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Global English School, Matsusaka, Japan Warning:WATCH OUT!!!
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Keith_Alan_W
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 121
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 Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: Global English School, Matsusaka, Japan Warning:WATCH OUT!!! |
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deleted by me
Last edited by Keith_Alan_W on Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:13 am; edited 2 times in total |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:56 am Post subject: |
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Keith
According to Japanese labor law if you have signed a contract and are already formally employed she can not summarily fire you on the spot. She must either give you 30 days notice or 30 days pay. She can not fire you for wearing cords. You could sue for one months severance pay but it may be difficult if she said you were on probation.
Legally speaking if you are on a tourist visa you dont have a leg to stand on and are actually breaking Japanese immigration laws by working without a visa. By law you should not be working until you have a signed contract and your application has been approved by immigration in Nagoya. It takes two to tango.
My advice would be to contact the labor standards office or a teachers union and lay a complaint.
http://www.generalunion.org or the union rep in Nagoya. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:59 am Post subject: Re: Global English School, Matsusaka, Japan Warning:WATCH OU |
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| Keith_Alan_W wrote: |
| I I want to sue her for 1 years wages, does anyone know if this is possible, and how I might go about doing it? Does anyone know of any jobs that are available in the Mie area? I wish I'd stayed in Germany! ??. |
Impossible. You could file a claim for 30 days severance pay and thats it. This is not the US where people can sue for compensatory damages.
Good luck doing it on a tourist visa though.
PS the visa wont be waiting for you, you are sent a certificate of eligibility by the embassy which you then exchange for a working visa at any embassy, consulate or immigration office. You cant get a work visa without aCOE being issued first. No COE, no right to work in Japan.
She led you up the garden path here mate. |
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Keith_Alan_W
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 121
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:52 am Post subject: |
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deleted by me
Last edited by Keith_Alan_W on Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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alexrocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Kyoto, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:01 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe one of the students told the mistaken identity story to Kojima-san, who then overreacted and freaked out. Then, rather than directly fire you, perhaps she wanted to frustrate you so much that you would quit on your own. That's my guess, but who knows? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Keith_Alan_W wrote: |
1) Upon our first meeting I wasn't interested in seeing the school only in finding a place to sleep as I just got off the plane from Germany and was extremely jet lagged. |
Its too be expected that after a 12 hour flight you will be tired and jetlagged.. No one works the day after a long flight like that.
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| 2) GES is run by one person and there is no chain of command act as a check and balance to the whims of the owner (i.e. an un-Japanese structure). |
Many small companies have one owner operator. Its not a democracy. She is paying your wages and has say over whether you stay there or not. You are in no position to pick and choose your boss(es). Theres nothing un-Japanese about being an owner operator, I have worked for several.
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| 3) Durring my observations I learned absolutely nothing and left the "What did you learn from this lesson?" section blank on the forms I filled out. (I actually did learn that the school has very little idea about what a "teaching method" is, but I didn't write that down). |
If all else fails, LIE. welcome to honne and tatemae. Maybe you shouldnt have been so blunt, you were the one looking for a paycheck and you were rubbing their nose in it on the first day. Just smile sweetly and sound enthusiastic. Dont look a gift horse in the mouth.
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| 4) The school seemed to have a preference for inexperienced teachers that needed to be taken care of and I am very experienced and independent. |
That goes for about 90% of language schools in Japan. they are businesses, not bastions of education and learning. perhaps you were expecting too much. The same inexperiences teachers who seemed so happy and had no complaints, right? Most schools want people who are easy to manage and won't rock the boat.
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| 5) The person who hired me said it was ok for me to work outside of the school, so long as I didn't take customers away from GES. Knowing this, I told Kojima-san I hoped to do some freelance work for the American Management Association in Tokyo on my days off. |
Never EVER tell employers what you will do in your days off. Dont tell them more than they need to know, and even more dont rub their nose in it that you will work other jobs, as it implies they are not paying you enough. Sounds like you tried to one-up her as well.
