Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

A major company that supplies assistant language teachers to public schools has contracts that pay 60% salary during summer vacation and 80% salary during winter vacation.

Is that the norm in Japan?

Is it fair?

[rtm]

I'm not sure if it's the norm yet, but it's becoming more and more common in Japan. It's definitely not unusual.

Whether it is fair or not is a matter of personal opinion. How much would you be expected to work during summer or winter vacation? If you are expected to do 60%/80% of your normal work load (or less), then I'd say it's fair.

[kah5217]

I know which company you're talking about.....

From personal experience, I was eating cup ramen the month I received that 60% paycheck. After bills were taken out, it was quite a small take home.

[nightsintodreams]

I also know which company you are referring to as I worked for them for three years. I was fine for money, even had enough for a couple holidays in Asia.

In your first year in Japan you'll pay very low taxes so you should be fine, for your second year though, you might want to think about getting a second job.

[Black_Beer_Man]

Does the JET Program have this 60% / 80% salary scheme?

[steki47]

I just finished a contract with that company. They paid me 75% in December but I was scheduled to work 4 weeks or the majority of the month. My previous company paid me 100% in December but I only worked 3 weeks.

Yeah, those numbers are common if not happy times for the employee.

[marley'sghost]

That's the norm for dispatch ALTing. I think my December/August paychecks are 75%. I don't complain, as I have had maybe one day of work in August in 10 years. (Though I have no doubt my company gets a full 100% for for those months from the BOE.) These last 5-6 years they've been chiseling an extra week off of March by having our contracts start a week into it, as they don't need us until school really starts after spring break.
@Black Beer Man- no pay cuts for JETs. At least I don't remember it being cut when I was in the program back in the day. JET salaries and perks (they flew us here Business class, not any more....) have come down since then. Only the sweetest of sweet direct hire gigs will get you anything close to JET pay.

[kah5217]

You're right. I forgot to mention that those two months aren't the only ones cut. In total, April, August, December, and March are reduced pay. I got shafted worse in April because my BOE didn't start until a week after most others. Given that you won't get your first full pay until the end of June, it's very rough. You get paid at the end of May, but it's a reduced check and the bills are still taken out. I only had 5 man left after rent and car payment.

[nightsintodreams]

Basically, multiply your monthly salary by eleven and you get your rough annual salary.

[Pitarou]

No, it isn't the norm. The norm is to pay you nothing for the periods when you don't work. As a direct hire ALT I get almost nothing in the summer.

Is it fair? I think you have to look at the whole package to answer that question. Is the commitment they expect from you commensurate with the commitment they offer you in return?

In my case, the Board of Education I work for is very clear that I am employed by the hour. This has its advantages and its drawbacks. When the school is closed, I get nothing. But if, say, a teacher wants me to stay after school to give students Speech Contest practice, the expectation is that I will be allowed to go home early on another day, to make up the hours. And if I say, "Sorry, I can't stay in after school on Wednesday because I'm booked to teach a private class." then they will respect that.

So in my case, I think it's pretty fair. YMMV.

[Ryu Hayabusa]

It's hard to say what the "norm" is, Pitarou, since we don't have information from every board of education in Japan. The best we can do is offer what we know and what we have heard and let readers draw their own conclusions.

In Osaka prefecture and Osaka City, direct hire positions pay 303, 000yen per month and offer 20 paid days off per year. If you don't use your paid holidays, you only get a week in August and public holidays off. They would be using every single day of their paid leave in the process, but with strategic use, a person could have all of August off and two weeks off in the winter--fully paid.

[Pitarou]

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[Solar Strength]

[Pitarou]