September 2 is the day Americans commemorate Labor Day. What’s more appropriate than to write my observations in working in this country. For those who are aspiring to work in the US, these are what you can expect.
One of the things I notice is the way the Americans structure their non-working holidays. As far as I am aware, there are a total of 15 federal holidays in the U.S. Depending on a company, some of these holidays are not observed. I remember when I worked for Brooks Fiber Communications, we observed Holy Thursday and Good Friday – which is uncommon and not one of the official holidays. With my current job, we only observe 10 federal holidays. The most interesting fact about it is the day the holidays are scheduled. With the exception of 4th of July, Christmas and New Year’s Days, all holidays are scheduled on either Monday or Friday. This provides more benefits to employees because the day is next to the weekend. Americans can enjoy a one-day extension to spend for resting, being with families or vacation. It also provides benefits to the tourism economy since people can afford to travel during these times. Add another paid time-off and you have a long vacation. Another interesting fact is the Thanksgiving Day. This is always observed on a Thursday and since this day is associated with visiting families, and of course turkey, the day after is also considered as a holiday. This benefits Americans who have to travel across the continent to be with their families.
Americans are very serious and sensitive about discrimination in all its forms. I’ve never felt the importance of my rights until my brother (who’s been here longer than I) explained to me the hiring process. Upon opening the classified ads section of the newspaper, (I wasn’t yet a tech junkie back then) I noticed that job requirements don’t request age, gender, race, religion or photos. Some of these are qualifications that I would normally see in the Philippine newspapers. A resume doesn’t also require having this information since these are not necessary to qualify for the job. Any company who requires any of this information or uses it as a basis for hiring can find themselves in a very serious lawsuit from the applicant. The judicial system can shut them down as well as reward the victim an enormous amount of money that he doesn’t need to work in his entire life anymore. I sometimes wonder why this kind of discrimination is allowed in the Philippines.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is another sensitive matter. This is an issue that all companies in the US should be aware and avoid at all cost. Companies can loose millions of dollars and their reputation can be tarnished whenever one of their employees files for lawsuit. In almost all the jobs I had, the companies provide a seminar to educate their employees of the seriousness of this crime. It is so important that employee’s conduct even outside the workplace is also considered as a reflection to the company. Anyone who caught violating this policy is immediately considered terminated from his employment.
Coming to this country as an immigrant and starting to enter the workforce can be very tough. It’s not only about work experience that will help you land a job here. Before I left the Philippines, I worked as an Electrical Engineer in a manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna for several years. Before that, I worked for a number of big companies in the same career. When I came to the US, these are not enough to get me hired. It’s not because I need to enhance my education but because I lack local experience. This is basically finding any job available to get started. It’s not a written rule but it provides the employer more confidence on a person’s skill.
I sometimes get a chance to watch Filipino news in the international channel. For some reason, whenever Filipinos are interviewed on how they can describe their life in another country, they always have the same response: Life is difficult and hard. A friend of mine in the Philippines once told me a story of a Filipino who went back to the Philippines because he felt that he lost his dignity working as a waiter when he used to have a job in an office in Manila and wore a tie. A relative told me of a certain judge in the Philippines who migrated in the US. He became a janitor in the US and was too embarrassed and financially incapable to come back home. Life in the US isn’t too difficult but it’s not a bed of roses either. Living in another country is like being born again except we have the opportunity to plan how we can succeed. Hardship has two meaning: There are those who strive to be recognized and advance their career and then there are those who impose two or three jobs on themselves. It’s the difference between working hard and working smart.
