Canada Housing/Debt: Trust me, I'm a landlord.

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Juul-Whip: Mar 10, 2008

My experience with that has been that the work usually gets shipped back threefold because surprise fuckheads! Cutrate overseas devs and engineers do shoddy work.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 22:56

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# ? May 12, 2024 19:15

McGavin: Sep 18, 2012

Mr Luxury Yacht posted:

But the gall of a labour lawyer arguing other people should work *more* free overtime when he probably wouldn't wipe his own rear end if he wasn't billable is rage inducing.

He most likely represents companies when they get sued for labour violations, rather than the employees doing the suing.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:01

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

It does but the people being hired to unfuck outsourced projects are being paid a lot less than they were before they were laid off and their job shipped off.

Honestly, when it comes to IT, I've found that the work is best when IT is a support role rather than the people actually producing profit. Sure it sucks being seen as a necessary burden but at least the other departments full of people who actually expect things like time off, overtime and sick leave means when we ask for it in IT we aren't looked at like we came from another planet.

I feel sorry for people that actually work in 'tech'.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:06

Juul-Whip: Mar 10, 2008

EvilJoven posted:

I feel sorry for people that actually work in 'tech'.

THC posted:

I never work OT and I get plenty of lunches and breaks and I get a month of vacation and nearly all my friends in IT software development have the same or better

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:10

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

Grats on being the exception.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:11

Lexicon: Jul 29, 2003; I had a beer with Stephen Harper once and now I like him.

EvilJoven posted:

It does but the people being hired to unfuck outsourced projects are being paid a lot less than they were before they were laid off and their job shipped off.

Honestly, when it comes to IT, I've found that the work is best when IT is a support role rather than the people actually producing profit. Sure it sucks being seen as a necessary burden but at least the other departments full of people who actually expect things like time off, overtime and sick leave means when we ask for it in IT we aren't looked at like we came from another planet.

I feel sorry for people that actually work in 'tech'.

You have no idea what you're talking about. Also, hold the sympathy - most of us are really quite happy in our careers.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:30

ocrumsprug: Sep 23, 2010; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

THC posted:

I never work OT and I get plenty of lunches and breaks and I get a month of vacation and nearly all my friends in IT have the same or better

To paraphrase a co-workers response to our employer asking us to send in positive feedback for the changes.

"While I have no fear that any of these exemptions will affect anyone at this office, since we could all have a new job that didn't, before the week was up. However there are dozens of places in town that do not have our regard for employee conditions, and I will not speak up to make their situation worse than it already is."

Congrats on your employer not using the exemptions available to them. I have had prospective employers tell me that they expect 50 hours a week standard. Not crunch, not overtime, just 50 hour weeks as par for the course. And that was back when they couldn't reasonably expect that. Places that make use of these exemptions are way more common now.

Some people hate the BCNDP for the Fast Ferries. I hate them for exempting me from employment standards. (Still voted for them though.)

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:33

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

I've been in IT full time since 2001. I'm just calling it how I see it; when the purpose of the company is the technology it produces/supports the compensation and work life balance has always seemed to be worse. From where I'm sitting things seem better if you're in the IT department of some insurance agency or big ag company or government.

Admittedly I've spent more time in government than anywhere else but in speaking with friends and family what I've seen seems to be par for the course. Those working in 'tech' seem to be the ones putting in all the unpaid overtime and getting the stink eye for asking for reasonable pay benefits and time off.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:42

Lexicon: Jul 29, 2003; I had a beer with Stephen Harper once and now I like him.

EvilJoven posted:

I've been in IT full time since 2001. I'm just calling it how I see it; when the purpose of the company is the technology it produces/supports the compensation and work life balance has always seemed to be worse. From where I'm sitting things seem better if you're in the IT department of some insurance agency or big ag company or government.

Admittedly I've spent more time in government than anywhere else but in speaking with friends and family what I've seen seems to be par for the course. Those working in 'tech' seem to be the ones putting in all the unpaid overtime and getting the stink eye for asking for reasonable pay benefits and time off.

Fair enough - though I hold the opposite opinion that you're better off in all fields as part of the core business than the supporting role; eg software engineers are better treated at software companies than at non-software companies, same for legal, accounting, etc. That's always been my experience anyway, and that of friends in the industry seems to agree for the most part.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:49

Coylter: Aug 3, 2009

Its almost as if both possibilities could coexist.

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:58

Juul-Whip: Mar 10, 2008

ocrumsprug posted:

Congrats on your employer not using the exemptions available to them. I have had prospective employers tell me that they expect 50 hours a week standard. Not crunch, not overtime, just 50 hour weeks as par for the course. And that was back when they couldn't reasonably expect that. Places that make use of these exemptions are way more common now.

Well I've been lucky and have never been in a position where that was something I had to accept. If someone told me that I would just be like "That isn't going to work. Goodbye."

# ? Aug 19, 2015 23:58

leftist heap: Feb 28, 2013; Fun Shoe

I long for unionization.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 00:07

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

While I have no personal experience, from what I've heard from friends and family, bio tech is the worst. Nothing like hearing 'but your work is going to help to save lives!' whenever you suggest not putting in a 60 hour week.

Especially when you're just a DB admin.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 00:19

McGavin: Sep 18, 2012

I've worked in biotech my entire career and the only ones putting in anything over a 40 hour week without reimbursement are management or scientists, and that's usually in start ups.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 00:43

Risky Bisquick: Jan 18, 2008; PLEASE LET ME WRITE YOUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT SO I CAN FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE CALAMITY THAT IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.; Buglord

rrrrrrrrrrrt posted:

I long for unionization.

Im a dirty socialist too :kheldragar:

# ? Aug 20, 2015 00:47

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

McGavin posted:

I've worked in biotech my entire career and the only ones putting in anything over a 40 hour week without reimbursement are management or scientists, and that's usually in start ups.

Maybe it was just a few isolated incidents. IDK. All I know is a few people I knew who ended up in the bay area working in bio tech ended up back in TO because the pressure to burn hard and long was way too high, even though they were ancillary to the actual research being done.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 00:58

McGavin: Sep 18, 2012

Oh, you're talking about the US. Yeah, they're crazy down there.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 01:02

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

bay area is also sucks in terms of work culture

# ? Aug 20, 2015 01:31

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

"I love working a back office job"
- no one ever

# ? Aug 20, 2015 03:01

blah_blah: Apr 15, 2006

EvilJoven posted:

Honestly, when it comes to IT, I've found that the work is best when IT is a support role rather than the people actually producing profit. Sure it sucks being seen as a necessary burden but at least the other departments full of people who actually expect things like time off, overtime and sick leave means when we ask for it in IT we aren't looked at like we came from another planet.

I feel sorry for people that actually work in 'tech'.

Tech companies pay technical employees much better than non-tech companies do and treat them much better as well. This is about the most wrong post imaginable.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 04:30

Ccs: Feb 25, 2011

rrrrrrrrrrrt posted:

Not exactly housing bubble but since this thread is now basically all things Canadian economy. A Financial Post writer laments that Amazon's horrible Randian hellscape would never work in Canada:

labor laws

They can just do what they do in the animation industry: Have all positions be contract jobs. That way there are no dismissal costs and you don't even have to pay overtime, as long as the contract states that a "normal" work week is considered 50+ hours.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 04:43

UnfortunateSexFart: May 18, 2008; ð» ððð« ð·ððð·
ð ð ð ð« ð®ð ð¾ð ð ð¡ððð

Yeah I work 12.5 hour shifts and only get paid OT for the time over 40 hours per week. My co-worker works 14 hour shifts and has a second job with the same company at a different site that they somehow got out of paying OT for.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 04:46

Wistful of Dollars: Aug 25, 2009

We wouldn't have these problems if we just brought back serfdom.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 04:59

Risky Bisquick: Jan 18, 2008; PLEASE LET ME WRITE YOUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT SO I CAN FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE CALAMITY THAT IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.; Buglord

Don't work in a tech sweatshop, enjoy the 45h or less workweek. Set a recurring meeting an hour after work that lasts 14--16 hours, and push back saying you have commitments. A couple weeks a year for deadlines sure, more than 6-8 weeks a year of 50+ have a chat with management/hr about fixing the imbalance while you do your diligence and apply to other jobs at the same time.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 05:09

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Whoever created the whole exempt concept deserves to be buried alive in the tar sands

# ? Aug 20, 2015 05:18

JawKnee: Mar 24, 2007; You'll take the ride to leave this town along that yellow line

El Scotch posted:

We wouldn't have these problems if we just brought back serfdom.

usury and unpaid internships bro

# ? Aug 20, 2015 06:20

Mr Luxury Yacht: Apr 16, 2012

McGavin posted:

He most likely represents companies when they get sued for labour violations, rather than the employees doing the suing.

