Job Discussion Forums

worldwidealive · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 84

A co-worker of mine was telling me that some guy was fired for being drunk on the job at the MM Center in Osaka. Does anyone know anything about this?

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

I do remember reading a memo from one of the higher-ups recently warning all the teachers on the night shift that drinking in the break room during their lunch period was "completely unacceptable." Apparently someone has noticed this was happening and brought it to the attention of MM management, which is why they sent out that warning message.

If the guy was indeed fired for violating this common sense policy, then that's too bad for him, but I wouldn't really have much sympathy for him. I've never known NOVA to actually fire someone, but they do "decide not to renew your contract."

Maybe the person who got fired will soon post about how terrible NOVA is on another website or something and complain about its draconian rules how it fires employees without just cause. blah blah

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Well, I'd fire him too. I don't really see the problem.

worldwidealive · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 84

Oh, don't get me wrong, if the guy was drunk he should have been axed. I just hate to hear crap like this, because after working for Nova for awhile now, I realize WHY they have the stupid rules that they do. Not that I am perfect, but the complete disrespect that many people have is amazing.

And no, I am not a Nova apologist, just calling it like I see it...

WWA

whtaccordrcr · Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

I have been offered a position at the multimedia Center iN osaka with NOva. It seems like one of you have worked there. Can you please contact me at [email protected] so I can ask you some questions. I will later post these questions and asnwers, as I have searched the internet and found nothing talking abotu life at the media center and how things go down for a typical day. And I do see one person asking on several forums this same question. So hopefully I can put some rest to these issues. and future people to be employed in this building

thankyou

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

I can confirm that a teacher was indeed recently fired at the MM center. The teacher was fired for drinking alcohol during the lesson. This teacher had generated many complaints from his students about showing up to the lessons drunk. The teacher also made many lewd comments during his lessons, to include asking his students to have sex with him. After one angry student disconnected from the lesson prematurely, the customer service staff approached the teacher at his booth and found an open can of chuhai, which was all the evidence they needed. Per Japanese labor law with respect to firing, the teacher was paid one month's salary and summarily dismissed. He did retain his visa and has since found another job, albeit at a dodgier conversation school at a salary that is only 2/3 of what he was making at MM.

It is because of people like this that NOVA and other eikaiwas have such seemingly ridiculous or draconian policies. While I don't believe such rules are necessary, incidents like this make me understand why these policies were implemented to begin with. For those of you who wonder why the Japanese don't trust foreigners or why they have such negative views of foreigners, it is because of losers like this who screw everything up for the rest of us who are a bit more professional and a bit more responsible with their behavior.

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

Wow...they finally caught someone. Heh! That has been going on since the nightshift started. Perhaps not during the lessons, but definately during the 2 hour break..many instructors would skip out to the pubs and meet their friends for a drink or 6 and then go back to work.

Just curious...was this employee there for a long time or is he fairly new? Just wondering if I know him....

Iwantmyrightsnow · Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 202

whtaccordrcr · Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

Yeah, i totally agree with Iwantmyrightsnow. have you seen the newspapers and articles about Japanese teachers. The 6th!!!!! one was hired not to long ago for telling his Japanese/American (white) student that she should kill herself because of her mixed ethnicity. So I think this is a little on the more unacceptable side of drinking on the job. No way am I offending this dumbshit that was drinking on the job. And I do also agree with zzonkers that this is why people view foriengers as such. However, I do have one complaint, its dumb for the japanese to classify this is a ENTIRE group. But then again thats life. Why do you think we are so racist (white people) against blacks in California, or US for that matter. Because a good amount of them are the criminals and getting caught. So we associate the whole group. This is life, and something that will never change until we all cease to exist. It sucks, so keep this in mind, and if you like japan as much as I do, make sure to always give them a good impression.

(hire the guy that was drinking WHILE working, and asking to HAVE SEX, shit, make the *beep* eat a bucket full of NATO!)

anyways, that makes me wonder, being a computer science graduate and into computers, I thought NOVA would at least be monitoring these lessons, to see if the employees were doing anything stupid. So if i like one of my students, as in, I would like to hang out with them some time. COuld i get away with asking her for her email or such. And they basically would not have a clue of me asking the student this. Or say a more subtle and less entrapment method. She liked me and offered me her email to contact her. Could i basically jot this info down and not worry about NOVA breathing down my back. Just food for thoughT!

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

hey there.

it is true that they may monitoring your lessons without you being aware of it, unless you wish to watch the corner of the monitor all the time for he # of log-ins at your lesson. They will watch.

It has been known to happen tho...a teacher I know gave an email to a student and asked them to contact on their own time. It got a little messy to say the least. No, Nova did not find out, but it could have lead to that problem.

PaulH is right (as he usually is). There are more than enough people in Japan for either private lessons or dating possibilities. Stay away from the students. It truly is NOT worth the risk of getting fired.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Many of the newbies dont know this but if you take things to the logical conclusion and start dating students, it will only be a matter of time that you get sick of her, get bored with the whole thing or decide shes not your type. Then what you do is have a potential stalker on your hands who follows you home, or perhaps starts hanging around school when you knock off work.

Scorned students have been known to come into school looking for a male teacher who has dumped them like yesterdays sushi and raised h-ell in the office. Given blow-by-blow accounts of your sexual prowess (or lack of it, as the case may be) to the entire office staff. I hope you can handle being publicly humiliated or hung out to dry when a failed fling with a student turns ugly.

The G-stringed Avenger · Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 5:00 am Post subject:

I've never drunk at the office, but I have turned up still drunk from the night before. Does that make me a bad teacher? I've also dated students - hell, everyone does it. I never made lewd comments but when students offered me their phone numbers or arranged meetings with me, I never said no. Come on! We're there for the experience, so live it to the full. I'm not of the attitude that I'm a professional and this is my career - I'm not qualified, I'm poorly trained, and while I nevertheless do my job, I still want to have fun and to hell with Nova's stupid rules.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe