Job Discussion Forums

[Pitarou]

[rxk22]

"A few years later, my contracts went to gyomu-itaku. By spelling out that you only "work" 29.5 hours a week, there is no way you can claim you are a "full time employee" and that the company needs to kick in for your health and pension. "

Man, I should have pushed this issue when I was with the big I. I think every Interac employee should refuse to be at the schools any longer than 7 hours per day. I would explain that we are not being paid, and that it is illegal to work off the clock. Instead of breaking the law, I will go home.

[marley'sghost]

[kah5217]

In my case, I got around 18 unpaid days in August and 5 unpaid days in December, hence the 60 and 75% figures.

Their defense for the 29.5 thing is that transfer times between classes aren't counted as work. I was scheduled in my school for 7 hours a day, so under that model I was technically part time. Teachers who are scheduled 8 hours get a free period, which again "technically" counts. But anyone who has ever set foot in a school knows that you aren't turned off during those ten minutes between classes. Most of the time the eager kids would ask questions, you'd have to check work during your break so they could take their notebooks home, etc.

[rxk22]

True, but often times you get paid 3000 or yen per lesson hour. Might end up making more, even with more unpaid time off. Just saying.

Yeah, I used my Interac time to read. Read Song of Fire and Ice, and studied Japanese a crap ton. Prolly should have stayed until I got my N2. But I was doing 20+ lessons a month, so they were pushing me a bit more. I also was at one of the worst schools in my prefecture.

Personally, if I were in Interac, I would do the 7 hour days, and hit a lot of privates after work.

I think they have to give you 45mins off for 6 hours of work. So even the 10 min breaks don't add up to that.

Anyhow, sorry to be so disjointed here. I really feel that the dispatchers should get what they pay for. If they want anything approaching quality, they need to break open their purses. I knew a lot of ALTs who stayed after school. Which is nice and all, but you aren't receiving ANY benefits, nor pay at this point, while the JTs are. Just using people imho /rant

[metropolis]

Some of the burden here has to go on the teacher. If you constantly put up with Interac cheating you, then they will keep squeezing you. Do something about it. Write a letter of complaint to the Board of Education. Call or write to the Ministry of Education/Labor. Bad mouth Interac as much as possible. Warn prospective people who want to come to Japan. Get the word out. And by no means work later than your scheduled time. Make it clear to your schools that you are not getting paid enough and that Interac is literally taking half of your pay every month. Interac has another scam, too. They push you to accept an apartment that they are the guarantor for. Usually, that apartment is waaaay overpriced. They will tell you that your time is running out on getting an apartment, you need to move in quickly, blablabla. Borderlink does the same thing. They are partnered with some company called Bridge Life. They are conveniently there to help you find an apartment that is totally affordable (cough). But you need to choose quickly because time is running out; we need you at the school ASAP! Think of the children!!! Of course the deposit and rental fees are super high. And they are there to help you get a phone, too. Wow! A phone plan where you are charged about 12,000 per month. I have two phones and pay that much. Ripoff.

[rxk22]

[marley'sghost]