I was more talking about lawyers in general. Any job that doesn't lift a drat finger except for billable hours should not tell other people that they should work for free.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 14:38

computer parts: Nov 18, 2010; PLEASE CLAP

Mr Luxury Yacht posted:

I was more talking about lawyers in general. Any job that doesn't lift a drat finger except for billable hours should not tell other people that they should work for free.

Lots of lawyers also (initially) work for little to no pay.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 14:39

MiddleOne: Feb 17, 2011

Mr Luxury Yacht posted:

I was more talking about lawyers in general. Any job that doesn't lift a drat finger except for billable hours should not tell other people that they should work for free.

High-end consultants have to work for free all the time, that's why they'll nickle and dime the billables at every opportunity they get.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 15:51

Risky Bisquick: Jan 18, 2008; PLEASE LET ME WRITE YOUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT SO I CAN FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE CALAMITY THAT IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.; Buglord

StatsCan is dumping some new numbers today https://twitter.com/StatCan_eng

quote:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/150820/dq150820b-eng.htm?WT.mc_id=twt

EI is up M2M by 1% and YoY is up by 4%

quote:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/150820/dq150820e-eng.htm?WT.mc_id=twt

Released: 2015-08-20

Investment in new housing construction rose 3.1% to $4.1 billion in June compared with the same month in 2014.

The increase at the national level was mainly due to higher investment in apartment and apartment-condominium building construction, which advanced 12.8% to $1.3 billion. Spending in row house construction also contributed to the gain in June, rising 4.2% to $385 million.

In contrast, spending in semi-detached dwelling construction decreased 9.4% to $223 million. Investment in single-family dwellings edged down 0.9% to $2.1 billion.

Provincially, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia recorded year-over-year increases.

In Ontario, investment in new residential construction increased 10.1% to $1.4 billion, mostly as a result of higher spending in single-family dwellings as well as apartment and apartment-condominium buildings.

In British Columbia, spending in new housing construction rose 17.0% to $715 million. The increase came from all dwelling types, particularly apartment and apartment-condominium buildings and single-family houses.

In Alberta, investment grew at a slower pace, up 2.0% to $916 million. Advances in apartment and apartment-condominium buildings, row houses and semi-detached dwellings offset a 10.4% decline in single-family dwellings.

In Nova Scotia, investment advanced 34.7% to $54 million, as a result of increased investment in apartment and apartment-condominium building construction.

Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba recorded the largest declines among the remaining provinces.

In Quebec, investment in new housing construction fell 8.6% to $656 million. The decline came from lower investment in all types of dwellings, but mainly single-family houses and apartment and apartment-condominium buildings.

In Saskatchewan, construction spending decreased 26.3% to $116 million, mostly as a result of lower spending in single-family dwelling construction.

In Manitoba, spending in new residential construction declined 20.1% to $99 million, also the result of lower investment in single-family homes.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 15:58

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

etalian posted:

Whoever created the whole exempt concept deserves to be buried alive in the tar sands

Fittingly, a lot of the exemptions are for oilfields/FIFO workers. 6 continuous weeks in the field without any breaks, days off, holiday pay or OT is pretty normal for an exploration company.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 18:19

Rime: Nov 2, 2011; by Games Forum

In which Vancouverites whine about the developers of their pre-sale condo loving them over.

:getin:

# ? Aug 20, 2015 18:32

Baronjutter: Dec 31, 2007; "Tiny Trains"

Rime posted:

In which Vancouverites whine about the developers of their pre-sale condo loving them over.

lol
"We bought into a building that wasn't built yet and didn't actually specify bike storage but the developer make vague promises about maybe doing something and now I don't like his solution!". You're an idiot to buy a pre-sale condo even if everything on the plans are to your liking because you have no idea if there's going to be changes or corners cut, but to willingly buy into a project knowing the plans don't have what you want and buying anyways because a loving developer made vague statements that everything will be ok?? That's beyond dumb, that's vancouver condo buyer dumb.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 18:49

Juul-Whip: Mar 10, 2008

People just want to be told that they're making the right decision, especially when it involves hundreds of thousands of dollars

# ? Aug 20, 2015 18:52

Risky Bisquick: Jan 18, 2008; PLEASE LET ME WRITE YOUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT SO I CAN FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE CALAMITY THAT IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.; Buglord

More interesting is this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/3hm4kx/in_bizarro_vancouver_25000_households_declare/