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| 6) Durring one of my observation lessons I was required to play a game where I told 2 truths and a lie. The students had to vote on which story they thought was lie. To make things interesting, I told them of my experience of spending three days in jail in Northern Ontario because I was suspected of being an American bank robber. (It was a case of mistaken identity if your wondering.) |
This, my friend, is SUICIDE. Do not even mention or breathe involvement in criminal activity or being arrested. Students are naive and will think they are in class with a convicted felon. Dont underestimate students propensity for gullibility and naivete.
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| What do you guys think. Is this enough to be fired? |
No I think you simply hung yourself with your own rope. No need to fire you when you self-destructed all by yourself.
Last edited by PAULH on Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:46 am; edited 2 times in total |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Keith_Alan_W wrote: |
1) Upon our first meeting I wasn't interested in seeing the school only in finding a place to sleep as I just got off the plane from Germany and was extremely jet lagged. |
Its too be expected that after a 12 hour flight you will be tired and jetlagged.. No one works the day after a long flight like that.
| Quote: |
| 2) GES is run by one person and there is no chain of command act as a check and balance to the whims of the owner (i.e. an un-Japanese structure). |
Many small companies have one owner operator. Its not a democarcy. She is paying your wages and has say over whether you stay there or not. You are in no position to choose your bosses. Theres nothing un-japanese about being an owner operator, I have worked for several.
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| 3) Durring my observations I learned absolutely nothing and left the "What did you learn from this lesson?" section blank on the forms I filled out. (I actually did learn that the school has very little idea about what a "teaching method" is, but I didn't write that down). |
If all else fails, LIE. welcome to honne and tatemae.
| Quote: |
| 4) The school seemed to have a preference for inexperienced teachers that needed to be taken care of and I am very experienced and independent. |
That goes for about 90% of language schools in Japan. they are businesses, not bastions of education and learning. perhaps you were expecting too much.
| Quote: |
| 5) The person who hired me said it was ok for me to work outside of the school, so long as I didn't take customers away from GES. Knowing this, I told Kojima-san I hoped to do some freelance work for the American Management Association in Tokyo on my days off. |
Never EVER tell employers what you will do in your days off. Dont tell them more than they need to know, and even more dont rub their nose in it, as it implies they are not paying you enough. Sounds like you tried to one-up her as well.
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| 6) Durring one of my observation lessons I was required to play a game where I told 2 truths and a lie. The students had to vote on which story they thought was lie. To make things interesting, I told them of my experience of spending three days in jail in Northern Ontario because I was suspected of being an American bank robber. (It was a case of mistaken identity if your wondering.) |
This, my friend, is SUICIDE. Do not even mention or breathe involvement in criminal activity or being arrested. Students are naive and will think they are in class with a convicted felon. Dont underestimate students gullibility and naivete.
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| What do you guys think. Is this enough to be fired? |
No I think you simply hung yourself with your own rope. No need to fire you when you self-destructed all by yourself.
P.S.
Last edited by PAULH on Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:41 am Post subject: |
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Maybe nothing you've listed is too heinous by itself (given a fair bit of explaining), but combined and over just a couple of days they surely added up to a red light in the employer's eyes. My guess is that the school was short of applicants already with a visa/sponsorship and/or liked the look of your application, but they decided (for whatever reason) that it would be easier, perhaps safer etc to let you go and go with someone else rather than sponsor you.
The moral of the story for people considering coming to Japan is, get the COE in the bag before flying out, that way you won't have to worry about bending over backwards perhaps too much and can just get on with the job of teaching, and can yourself walk away if you don't like what you see (it helps though to part on good terms with an employer, to get the letter of release...when legally employed, that is LOL). |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Keith_Alan_W wrote: |
I'6) Durring one of my observation lessons I was required to play a game where I told 2 truths and a lie. The students had to vote on which story they thought was lie. To make things interesting, I told them of my experience of spending three days in jail in Northern Ontario because I was suspected of being an American bank robber. (It was a case of mistaken identity if your wondering.)
