Job Discussion Forums

[zues]

Setting the final rip off phase in motion.

The writing was on the wall at the beginning of this year, as vacation days off were almost all changed to "work days". The majority of the guaranteed time off was removed, positioning for the future, which is now.

Interac teachers have now been reporting their work days are being *assigned* (see below). Summer and winter vacation time ("work days") are being taken from you and these days are being assigned.

To recap, here is the progression of the salary gouging:

In past years, the pay for August/December has dwindled down to ever lower %'s of pay. Same for March and April in terms of prorated days. Went from full pay, to less and less pay.

No pay raises (ever)

March/April prorating began.

Then, this year, days that were previously off on yearly schedules mysteriously changed to "work days" with the exception of maybe 2 - 5 days guaranteed off.

Now those work days are being filled with assignments! Your vacation is shrinking and your pay is also shrinking!

The future direction is clear: 1) eliminate all pay for August and winter holidays and until then 2) assign as many of the work days as possible to maximize profit, while decreasing salary for those days by lowering the % paid for August/December.

What can you do? Well, nothing and many things.

Nothing = The contract was agreed upon. No getting out of it besides quitting. Speak up and get replaced by fresh meat after being told, we don't give pay raises.

Many things = Do not, ever, EVER stay longer than your schedule. No club activities, no extra assignments, no extra planning time. Zed. Interac top brass doesn't know you, they don't know your job abilities or performance, and they clearly don't care about you or your feedback. Doing extra things will get you nothing at the time of contract renewal. Why? the person doing contracting doesn't know you either! They just send you a form letter and a form letter contract with a different name. no salary or performance review. It's bodies with pulses for positions (any crazy non-native accent from any country will do), filled, done, then top brass implements salary gouging methods. Planning lessons... this is up to you. Again, nothing matters about planning time/effort when it comes to renewal. Do what you want. It has no bearing. Given the worsening work conditions, I recommend not doing much at all.

Up until now, Interac teachers have averaged an hourly wage of 7pounds (12 CAD/USD) per hour for the entire year (averaging total pay by 12 months). That is not even minimum wage in our home countries!! Now, with work days being assigned, this average goes down to below poverty levels, offering no way to get ahead while living in Japan. Your ability to make extra income during your vacation days are disappearing along with your pay.

These are the last of the gravy days lads, milk it now for all its worth. As long as you are employed with Interac, do as little as possible (aka only what the pay and treatment merits). However, job searching at work is highly recommended.

Gaijin staff working at the Interac offices, thinking you are getting somewhere in a culture bent on nicking all of us gaijins.... Can't imagine how bad you feel, playing the game for the japanese. You must be in a real bind of morality, observing all this, not being able to change anything while being complicit in the ratcheting of salary gouging. We know you make a pittance also and are merely minions observing the japanese profiteering. Many of you are stand up blokes and very personable... Not sure of the extent to which you are disconnected to the siphoning of our morale and salary?? Our worst emails come from japanese staff, the ones saying we are stealing more from you now. But know this, we get these more frequently from the very people you are forced to small talk with. Don't question teachers' morale when you see them. There is no morale. The treatment we receive is a farce.

You do however, come to where the rubber meets the road to see us occasionally at our schools or at meetings, so treat us like royalty. After all, we are being royally shafted far more than you. We teach, you supervise, and they gouge both of us. So err on the side of kick-assery while working with us because we are struggling very much, suffering worsening working conditions, whether you know it or not, things are getting very bad.

*Note: although you may be contacted about availability during holidays or given assignments during work days, you may not actually be needed those days. It’s an old tactic to “fish” your holidays for more money. Interac says we need you on so and so day(s), teacher is like, whuhh… what? And is suppose to tell interact they are traveling or cannot work those days. Then they are docked pay for those days. Or the “we may need you, are you available on...” phone call. Same thing. So if you do get asked or assigned on work days, don't say a thing. Call their bluff. Chances are you won’t even work on those days. No need to give your money away.

[G Cthulhu]

I've got nothing to add to the thread in terms of the topic, but I did want to say that it was interesting watching someone that is clearly an American English speaker butchering the language trying to use British English slang (hiding their tracks, maybe?) and getting almost all of it completely wrong. Or, they've been in Japan too long and simply can't speak English any more. 50/50 chance of it being either, really.

[rxk22]

[Pitarou]

If penny-pinching is hitting staff morale as hard as this post suggests, the quality of Interac lessons is really going to suffer. The big question is: will the decision-makers notice, or care?

[littlefinger]

they claim they are not being paid for "English Camps" but that is lie! Any city hall has a record of what is being paid to "vendors" because the city hall uses tax money to pay for ALTs.

[rxk22]

[littlefinger]

ALTs are sent to "English camps" during break time from their regular schools. Those days off during summer vacation were on schedules as "work days"(the last two weeks of July depending on the city) and nothing was assigned. The last few years ALTs have been assigned to "English camps" and only receiving their regular monthly salary. August is still paid at 60% and some are assigned to the camps. August used to be a full month off, but I think ALTs should be paid at least 80% if they are assigned to work the camps. They are squeezing more and more out of the ALTs as the years go by and not giving a damn about how some are surviving. I threw in the towel a long time ago, but I feel for those who truly do enjoy teaching.
Depending on the city, the budgets are available on the city website.

[rxk22]

So they want you to work in Aug, but they also want to pay you less for Aug than they have in past?

[Maitoshi]

If so, it sounds like time to say, "toss off."

[marley'sghost]

@Zues- They tap you for summer camp duty?
And on the "work days" wait and see. In the past those "work days" amounted to "vacation". Never heard of anyone getting a surprise assignment or have the office call them in for business.

I don