Job Discussion Forums

kimbo · Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 24

I was hoping that somebody could help me please?? I was wandering if you think this is a good deal or if you have have any experiences with the company.
- 250, 000 yen per month
- min of 40 hours per week
- use of car for business purposes
- no bonus until the end of your second year
- secure, act as guarantor and cover key money for an ALTIA CENTRAL sponsored apartment, but do not provide furnishings or any other compensation for rent
- sundays and national holidays you get off and most saturday's
- 7 weeks of vacation per year
- benefits and incentives such as a bonus for passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, Professional Development Subsidy, 5 sick days per year, and up to 5 days paid leave for bereavement of family members

Thanks for your help!!

Lucy Snow · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 218 Location: US

A minimum of 40 hours/week? What happens if you teach more than that--do you get overtime pay?

kimbo · Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 24

it is not mentioned, so I presume no.

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

"most saturdays"?
What the heck does that mean? Every third Saturday, 12 Saturdays a year? I'm not big on contracts which are vague, especially when it comes to the work schedule.

kimbo · Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 24

They don't actually specify.

Thanks for your help. I was just wandering because I have heard some okay reports about this school - just trying to decide if if was worth the risk!! But I don't think so. Back to the big four.......

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

Second knowledge, but a good mate of mine has recommended ALTIA Central to me and I have been talking to them about getting my partner and me a job in Japan - my contact has been very helpful so far.

As far as the contract etc goes, I have no idea I'm sorry.

Rhialto · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 9

Im working for Altia now. Their contract is certainly better than a certain company whose name begins with I and ends in C. By most Saturdays off, they mean just that. So far I have had to 'work' two Saturdays since the start, and they paid for lunch at the Hard Rock the second time. One was followup training, the other was an 'area' meeting.

Personally, I consider these very useful as a means of batting ideas off your equals. Altia provides very good support and teaching materials imho. I received more originals materials in Altia's initial training that I received copied materials in my previous employer's initial training. No original materials were provided by my previous employer, except for a passworded zip file that I couldnt access.

Oh, and they don't pay late. It remains to be seen whether they charge for unreturned materials despite returning them, or charge for unreturned materials which were given and returned to the school instead of the office, unlike a certain company whose name has an I and a C in it.

kimbo · Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 24

Thanks for the information. I have yet to hear anything bad about this company, from people that have worked there.

I was wandering (you don't have to answer it considering that it is personal) Do you find that 250, 000 yen is enough to live off considering that you do not get rent subsidized? I am a little worried about not having an apartment ready for me when I arrive.

Thanks again for your help

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

I agree that Altia is fine. The 40 hours work thing only means that you must be at your school for 40 hours. The contract specifically limits the number of classes you teach, generally at 20 classes of 50 minutes each.

Also, they throw in a company car for free. Holiday time works out to about 10 or 11 weeks per year, plus national holidays, plus 5 paid sick days.

The cash is OK to live on. THe good news is that you can easily get private lessons at night if you need to supplement your income. Your working hours at school are strictly 830 to 430 or 500, weekdays only.

Very little BS from the head office, little interference, you are basically left to do your own thing. THe apartments are rent capped at 60,000 yen per month.

All in all, a good gig IMHO.

kimbo · Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 24

Does that mean that they do not have a problem with you doing private lessons, or do you have to do it on the quiet??

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

Rhialto · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 9

Regarding the hours, I am contracted to be at a work location for 40 hours a week. I teach about 16 45-minute lessons a week, depending on various factors such as national holidays etc, although the contract allows for up to 20 hours. Although you are contracted to be there for 40 hours, occassionally it is good to hang out a bit longer to socialise - staying in any job in Japan is very much based on being popular rather than effective; this is a general common sense rule imho, not an Altia rule though.

the money is fine to live off, unless you really need to travel to town and party every weekend. Last year, in a contract broadly equivalent pay-wise, I saved 500,000 yen. The rent is capped at 60k ass someone said, but may be lower. Some boards of eduication will offer one of their subsidised apartments, in which case the rent will be a token amount - perhaps 10k. Ask Glenski for more details about money.