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| When I asked why she said that I was unprofessional because I wore cords on day 2 (which was her fault, she only informed me that jeans were unacceptable) and that their was "a possibility that I might commit a crime", whatever that's supposed to mean???? I became quite distraught, and pressured her for specific details, which she could not provide. I also asked her why she had me "meeting my new students" and training all day. |
anybody think the two might be connected? |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I started looking for jobs in the countryside of Japan in January of 2006 and got lots of offers. My mistake was that I turned down 7 positions to work for Kojima-san at GES.... |
No. Your mistake was letting anyone know that you spent time in jail. That's it in a nutshell. Everything else is minor. (I suppose you might get fired for disclosing plans to moonlight, but I doubt it. More likely they would just ask you not to or point out where you contract prohibits it.)
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| I asked why she said that I was unprofessional because I wore cords on day 2 (which was her fault, she only informed me that jeans were unacceptable) and that their was "a possibility that I might commit a crime", whatever that's supposed to mean???? |
Now I understand. Before, this didn't make any sense. Now it does.
You asked whether you should disclose your experience with GES with other potential employers. If I were you, I would not. If the new employer decideds to follow up and call, all they will remember from the conversation is that you spent time in jail.
Seriously, though, you've worked overseas. Is this all news to you? How can you be surprised that employers are going to get nervous when a new teacher shows up and straight away starts talking about time in jail. "Oh, but don't worry, I didn't really do it."
* edited to add: I see I cross-posted with Paulh who picked up on this as well. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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In case you havent noticed, employers are extremely skittish about ANYTHING to do with the police or trouble with the law. You can lose your job for being DUI in this country or found drunk on a park bench.
Anything that involves breaking the law, being arrested, spending time in jail, smokeing dope and you will be out the door faster than you can say "in the joint".
I know of one teacher at NOVA fired for turning up with alcohol on his breath and drinking chu-hais (a type of alcoholic soda) during class.
Saying you have been inside is PLAIN STUPIDITY even if you do have 6 years experience. that is all people will remember of you. |
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Keith_Alan_W
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 121
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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deleted by me
Last edited by Keith_Alan_W on Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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Following up on this theme.
My very first teaching job just out of college was as an ALT in rural Japan. The first day on the job my ass of a boss thought it important to walk me over to the local police station. "So they recognize your face," he said. Being young and naive I went along with it thinking it might help to avoid any misunderstandings later.
Guess the first things the police officer wanted to know about me. (Here's a hint: It wasn't "Can you use chopsticks?")
No. After learning my name, the first two things the nice policeman asked me were: "Do you do drugs?" and "Have you ever been arrested?"
Now being young and naive ... but not that naive ... what do you think I told him?
Keith? Care to take a guess?
Last edited by shuize on Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:25 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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Keith, with all due respect, you have been here 10 days, what I assume is your first gig in Japan and fired from your job after two days of working.
After reading all this I have to think there is a hell of a lot you have to learn about cultural sensitivity, knowing what and how to behave here, rather than runnining round like a bull in a china shop, thinking employers should bow down before you.
Most of this you have brought on yourself, and you compounded it by telling jokes in class about landing in jail. Not a really tactful thing to do in a new country, where you don't speak the language.
Foreign employers are not Japanese and you are not in Canada anymore.
You still have a lot to learn about getting jobs here and not being in the "too difficult' category. |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Keith,
The point is, it does not matter if you were picked up by some hick Canadian cops by mistake. You were in jail. That's all the employer needs to hear. You know how many "innocent" people go to jail in Japan? Zero. At least that's the perception.
You were apparently never charged. Great. So why mention it? What good could possibly come of it?
Smart:
Q: "Do you have a criminal record?"
A: "No."
Not Smart:
Q: "Do you have a criminal record?"
A: "Yeah, (sniff) I was in jail. They thought I was an armed robber. Ha-ha. But don't worry, I didn't really do it."
Really Dumb:
Q: "OK, teacher, now it's your turn."
A: "Hey, I know this is sort of out of the blue, but since I just got here, let me tell you about my time in jail ... They thought I was an armed robber. Ha-ha. But don't worry, I didn't really do it."
And I disagree about this being unique to Japan. Maybe you haven't had any problems elsewhere, but I'm a little surprised by that. While I recognize innocent people can get arrested by mistake, if I were an employer it would still give me pause if an employee started discussing his time in jail during his first week on the job. |
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