In Bizarro Vancouver, 25,000 households declare less income than they spend on housing alone
The unusual phenomenon exists in one in ten households across city � with the situation extreme in Dunbar, South Granville and other wealthy neighbourhoods

And the following reply

quote:

Perspective: I make $36k/yr and can barely survive in a $1k/mo flat.
Although this doesn't surprise me due to having a life long under-class status, it does however, make me want to puke.
Can anyone explain to me in normal person, non-ranty terms as to why the gently caress this is even possible?

goonspotted posted:

Hard work, voting Conservative, and investing $10,000 into a TFSA. Pull yourself up by your boot straps. Simple.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 18:58

upgunned shitpost: Jan 21, 2015

Can't speak for anywhere other than the Dunbar location, but for poor folk they sure receive a lot Wood Gundy financial statements.

# ? Aug 20, 2015 21:45

SpannerX: Apr 26, 2010; I had a beer with Stephen Harper once and now I like him.; Fun Shoe

Scotiabank: Canadian Stocks �In Severe Correction Territory' (Huffpost)

quote:

If your savings are tied up to any degree in Canadian stocks, you may want to take a look at your stock portfolio. Soon.

Canada�s stock markets are in worse shape than the headline numbers suggest, and have entered �severe correction territory,� Scotiabank says in a new analysis.

The Toronto Stock Exchange hit its lowest level of 2015 on Thursday, following another abysmal week for oil, with North American crude prices hitting a six-year low below $42 a barrel on Wednesday. The S&P TSX composite index closed down 299.63 points at 13,737.00, a low not seen since December of last year.

The TSX is down some 8.4 per cent over the past year, but Scotiabank�s managing director for portfolio strategy, Vincent Delisle, says that number is a �mirage.� Things are worse than that.

The bearish market has been distorted by one sector whose stocks have been soaring: health care. Those stocks have pushed up the TSX�s �trade-weighted� average, which measures the value of the market by averaging the value of all trades.

But that measure favours larger companies. If you look simply at all stock prices and average those � an �equal weight average� � the TSX is down 21 per cent over the past year, and down 9.2 per cent just since the start of this year, Delisle said in an analysis published Wednesday.

If high-flying Canadian health care stocks were excluded, the TSX should be around 12,500 instead of the 13,800 level it was flirting with Wednesday.

Still, Delisle says Canadian stocks are �extremely oversold� at this point, with stock prices already reflecting the �dire scenarios� for Canada�s energy sector. He believes investors should be looking at �buying opportunities up north.�

Valeant Makes The Market Look Better

Even as the broader market slides, Canadian health care stocks have been doing very well � more than doubling in value since the start of the year.

At the forefront of this is Valeant, whose stock value has jumped so much that last month it became Canada�s largest company, by market value, unseating the Royal Bank of Canada.

The Laval, Quebec-based drugmaker announced Thursday it is buying Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that recently developed �female Viagra� � a pill designed to boost sexual desire in women.

Valeant has been following a strategy of growing through acquisitions in recent years, helping the company nearly double its stock price this year. But the Sprout buyout didn�t go over well with investors. Valeant�s shares fell more than 5 per cent Thursday, to $303.14.

Still, the company�s shares are up 83 per cent so far this year.

This chart, published by BMO last month, illustrates what has been going on with healthcare stock prices in Canada. Notice any change right at the end there?

# ? Aug 20, 2015 22:49

leftist heap: Feb 28, 2013; Fun Shoe

Good thing Canadian savings rate is at hilariously low levels!

# ? Aug 20, 2015 22:55

McGavin: Sep 18, 2012

I changed my RRSP in April, once the R word started being thrown about. 12 more days until we find out for sure!

# ? Aug 20, 2015 23:17

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# ? May 12, 2024 19:15

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Baronjutter posted:

lol
"We bought into a building that wasn't built yet and didn't actually specify bike storage but the developer make vague promises about maybe doing something and now I don't like his solution!". You're an idiot to buy a pre-sale condo even if everything on the plans are to your liking because you have no idea if there's going to be changes or corners cut, but to willingly buy into a project knowing the plans don't have what you want and buying anyways because a loving developer made vague statements that everything will be ok?? That's beyond dumb, that's vancouver condo buyer dumb.

The whole concept is hilarious especially since pre-sale condos in the bubble markets are selling at premium to existing older units.

Yup let me put down top dollar for something that doesn't even exist yet.

also lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGz0xLhSAe4

etalian fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Aug 20, 2015

# ? Aug 20, 2015 23:28

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