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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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 Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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I just interviewed with a small ALT company that offers a much worse deal. They pay per day and pay nothing for days not work. You get paid for 11 days in July and nothing in August, etc. And they don't pay transportation.
Interac and Altia seem like paradise in comparison. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| steki47 wrote: |
| I just interviewed with a small ALT company that offers a much worse deal. They pay per day and pay nothing for days not work ... Interac and Altia seem like paradise in comparison. |
I don't see what's so bad about this. I'm more interested in the total salary than how it's distributed from month to month, or how much is counted as "pay" and how much as "travel expenses".
If you're a spendthrift type who lives from paycheck to paycheck then, sure, you shouldn't work for the kind of company steki47 interviewed with. But speaking for myself, I'd rather have the money in my own bank account than have Interac retain a little every month, and then pay it back in August.
And I wonder ... what are Interac teachers' obligations in August? Are they let loose? Or are they still expected to come in and work for their (retained) pay in other ways? |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:37 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| steki47 wrote: |
| I just interviewed with a small ALT company that offers a much worse deal. They pay per day and pay nothing for days not work ... Interac and Altia seem like paradise in comparison. |
I don't see what's so bad about this. I'm more interested in the total salary than how it's distributed from month to month, or how much is counted as "pay" and how much as "travel expenses".
If you're a spendthrift type who lives from paycheck to paycheck then, sure, you shouldn't work for the kind of company steki47 interviewed with. But speaking for myself, I'd rather have the money in my own bank account than have Interac retain a little every month, and then pay it back in August.
And I wonder ... what are Interac teachers' obligations in August? Are they let loose? Or are they still expected to come in and work for their (retained) pay in other ways? |
if they are Heart, or the equivalent, I am sure the average ends up being pretty low per month. |
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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| steki47 wrote: |
| I just interviewed with a small ALT company that offers a much worse deal. They pay per day and pay nothing for days not work ... Interac and Altia seem like paradise in comparison. |
I don't see what's so bad about this. I'm more interested in the total salary than how it's distributed from month to month, or how much is counted as "pay" and how much as "travel expenses". |
We may be talking apples and oranges here. A friend at another ALT company is on a 9-month contract in which they take money (100K IIRC) out of two month's salary and pay you 100K for two of the 3 months off in the spring. 11 payment, 1 month of nothing.
My recent 9-month contract paid me nine times (including 60% and 75% in Aug and Dec) and then nothing for three months.
I believe both came to about 2.2 million yen per year.
The place I just interviewed with said the total would be less than 2MY/year. In July, you get paid for 11 days where as both of the above examples had us getting 100% of our salaries in July. And transportation paid.
Personally, I have enough self-control to save during the fat months but this job offer seemed really awful to me. |
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kah5217
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
Posts: 270
Location: Ibaraki
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| And I wonder ... what are Interac teachers' obligations in August? Are they let loose? Or are they still expected to come in and work for their (retained) pay in other ways? |
A set number of days are marked as "holidays", 5 of which are mandatory paid holidays (so even though you get 10 in your contract, they decide when you use half of them). The other holidays are unpaid. The rest of the month is "on-call" days, which depending on your school means either work or house arrest.
New contracts are having their summer reduced to 50%. Given the sales tax increase and the 2nd year tax jump, it no longer seems worth it unless you're busting your butt with private lessons and have no debt back home. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| 50% for August? Wow, things are just progressively getting worse. I found it hard to save, outside of the money that I would need to covert he 4 pay gaps per year. Just not worth it any more. Way too much cost cutting here ie salary |
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marley'sghost
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| steki47 wrote: |
| I just interviewed with a small ALT company that offers a much worse deal. They pay per day and pay nothing for days not work ... Interac and Altia seem like paradise in comparison. |
I don't see what's so bad about this. I'm more interested in the total salary than how it's distributed from month to month, or how much is counted as "pay" and how much as "travel expenses".
If you're a spendthrift type who lives from paycheck to paycheck then, sure, you shouldn't work for the kind of company steki47 interviewed with. But speaking for myself, I'd rather have the money in my own bank account than have Interac retain a little every month, and then pay it back in August.
And I wonder ... what are Interac teachers' obligations in August? Are they let loose? Or are they still expected to come in and work for their (retained) pay in other ways? |
Usually not much. I know some folks who got tapped to do "English Camp" last summer. There is usually a company meeting towards the tail end of August. In all my years, all I can remember doing is a day judging a speech contest. And in that case, I knew it was coming, was stuck in Japan anyways and said , "Sure, I'll do it." As you are under contract, the company could call you up and have you do most anything. But usually the clients don't have a lot of "anything" to do and you are left to your own devices. The office has too much real work to do to create busywork for the ALTs. I've always speculated that keeping teachers contracted through the summer is mostly just insurance to (help) keep them from disappearing while on vacation. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| marley'sghost wrote: |
| Pitarou wrote: |
| And I wonder ... what are Interac teachers' obligations in August? Are they let loose? Or are they still expected to come in and work for their (retained) pay in other ways? |
Usually not much. ... As you are under contract, the company could call you up and have you do most anything. But usually the clients don't have a lot of "anything" to do and you are left to your own devices. ... I've always speculated that keeping teachers contracted through the summer is mostly just insurance to (help) keep them from disappearing while on vacation. |
I think that kinda' proves my point. I spent 30 days in my country of origin last August. A colleague of mine has contracted with a private company to teach a summer camp in Shikoku this summer -- just like Interac teachers, but it's at his option and he gets paid extra.
This looks like a really smart business move on Interac's part. By retaining a little of the money their clients give them until August they get:
1. Better staff retention (as you point out)
2. Better cash flow
3. The option to call in some teachers over the summer for ... well ... anything they can thing of that will help their business.
4. Fewer problems with teachers who can't manage their money.
5. And best of all, judging from the comments on this thread, teachers are happier this way! 
I think you can tell which I prefer.
Last edited by Pitarou on Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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marley'sghost
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| kah5217 wrote: |
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New contracts are having their summer reduced to 50%. Given the sales tax increase and the 2nd year tax jump, it no longer seems worth it unless you're busting your butt with private lessons and have no debt back home. |
Ah, that slipped past my radar. Yep, even says so on the website. Wondering how they'd chisel yet another sliver out of our pay. Been several years since my last pay cut. Shouldn't have been a surprise. 
Should change this thread title to ,"Teaching Contract with 60% summer and 80% winter salary. OK!!!" |
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ZennoSaji
Joined: 02 Feb 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Mito, Ibaraki
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 3:55 am Post subject: |
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| Reading this thread, I brought up the issue during orientation for my direct-hire job. Apparently they planned the budget out so that we don't get a pay cut during breaks. :O So it's not like that all over. No mention of when our breaks actually are, though, so maybe we still "work" over the break?? Heh... |
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