it just costs more to either live in London or close to London.

[epepke]

Originally Posted by Darat

Sorry for ranting - but I find the idea that the forty odd countries in the continent of Europe can be lumped together in any way that means you can answer a non-geographical question about "how things go in Europe" annoying!

It's a reasonable question, though. It is fairly easy these days if you can't get a job in one EU country to get a job in another. It is not obviously more difficult to do this than it is to move to a different US state to get work.

[Beerina]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

This is but one aspect of how things in America are just awful. Everything, and I mean everything costs more year after year and hardworking people like my wife and I make less and less every year.

She was wondering how things go in Europe. Are the working conditions better? When you get a raise, do you actually make more money? She mentioned something about a 4 day work week. Is that accurate? How is the lifestyle of the typical European? Do you find yourselves enjoying life more? What are the trade-offs?

Sorry for the rant. This is very frustrating.

They sit around giving each other medical treatments the US has invented more than they themselves have, if that's what you mean.

If they were more like the US, they'd invent more per capita, and the entire world would save a lot more lives than they currently do giving out "free" health care.


The benefits of socialism is based on the fraud of a static situation. The situation isn't static. The relevant dynamic is intelligence pushing back against death, year by year.

Anything that slows that murders.

[Beerina]

We WANT there to be more things to buy every year.


We EXPECT thus to have to spend more per person year after year. We want this situation.


Medicine isn't like a car payment -- it's like having a new consumer product this year, a TiVo, and next year, a TiVo and an iPad, and the year after, a TiVo and an iPad and an Android phone, and the year after yet more new things to buy.


Each new medical equivalent of a TiVo or iPad or whatever introduced is another life saved, perhaps millions. It is more years of life, and more years of quality life.


People who get in the way of that are no friend of humanity, no matter how warm and fuzzy their lil' heart feels about it, and no matter how many people pat them on the back and tell them that they are good people.

[Tsukasa Buddha]

I hear pot sales are up, prostitution is down, and professional euthanisers are up.

Other than that, everyone else is still on welfare.

[PhantomWolf]

Originally Posted by Beerina

If they were more like the US, they'd invent more per capita, and the entire world would save a lot more lives than they currently do giving out "free" health care.

So can you tell me which of these companies are just sitting around milking US medical inventions?

GlaxoSmithKline
Roche
Sanofi-Aventis
Novartis
Bayer HealthCare
AstraZeneca

You'll also find that countries like New Zealand have some of the world's leading experts into Diabetes, Asthma, and Meningitis to name a few things. There is plenty of research into cancer and other diseases in Europe, and I'd note that a French lab, the Pasteur Institute, was instrumental in helping to discovering HIV. You live in a seriously strange world if you have the belief that the US creates all the medical advances and everyone else uses them because they can't do it themselves.

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by Beerina

They sit around giving each other medical treatments the US has invented more than they themselves have, if that's what you mean.

If they were more like the US, they'd invent more per capita, and the entire world would save a lot more lives than they currently do giving out "free" health care.


The benefits of socialism is based on the fraud of a static situation. The situation isn't static. The relevant dynamic is intelligence pushing back against death, year by year.

Anything that slows that murders.

Linky link.

[Corsair 115]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

... She was wondering how things go in Europe ...

Europe? Why look so far away? Canada is doing reasonably well, all things considered, with lower unemployment than in the U.S., a national health care system, had no subprime mortgage disaster and thus no housing market collapse, had a stable and secure banking system that needed no massive bailouts, a federal government that had posted years of budget surpluses and only went back into deficit because of the recession, and is a nation that is fairly similar to the U.S. and is located right next door.

[PhantomWolf]

Originally Posted by Corsair 115

Europe? Why look so far away? Canada is doing reasonably well, all things considered, with lower unemployment than in the U.S., a national health care system, had no subprime mortgage disaster and thus no housing market collapse, had a stable and secure banking system that needed no massive bailouts, a federal government that had posted years of budget surpluses and only went back into deficit because of the recession, and is a nation that is fairly similar to the U.S. and is located right next door.

and only gets to -40C in the winter.....

