Job Discussion Forums

[angrysoba]

[madeira]

Waiting on real/new information...

Why would GEOS change anything when they always have provided Shakai hoken? I checked my records recently, and everything was paid up. GEOS paid everything, no shared deal.

I don't have a link to the tax dodge, but I read about it at the time (5 years ago, I think). The owner declared himself a non-resident for tax purposes, and it was disallowed. He has properties everywhere... I guess he wasn't visiting them enough.

No idea why the accountants thought that was a good idea. Taxes in Japan are really low... or at least they are for us peons.

[Jazz1975]

Madeira, I'll be getting the GEOS handbook tomorrow. I will be able to answer some of your questions by Sunday if not tomorrow.

[PAULH]

[harlemknight]

[harlemknight]

[madeira]

I doubt if anything was erased from Google. It just wasn't interesting enough. It wasn't front page news even at the time. One article in the Japan Times and that was it.

[madeira]

Obviously I don't know much about health insurance, but my Shakai hoken was registered/paid by GEOS. It's all fine. We had to check into it recently.

Now I'm on Toshiba's insurance plan, and it's similar. Private, paid by the company, and dandy with the government.

No need for me to join the National Health plan. The National Health folks confirmed this.

[guitarcries]

GEOS provides "Overseas Travelers' Insurance," which is entirely paid for by them. I haven't actually had to use it yet, so I can't tell you much... but, as far as I can tell it basically covers everything other than pre-existing conditions, dental, and vision. They tell you that in the interview, though, if I remember correctly.

As for overtime... I wasn't even aware we got it. Of course it depends on the school, but as for me, my schedule is extremely easy. I very rarely have seven classes in one day; most days it's 5 classes on average. I spend some additional time planning lessons and filling out paperwork (the paperwork is a lot less than many internet posters may have led you to believe). Today, Saturday, was my last work day of the week and I arrived at work at noon, taught for 40 minutes, had about an hour and a half break, taught four more 50 minute classes, and then left for the day at 6 p.m. This is my usual Saturday schedule. During the week it varies... Thursdays are my best day: no class until 4 p.m., and only three classes total. The only annoying thing is that even if I don't need to be in class until 4, I still have to come to work at noon to clock in and check in with my manager for a few minutes; I can leave after that and not return until 4, though. But considering that we get paid the same salary as we would've had we been working 40 hour weeks, I guess I really can't complain.

Anyway.. yeah, GEOS is a business. But, it really is a good job. I have few complaints. It's a good company to work for, as long as you aren't a Japanese employee (I'll go more into that if you're interested...).

[mrjohndub]

[Jazz1975]

Hi Everyone!

Just checkin' in...thought I'd let all of you know that I have my demo tomorrow. Still need to work on it so I'll be lucky if I get a few hours of sleep. Wish me luck!

[Willy_In_Japan]

Geos never paid Shakai hoken when I worked there 2.5 years ago. They had private health insurance.

And, whoever said they don't have to be in the school if they dontt have classes has it extremely lucky. I had to be in the school from 20 mins before my 'start' and the only time I got to leave was on my lunch which was 'my time' and then I had to be back 10 mins before the class started........paper work wasnt as bad as it used to be in the bad days, but still was whacked out stupid...it would always take me 20 mins off the clock to complete as my classes finished at 10 pm on the button and I would still have the paperwork to do.........my schedule had approximately 33 classes a week, but with their 45 min classes, it always equalled less than OT levels. I was always scrambling to have prep time, considering that of the 7 periods i wasnt teaching, they were usually filled with telephone meetings, teachers meetings....manager lessons,....poster making, or other myriad number of things like 'paperwork assignments'. I had 8 classes on saturdays.....7 on thursdays.....and the day i left GEOS they filled the thursday open period up.

If i had it like the poster who gets to leave and not be back until 4 I might not loathe the place as much as I do today.

[guitarcries]

Yeah, GEOS has changed a lot in the last six months. Sounds like it's an entirely different job.

[Jazz1975]

Wow...where can I start? Three days of GEOS indoctrination. Demo was today and while I did some parts well, I think it flopped on the whole. With regard to their teaching method, I totally screwed up the role play portion of it. I was so nervous I was screwing up on other things I otherwise wouldn't have. I was asked in the final interview why I should be hired AND if I wasn't hired, why that would've been the case. Basically I did really well in everything else except the demo so I hope it didn't offset the good stuff . And while I was "genki" all the way through, it just went down the drain today. I'm exhausted after four FULL days of interviews (dealt with ECC last Thursday) and not feeling good about the demo. Still, when all is said and done, I am glad that I was at least given the chance to try.

[Jazz1975]

Came to a decision. If I'm lucky and both ECC and GEOS takes me, I'm gonna go with ECC. Seems to be a lot more laidback imo. That, and they seem to be a lot more willing to work with me in terms of preferences even though I totally understand that they cannot guarantee anything in terms of location (all comes down to business needs, I know). However, it was made quite clear that for people who go in either June or July (I'm in this group), our chances of being located where we want to be is much higher than for those who go in late-August till November.