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Interac Only Offering 7-month Contracts?

 
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Blanca



Joined: 04 Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Location: East Midlands, UK

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 5:22 pm    Post subject: Interac Only Offering 7-month Contracts? Reply with quote

I've just been informed that I've passed the initial screening for a place teaching in public school with Interac, beginning in August this year. Nice. However, they've said that the contract will be until March next year, when the school year ends. That's a little over 7 months. Huh?!

Does anyone have any insight on this? Presumably if this contract runs August to March, the other must be March to August (5 months)? Does anyone know if it's possible to renew rather than being done after 7 months? I realise Interac try to give you short (10-11 month) contracts to avoid shelling out on vacation pay, but 7 months?
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rtm



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Japanese school year starts April 1. Coming in in the middle of the year, you will most likely be replacing someone who bailed mid-contract. Your next contract would likely be from March till March. The short contract is just to get you in sync with the school year.
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^ Lots of teachers disappear suddenly. May be good for you, may be not.

The ALT companies do offer some 9 month contract, typically May-Feb.
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nightsintodreams



Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The OP is asking about Interac so let's keep this discussion focused on Interac.

As RTM said, you are joining midyear and therefore are only being offered a contract until the end of the school year. If they want to keep you, which is extremely likely, your next contract will start at the beginning of April.

I finished working for Interac about a year ago, at that time the contract was broken down like this:

Early April (4/5th) to End of July (last day of the month) - Full salary
August - 60% salary
September to November - Full salary
December - 80%
January to Mid March - Full salary
Mid March - Early April - No Contract or salary
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Blanca



Joined: 04 Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Location: East Midlands, UK

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the replies guys.

Nightsintodreams, would you recommend working for Interac? They a stand-up organisation? I've heard they basically make sure you're ok but the pay's a little low and the workload a little high but they're a good in-road into Japan.
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Blanca wrote:
Ah that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the replies guys.

Nightsintodreams, would you recommend working for Interac? They a stand-up organisation? I've heard they basically make sure you're ok but the pay's a little low and the workload a little high but they're a good in-road into Japan.


I will jump in again as I also have experience with Interac. I don't have any major complaints against the company. They explained the contract and salary info in detail at the beginning and my paperwork and all requests were processed in a timely fashion. Overall, I would say they are decent means to get into Japan.
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nightsintodreams



Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with Steki57, in my experience they're not a bad company to work for. Certainly better than working at an Eikaiwa chain IMO.
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marley'sghost



Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been with Interac for years. They have never screwed me worse than industry average. Management is totally hands off. A couple of simple forms to fill in a month. Maybe one or two company meetings a term. You'll find plenty of horror stories on the net, but I've never personally seen or experienced anything truly awful.
Good luck!
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

marley'sghost wrote:
They have never screwed me worse than industry average. Management is totally hands off.


The first statement is sad but accurate.

The second statement is also accurate in my experience. The ALT company wants everything to go smoothly. Unless you are a complete trainwreck of a teacher, they will probably leave you alone.
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fredyis42



Joined: 16 Sep 2013
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:16 am    Post subject: Regarding Interac Reply with quote

I worked for Interac from November until March and my said contract was one year. I never had any problems with them. They pay on time and leave to alone to a certain extent.

You are required to take part in monthly meetings in a city that is a good base for everyone. These begin in the morning and last until early afternoon and are paid. They are a pain in the arse but it is a good way to meet other teachers and hear what it going on with them. I had to buy a car to get me from where I lived to where I was working. It took me an hour each way and I had to be at each school by 8:30 am. I was working at 7 different schools but the main school was where I spend most of my time. I would spend at least two to three days there and at other schools that where more remote I only went there once a month. It was good but living an hour away took it's toll on me. I could leave school at 4pm which I did and get home at 5 pm which was really nice. I really needed the weekend to catch up on some sleep as I was leaving home at 6:45 every morning. I had to buy a second hand car that was 600 cc. My wife helped me buy it as in do the paper work and I borrowed money from Interac to buy the car.

The only time I had any problem with them was when I asked about what I needed to do to resign. They asked why and I told them there was a school near where I lived looking for a teacher. My wife knew the Principal and asked him about it too. I knew a guy from Australia who had been working there and was going back to live in Oz and it was he that told me about it. It was April and the new school year had started. I foolishly spent an hour traveling to the main school only to find out that I had been replaced and Interac had not told me. I called the guy and he told me it was all about my question of resigning and they had taken it as a resignation. I was really pissed off by this but I was happy I didn't have to spend an hour each way to get to any of the schools I was teaching at. I got the job with the local schools and I would spend 15 minutes by car to get to each of them. Interac will screw you if you ask silly questions about resigning and they will take it as such even though you are supposed to submit a resignation in writing.
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Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Regarding Interac Reply with quote

fredyis42 wrote:
The only time I had any problem with them was when I asked about what I needed to do to resign. They asked why and I told them there was a school near where I lived looking for a teacher.

My wife knew the Principal and asked him about it too. I knew a guy from Australia who had been working there and was going back to live in Oz and it was he that told me about it. It was April and the new school year had started. I foolishly spent an hour traveling to the main school only to find out that I had been replaced and Interac had not told me. I called the guy and he told me it was all about my question of resigning and they had taken it as a resignation.

I was really pissed off by this but I was happy I didn't have to spend an hour each way to get to any of the schools I was teaching at. I got the job with the local schools and I would spend 15 minutes by car to get to each of them. Interac will screw you if you ask silly questions about resigning and they will take it as such even though you are supposed to submit a resignation in writing.


This is why Interac and other dispatch companies are vile cockroaches.
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marley'sghost



Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:07 am    Post subject: Re: Regarding Interac Reply with quote

fredyis42 wrote:
Interac will screw you if you ask silly questions about resigning and they will take it as such even though you are supposed to submit a resignation in writing.


Silly, silly boy Very Happy You are obviously too open-hearted and honest for your own good. God bless you. One month's writtten notice, no more, no less is all you need to do to be within your rights.
Your "resignation" story does remind me of one dodgy stunt Interac will pull on you when your contract is finished and you are on your way to your bright and cheerful post-Interac life. They will ask you to "resign" from the company in writing. Apparently, merely fufilling the conditions of the contract for the stated duration is not enough to make management feel safe from their employees. This is just added insurance to make it more difficult to make any claims against the company in the future. Also, it interupts the chain of continuous contracts, making it more difficult for "permatemps" (thanks for the word Pitarou) to force the company to hire them full time. For most folks, it's a non-issue. You're headed out the door and not looking back anyways.
Glad your story has a happy ending. Yeah!
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:46 am    Post subject: Re: Regarding Interac Reply with quote

marley'sghost wrote:
Silly, silly boy Very Happy You are obviously too open-hearted and honest for your own good. God bless you. One month's writtten notice, no more, no less is all you need to do to be within your rights.


I might have told the company that I was planning to continue next year and continued job hunting elsewhere. Telling them of your change of plans at the last minute may not be such a big deal as Interac, etc. often hire at the last minute as well (partially due to scenarios like the above).
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One second-hand gripe I have about Interac is that they don't seem too interested in helping teachers transfer within Japan and stay with the same company.

A co-worker of mine wanted to move to Tokyo and our local branch office of Interac did not offer any support. He quit and got a job with another company. Neither side seemed too put out, but I thought Interac may have wanted to keep an experienced ALT. Silly me.
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kah5217



Joined: 29 Sep 2012
Posts: 270
Location: Ibaraki

PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Considering how Interac waits to tell teachers until the last day when internal shake-ups happen, I wouldn't worry about it. Your business is your own, they don't need to know until necessary.
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