[megaresp]

Originally Posted by Beerina

They sit around giving each other medical treatments the US has invented...

When I go in for my standard quota of free medical treatments every month, I insist on receiving only US-invented treatments. Because I don't want no stinkin' Commie-invented medical treatments like they have in France.

Of course, being 'Socialst' medicine we don't get to 'sit around'. We have to stand. In a queue. Singing 'We'll keep the red flag flying here'.

[NoahFence]

Quote:

We EXPECT thus to have to spend more per person year after year. We want this situation.

What kind of backwards thinking is that???

We want bread, milk, gas, eggs, deli meats, etc...etc...etc... to cost more while our income not only stagnates, but FALLS annually?

okee doke.

[Tony]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

So I'm fairly convinced that corporations are run by the biggest pieces of garbage mankind can muster. At least here in the US.

A typical corporation works you to the bone, requires more, gives less and simply does not care about the people making it possible.

This is capitalism at its worst. And guess which political group wants life in the US to be more like this? This is what happens when people cease being people and become disposable cogs in the "free-market".

I would advise your wife to get out of there, fast.

[NoahFence]

Quote:

Each new medical equivalent of a TiVo or iPad or whatever introduced is another life saved, perhaps millions. It is more years of life, and more years of quality life.

Are you saying the entirety of healthcare is finding out cures to disease? People break their arms and stuff too. Regular checkups. Every aspect of healthcare is rising in cost, and the people paying have fewer and fewer dollars to do it.

[NoahFence]

Originally Posted by Tony

This is capitalism at its worst. And guess which political group wants life in the US to be more like this? This is what happens when people cease being people and become disposable cogs in the "free-market".

I would advise your wife to get out of there, fast.

I've been trying to, but she's convinced that she's too old. Also, my situation hasn't been exactly rock-solid with layoffs. I'm in printing. I'm almost certain my current situation is stable though. Finally.

I tried to tell her that corporations don't hire based on how long you're going to be there anymore. They know most employees aren't in a company for the long haul, so the 15+ years she has remaining is more than enough. And her experience and qualifications speak for themselves.

[Matthew Best]

Originally Posted by Tatyana

If you get a raise or are promoted, it really does depend on how much the raise is or if you cross a tax threshold.

If your raise puts you just over a higher tax bracket, then no, in the short term you will not make any more money.

Really? How does that work? I'm trying to understand how you can get a raise and not make more money.

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by Matthew Best

Really? How does that work? I'm trying to understand how you can get a raise and not make more money.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/basics.htm#1

Quote:

How much Income Tax you pay

After your allowable expenses and any tax-free allowances have been taken into account, the amount of tax you pay is calculated using different tax rates and a series of tax bands.

Income Tax rates 2012-13 by tax band and type of income

From £ 0 - ~ 34, 000 the basic tax rate is 10%

From £ ~34, 000- 150, 000 the tax rate is 32.5 %.

If you are given a raise that puts your wages from just under £ 34, 000 to just over £ 34, 000, the extra amount you are earning over £34, 000 (for example £ 35, 000), the extra £ 1000 will be taxed at 32.5% and will probably not make any significant difference.

However, who is going to turn down a wage increase?

Eventually, several wage increases down the road it will make a difference.

I am fairly certain that before the last budget, the tax rate for over £ 34, 000 was 42%, but I could be wrong.

[Agatha]

That's taxable income, don't forget that the first £8100 or so is free of tax

The tax rates in your post aren't correct for income, Tatyana, the 10% tax band was withdrawn some time ago except for income derived solely from savings and the 32.5% and 42.5% rates are for dividend income.

The income tax rates for 2012-2013 are
0-£34,370 - 20%
£34,371 - £150,000 - 40%
£150,001 upwards - 50% (going down to 45% next April)

You only pay the higher tax on the higher amount, so a person earning £200,000 a year would pay:
no personal allowance due to their income being over £100,000
20% on the first £34370
40% on the next £115,630
50% on the remaining £50,000 (which will reduce to 45% next April)

Obviously the vast majority of people don't earn anything like that much.

