Job Discussion Forums

[jenaya]

Hi, just wanting a little advice on a few topics
-one employer is saying the salary is 200, 000 yen/month, but you get free Japanese lessons (60, 000yen/month) do people actually pay that????
-also, if a salary is 280, 000yen/month, is it alright if they don't cover health insurance, or should that really be a basic term of a good contract.
Any advice thanks

[lajzar]

I get free Japanese lesson as part of my contract, 1 hour a week. The commercial rate in my town seems to be about 2000 yen an hour. Lets say the going rate in that town is 5000 yen an hour - on a par with private EFL lessons. Does that contract offer 12 hours of free lessons a month? Frankly, I'd be surprised if you had time for regular teaching duties if you were taking that many Japanese classes. FWIW, there are plenty of volunteer groups in my town that do Japanese lessons for 150 yen an hour, a token fee.

As for health insurance, that is included in my contract, but I never succeeded in claiming against mine. How much is an insurance policy worth if you can never claim against it?

[Celeste]

I pay 1500 yen for a one hour class once a week. The classes have between 2 and 4 people in them. I live in F u k u o k a city. Private lessons at the same school are 2500yen per hour. On the JET programme, we get a correspondence course for free, but I hate doing language classes alone. I find it much easier to have a teacher to correct my grammar and pronunciation as I go along. As a foreign language teacher myself, I question the value of just repeating phrases after a CD. I do use the correspondence books and CDs for extra study, though.

I wouldn't accept 200 000 yen per month unless it included the rent on my apartment and was the net amount after deductions.

[Glenski]

jenaya,

It doesn't matter how much they pay you; when it comes to helping with your health insurance, what counts is how many hours you work. If you put in only 25 hours a week, you are not considered full-time, so the employer can use this as a loophole and not do anything for your insurance.

Any employer who offers a salary of 200,000 for full-time work, in my opinion, should be shot. Telling you this is what you get because you get the equivalent of 60,000 yen Japanese lessons is hogwash. Pay the baseline 250,000 like you should, or watch my butt leave the bargaining table. I suggest you find another employer. This one is a cheapskate.

[Shonai Ben]

Jenaya:
I agree with Glenski.Basic salary should be 250,000 yen/month plus any
travel expenses.Japanese lessons are not "free" if you have to loose 60,000 yen/month.I would not take this offer.That is my 2 cents worth.
Cheers.