The UK is a popular choice of destinations for US Americans, thanks to our (mostly) shared language and promise of romanticized history. There’s a lot to consider when deciding on a move of this scale, but here are the five top reasons we made the move:
1. Holidays
Most workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday every year. Employers can include paid bank holidays in this entitlement. If you work full-time you will receive a minimum of 8 paid bank holidays per year plus a minimum of 20 days paid holiday leave. Part-time and irregular hours workers (such as seasonal employees) are entitled to a prorated amount of holiday dependent on how much they work.
When you compare the UK with the US on this issue it’s easy to pick a favourite from the employee perspective. Paid holiday leave is a legally protected right in the UK. In the US, there is no right to paid vacation leave. Most employers who opt to provide vacation leave provide only 2-3 weeks per year. Obtaining a higher allotment typically takes decades, if it’s given at all. Even when you accrue vacation, the icky culture of “I’m too busy to take time off” is applauded.
2. Work / Life Balance
Aside from holiday entitlements, there is less of the urgency culture in the UK that can pervade in the US. At my current company, Fridays are largely protected from meetings. That in itself isn’t that remarkable, but I’ve been surprised several times by issues arising on a Friday but no meeting or significant action is expected before Monday.
The UK can sometimes feel America-lite and so your miles may vary with how protected your personal time feels, but in general I think it’s better. For example, I was speaking with someone complaining that he came back from a 2 week holiday to over 300 emails. When I asked him how much he was interrupted during his holiday, though, he looked at me like I’d sprouted an extra head before saying he wasn’t, obviously.
3. Healthcare
Ah, the NHS. It can feel wrapped in red tape at times, but nothing compares to that feeling of sailing out the clinic door with no stop at the counter to arrange payment and no fear of that nastygram showing up in your mail to find your insurance didn’t cover as much as expected.
In addition to universal health care through the NHS, many employers offer private medical insurance as a supplement. Generally, this can be used to obtain faster access to some specialists. For instance, the private medical provider through my work offers mental health specialist referrals on request without the need for a GP referral.
Whether you wind up with supplemental private insurance or not, the medical care in the UK remains just as good as we experienced in the US, and has several times been better.
4. Natural Beauty
I adore London, but my real UK love affair is with the quieter places outside. There’s always another public footpath sign beckoning to see what’s around the corner and the temperate climate where we live makes a gorgeous run of growing things through much of the year. After years of California drought, I’m entranced by how easily things grow here.
Add to that the seemingly endless list of historical sites, villages, and pubs to pop by on your wanderings and perhaps you can see why I’d like to zigzag much of this island on foot in an attempt to see it all!
5. Travel Options
When I’m not walking around the UK, I’m planning where else we can explore thanks to cheap flights or enjoyable train travel. Quick trips to most of Europe are so easy to come by at cheap prices. Seriously, I just ran a quick search for a Friday-Sunday in April trip on Google Flights and found £56 to Berlin, £83 to Barcelona, or an easy £18 to Dublin (all roundtrip pp).
If you really want to up the romance factor, and lessen your environmental impact, you can also reach most places by train. The best resource for train travel in Europe is The Man in Seat 61. His guides have inspired several of our travel plans and is the reason I try to sell everyone I know on skipping the cheap flight to Dublin in favor of the train/ferry option outlined here.
Obviously, we put a lot more thought into moving than just the 5 topics above. If you’re ready to make a move, check out the Move To the UK page for resources to turn your dream into reality.