The median income in the UK was £26,224 in 2011, that would give rise to a tax burden of:
£0 on the first £8,105 (personal allowances will go up to £9,205 next year)
20% on the remaining £18,119

They will also pay National Insurance at 12% of earnings above £146 a week and under £817 a week. Anyone earning over £817 a week pays 2% NI on the amount over £817 a week.

Anyone living legally in the UK is entitled to full use of the NHS, which covers everything - ambulances, doctors visits, hospital care, emergency care, tests, supplies, medicines. Some people in England have to pay a notional charge of £7.65 per item for prescriptions, but those needing a lot of prescriptions can buy a certificate which covers as many items as they need for £2 a week. Many people in England are exempt from paying prescription charges - those on low incomes, certain benefits, and those who have certain medical conditions. Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have abolished prescription charges.

[NoahFence]

Originally Posted by Matthew Best

Really? How does that work? I'm trying to understand how you can get a raise and not make more money.

Well I already said one way that was the impetus for this thread. My wife's benefits are changing to the point where she actually got a raise, and will get fewer dollars in her paycheck.

[JeanFromBNA]

As a piece-of-garbage owner of a corporation, I can tell you that I pay an average of $6000 per employee per year for medical and vision insurance. My employees pay according to my contract with the insurer: 20% of that. One way of looking at it is that your wife's employer tried to offset the out-of-pocket costs to the employees by giving them a raise, or maybe not.

Annual reports are PR pieces, not objective reporting, unless you have the time and the interest to dissect the numbers and compare them to previous years and the results from similar companies. If it's a big, public company, you might research what financial analysts have to say about it.

As for your wife's work environment, the only way she's going to know if she could get another job at her age is to try to get another job.

/End subject hijack.

[NoahFence]

As an owner of a corporation then, maybe you could convince your fellow owners to stop crying poormouth the week after your corporate wide memo informed your employees that your profits were BILLIONS of dollars north of what they were the previous year.

its a retarded thing to do.

[xjx388]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

So I'm fairly convinced that corporations are run by the biggest pieces of garbage mankind can muster. At least here in the US.

Wow, that's a hasty generalization.

Quote:

A typical corporation works you to the bone, requires more, gives less and simply does not care about the people making it possible.

What would you expect them to do, coddle, massage and take an active interest in your life? Corporations hire you to do a job, not provide for your needs. They pay you a wage that you both feel is fair. If you don't, you shouldn't take the job.

Quote:

Case in point - my wife's company is the largest one of its kind in the US. They buy up little companies that do what they do, and get bigger every year. Splendid. Then, once a year like clockwork, put out their annual report saying how great they are and how much more money they made than in the last year. The reward for the hard working employee?

Their health insurance premiums go through the roof. The company saves money this way of course. For instance, this year, it's $1,800 out of pocket more than it was last year.

Her raise this year? $1,000.

Yep. She got a raise and LOST money. The American Dream.

She is free to find a better paying job, ya know. THAT's the American Dream. Health premiums will rise faster than employers can keep up with. The health insurance system is broken. How is that the company's fault?

Quote:

This is but one aspect of how things in America are just awful. Everything, and I mean everything costs more year after year and hardworking people like my wife and I make less and less every year.

This may be true in your isolated case, but it's not true for me or my employees.

Quote:

She was wondering how things go in Europe. Are the working conditions better? When you get a raise, do you actually make more money? She mentioned something about a 4 day work week. Is that accurate? How is the lifestyle of the typical European? Do you find yourselves enjoying life more? What are the trade-offs?

As I understand certain things are better (work hours, benefits, etc) and certain things are worse (TAXES, opportunities, etc).

Quote:

Sorry for the rant. This is very frustrating.

Sure it is. I totally get it. But whining isn't going to get you very far. Only you have the power to change your fate.

