Job Discussion Forums

[dudelebow]

Thank you, I will certainly be there.....

[dudelebow]

i went on this march, and boy was i glad i did. very inspiring.
some companies (like mine) think they are not doing anything wrong by simply not renewing contracts. but when they can easily use false and trumped up reasons against you, there is nothing we can do to protect ourselves from that. we need better job security to avoid this. there needs to be standards and procedures for foreigners by law to prevent mishandling and railroading.

More than 90% of foreign workers in Japan are hired on fixed-term contracts, leaving them vunerable to dismissal or non-renewal. This year, we marched in Tokyo to demand a stable work environment, free from illegal dismissals, unpaid wages, or discrimination.

Thank you Nambu for making some noise.

[shuize]

[dudelebow]

Shuize, that was quite the sardonic reply. Well, if such a comment had to be dignified, i'd say i don't think anyone is seeking an end to fixed-term contracts. just seeking fairness, equality, and professional standards for all people working and contributing to Japan.

[[email protected]]

Funny I thought that fixed term contracts were what they say- fixed terms. Why do people think a one year contract can be automatically renewed because an employee wants it to be renewed? That's why it has a one year fixed term.

Job security should come from doing a good job. Laws making it difficult to remove people after a fixed period of time only contribute to decreased productivity. Square pegs stay in round holes. Bad teachers stay on as bad teachers, aided and abetted by unions who care only for their members and nothing else- certainly not quality of education.

Good teachers now lose their jobs after three years to get around the 3 year law. If employers could be sure that they could fire a teacher if he ended up going sideways in the future, they would keep more of them on. A friend of mine owns an eikawa and he NEVER keeps a teacher on more than 3 years, regardless of how good the teacher is, because he cannot be removed for almost any reason.

Get rid of the job security laws and there will be more job security.

[JimDunlop2]

So why is it OK to have a permanant Japanese national as an employee but never a foreigner? Why aren't Japanese on fixed-term contracts? Why only us? That's what chafes me!

It's the inequality between foreigners and Japanese nationals that causes problems. We do good work but get rewarded with dismissals without cause. Also, in other countries there may be a probation period, but once that's up you don't have to worry about losing your job every year, barring cutbacks or layoffs.

[womblingfree]

[shuize]

This probably won't be a popular opinion, but I wonder if the fixed term contracts don't make it easier for more foreigners to get employment. I agree that it would bite to have to look for a job every three years. But as posted above, if managers really thought they might be stuck with a crappy employee forever, my guess is that there'd be a lot fewer job offers made for foreign staff.

As for the question of why Japanese aren't treated the same, consider all the "arubaito" or "pa-to" positions (basically the backbone of the Japanese economy). Those folks don't have much in the way of job security either. In general, and especially when considering the conversation schools, English language teaching in Japan is very similar to those sort of jobs.

But I think my point above holds true for Japanese part-time staff as well. In a way, it's sort of a trade-off between job security for a few vs. employment for many. The best solution is for the employee to make himself so valuabe or do such an excellent job that the employer is so worried about losing him that they offer a permanent position.

[dudelebow]

Shuize, point understood. But take just for example the cultural miscommunications and misunderstandings that can naturally occur between foreigner and japanese or anybody at the work place. many of these contract employees do an excellent job and bend their back for their company and their perm staff. but what happens when a personal issue or matter affects a working relationship in the office? the contract worker is vulnerable and at the mercy of the perm staff who maintains their job security (often times just because they are japanese). its unfair that we don't have enforced policies or standardized procedures to protect contract/foreigner employees and help them to continue their work and avoid ridiculous situations like mine.

[yamanote senbei]

[Jazz1975]

[PAULH]

[stillnosheep]

It's harder to fire someone after the first contract renewal (one year). The three year rule, as mentioned above, prohibits BoE's from hiring the same teacher from the same dispatch company for more than three years. It has nothing to do with eikaiwa.

[Jazz1975]

[stillnosheep]