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Originally Posted by TsnFan4Ever
My best friend's family lives in New Zealand and Australia and are shocked at how few benefits people in the U.S. receive. We are the only industrialized nation that does not have a national medical plan (people are scared to death of "socialized medicine" here so fight it, even though we pay 5x as much as everyone else in the world for way less health coverage and many people end up in bankruptcy because of the lack of health care). Also, college financial aid is difficult for most people in the middle class to qualify for (unlike most other nations) and there is virtually no "safety" net now for people who are unemployed long-term. Forget benefits that you're describing--that's "welfare," which people here abhor.
Also, unlike most other nations which provide at least four weeks of paid vacation each year, we don't get that either. People in the U.S. are lucky if they receive two weeks of paid vacation. And, for most of us, we work many more hours without additional compensation (they call it "exempt" or "salaried" status), too. I sometimes wish I had moved to Australia when I was younger. Our country really seems to be going downhill--but that's another discussion.
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Medicare in Australia allows people to receive free treatment at public hospitals. Anyone who earns above the tax free threshold (above $18000 p.a.) pays a 2% Medicare levy on their taxable income. It was 1.5% but the Gillard Labor Government increased it by 0.5% to help fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Many workers receive penalty rates for working weekends and public holidays or shift work: When I was 18 and working weekends washing dishes in a restaurant, I was paid $20 per hour and when I worked as a nursing assistant in a public hospital I once earned $600 for 20 hours work as I worked nights. I've heard that in America many restaurant employees don't earn above the Australian minimum wage ($16.87 per hour - although apprentices, trainees and people under 21 can legally be paid less) unless they receive tips.
As you said, all full-time workers here qualify for 4 weeks paid annual leave. I think sometimes that also comes with a 12.5% annual leave loading. Some shift workers, e.g. doctors, nurses, police qualify for 6 weeks paid annual leave to compensate them for the hassle of working irregular hours.
The college system in America is one I hope our politicians never try to emulate. Australian university and technical education (Diploma level) students can take out income-contingent loans - HECS-HELP or VET FEE-HELP loans. The government pays for your entire education upfront and you pay the loan back through the taxation system only once you start earning over $50000 p.a.
Another poster said that we shouldn't have to rely on the government for anything. I completely disagree. If that were true, why even have governments? Some people through no fault of their own, are born with chronic disease or disability. Some people are born healthy but acquire a disability later in life. The government should absolutely be supporting these people and their carers.
The fact is, most people who are successful, were genetically blessed or were born into favourable circumstances. I read an article about this -
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/no-cre...10-113qtg.html
As the writer says, think about it, is it really impressive that the upper-middle class son of a respected lawyer and business woman who was mates with the CEO of IBM founded Microsoft? The author is right - If a congenitally brain-damaged, impoverished, legless Bangladeshi had founded Microsoft,
that would be impressive.