[BravesFan]

i have never understood the mentality that a job is supposed to provide for all our wants and needs. Perhaps you should look at your spending in other areas outside of your basic needs and reduce the ancillary spending?

I have never had a job with health insurance (mostly been a sub-contractor) and have so far been pretty lucky with my health. But I reckon I would be better off taking 5-10% of my income and sticking it in an IRA rather than paying health insurance premiums.


as far as the health care system goes.... eventually we are all going to just quit paying for insurance and force their hand. It can't keep going how it is. but how many of us are going to be willing to eliminate many other programs to help pay for it?

[theprestige]

Originally Posted by NoahFence

Well then how come every flippin' company is trotting out their "We're awesome and much better than last year" company-wide memos, and the next day telling their employees they are getting less and less benefits while there are wage freezes?

Every flippin' company?

My company does well every year, continuously improves its employee benefits portfolio in various ways (often making changes specifically requested by its employees), gives annual raises, and has a company-wide performance recognition program that sets goals and awards bonuses for each employee, every year. It also pays generously.

So now half the companies cited in this thread are awesome places to work!

Incidentally, check out this list:

http://www.greatplacetowork.net/best...best-from-2011

Twenty of the top twenty-five best companies to work for last year, are headquartered in the US.

And here's the top 100 from just the US:

http://www.greatplacetowork.net/best...s-to-work-forr

(Incidentally, my own employer is in the top 25.)

I would guess that your impression of how "every flippin' company" actually treats its employees might be greatly different if your wife (or yourself) worked for one of the companies on that list.

[Tatyana]

Originally Posted by Agatha

That's taxable income, don't forget that the first £8100 or so is free of tax

The tax rates in your post aren't correct for income, Tatyana, the 10% tax band was withdrawn some time ago except for income derived solely from savings and the 32.5% and 42.5% rates are for dividend income.

The income tax rates for 2012-2013 are
0-£34,370 - 20%
£34,371 - £150,000 - 40%
£150,001 upwards - 50% (going down to 45% next April)

You only pay the higher tax on the higher amount, so a person earning £200,000 a year would pay:
no personal allowance due to their income being over £100,000
20% on the first £34370
40% on the next £115,630
50% on the remaining £50,000 (which will reduce to 45% next April)

Obviously the vast majority of people don't earn anything like that much.

The median income in the UK was £26,224 in 2011, that would give rise to a tax burden of:
£0 on the first £8,105 (personal allowances will go up to £9,205 next year)
20% on the remaining £18,119

They will also pay National Insurance at 12% of earnings above £146 a week and under £817 a week. Anyone earning over £817 a week pays 2% NI on the amount over £817 a week.

Anyone living legally in the UK is entitled to full use of the NHS, which covers everything - ambulances, doctors visits, hospital care, emergency care, tests, supplies, medicines. Some people in England have to pay a notional charge of £7.65 per item for prescriptions, but those needing a lot of prescriptions can buy a certificate which covers as many items as they need for £2 a week. Many people in England are exempt from paying prescription charges - those on low incomes, certain benefits, and those who have certain medical conditions. Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have abolished prescription charges.

I got the details off the HMC site, I wonder if I looked in the wrong place, like savings.

I did wonder, as I was fairly certain a part of my wages are in the 42% tax bracket, but when I got my end of year statement, overall, all the deductions worked out to about 20%.

Isn't the first deductible going up to something to £ 9200?

[Matthew Best]

Originally Posted by Tatyana

If you are given a raise that puts your wages from just under £ 34, 000 to just over £ 34, 000, the extra amount you are earning over £34, 000 (for example £ 35, 000), the extra £ 1000 will be taxed at 32.5% and will probably not make any significant difference.

In other words, if you get an insignificant pay rise, the amount of money you actually receive rises by an insignificant amount. Hardly a surprise.

It does not mean that if you get a pay rise into a higher tax bracket, you will end up earning less money because of that higher tax bracket, which is what you implied in your earlier post.

The only way that happens is if there is some other change in your circumstances - like what NoahFence is talking about with his wife's health insurance payments going up. But that has nothing to do with tax brackets.

[Matthew Best]

Originally Posted by Tatyana

Isn't the first deductible going up to something to £ 9200?

The post you just quoted says "personal allowances will go up to £9,205 next year".

[Agatha]

Originally Posted by xjx388

As I understand certain things are better (work hours, benefits, etc) and certain things are worse (TAXES, opportunities, etc).

On working hours, in the UK most full time jobs are based on a 37.5 hour working week. Nobody can be forced to work more than 48 hours a week, although some industries are exempt from this, and certain people can choose to work more than 48 hours if they want to. Many employers offer flexi-time contracts so that you can alter your working hours to suit your family or other responsibilities, and job share opportunities are also popular where two part time workers do one part time job.

Every employer must give a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days, if you work a five day week) paid leave. Most employers give this in addition to the 8 [edit: 9 days in 2011 and 2012, for the royal wedding and the Jubilee, respectively] statutory paid public holidays, some employers include the public holidays in the leave entitlement. Larger employers will also offer additional days for long service, or just because they can; a couple of places where I used to work gave an extra paid day in December for Christmas shopping.

Sickness benefits very, some employers pay the statutory minimum (which is nothing for the first three days, then Statutory Sick Pay at £85.85 a week) but most larger employers have a much more generous sick pay policy, often giving full pay for as much as a year.

Maternity leave is 39 weeks, which is 6 weeks at full pay and 33 weeks at the statutory rate of £135 a week, though many employers pay more than the statutory rate. There is also a statutory two weeks paternity leave for new fathers. New regulations permit that fathers can take 26 weeks additional paternity leave if the mother has returned to work after her maternity leave.

It's a fun myth that UK workers are very highly taxed, but I did some calculations on another thread a while ago, and the reality is that the total income tax burden is broadly similar to the US and that was before tax credits (paid to low and middle-income families) were taken into account. We don't have to pay anything more for healthcare and there is no administrative burden on patients, no form-filling every time we see a healthcare professional.

VAT (similar to sales tax) is always included in the price you see on the shelf, it's not added later. Not all goods/services are subject to VAT.

I don't know what is standard in the rest of Europe, only for the UK. We certainly have better leave and benefits than the USA, I don't think we are more highly taxed except possibly for very high earners, and "opportunity" is undefined. However, it has to be said that for most of the year, the UK has a rainy, cool climate. If it's sunshine you are after, the UK is possibly not the best place.

[Blue Bubble]

Nice post Agatha (as always).

What I find somewhat surprising is the implicit assumption that someone from the USofA would be allowed to work in the EU (put it the other way round, the USofA would certainly not simply grant a Green Card to just anyone from the EU now, would they ?).

[DrDave]

Originally Posted by Tatyana

Click on the link below for a full list or reduced or zero rated VAT items (which is probably easier than listing the things that do have VAT).

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/introduction.htm

Rates of VAT

There are different VAT rates, depending on the goods or services that are being provided. Currently there are three rates:

standard rate 20 per cent
reduced rate 5 per cent
zero rate 0 per cent

The standard rate of VAT is the default rate - this is the rate that's charged on most goods and services in the UK unless they're specifically identified as being reduced or zero-rated.

Examples of reduced-rated items

These are some examples of goods and services that may be reduced-rated, depending on the product itself and the circumstances of the sale:

domestic fuel and power
installing energy-saving materials
sanitary hygiene products
children's car seats

This isn't a complete list of reduced-rated items and services.

Examples of zero-rated items

These are examples of goods and services that may be zero-rated, depending on the product itself and the circumstances of the sale:

food - but not meals in restaurants or hot takeaways
books and newspapers
children's clothes and shoes
public transport

This isn't a full list of zero-rated items.

I know about VAT. You claimed a 17% sales tax, what items have that?

[Matthew Best]

Originally Posted by DrDave

I know about VAT. You claimed a 17% sales tax, what items have that?

VAT is a sales tax.