Job Discussion Forums

nickelgoat · Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:21 am Post subject: .....

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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

I haven't personally, but one of the co-workers from the eikaiwa at which I used to teach did. He just up and left one day. He literally packed up the contents of his apartment in the middle of the night and was gone. He went back home and it wasn't until at least a week later that the eikaiwa managed to get into his apartment and discovered he was indeed gone. Until then they just figured he was AWOL.

Cshannon · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114

I think it's a bad thing to do. In most cases it really screws over the school and is inconsiderate to the students as well - especially in a smaller school. If you hate your job, it's pretty easy to give your notice and quit (unless you're too much of a chicken to approach your boss or something Confused

). Unless there's some kind of emergency and you've really gotta take off without any notice (which is hard to imagine and even then you could at least make a simple phone call), giving your boss standard notice is just common courtesy IMO. I'm trying to think of any obvious reasons why this would ever be a good thing to do (except being a pretty sad way to get 'revenge' against your boss), but none come to mind.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

In my old eikaiwa the previous teacher was only there a couple of months, and he was temporary cover for a guy who did a runner. Apparently he went out for a cig break and never came back. My boss used his spare key to get into the appartment and read the guy's diary before realising he'd gone. He sounded like a nutter, hated people looking at him so much he drew an eye on the palm of his hand and flashed it at anyone he caught looking. Kind of creepy. On the otherhand, my previous boss was a class A a$$hole who was incredibly unsupportive and having worked for him I can only say it probably served him right. Saying that, doing a runner is a bit much, the other nine teachers that quit during the nine months I worked there at least gave notice or told him where to shove his job first.

And on the same note, had I known the guy that bought the school from him would soon accuse me of stealing and try to screw me financially, I would have never returned after the Xmas break. Not really in my nature though, but thought about it.

movinaround · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 202

For Japan, I just don't see the need to do a runner. If you have to go back for an emergency, that isn't a runner, so I am not counting that. Give whatever notice you have to legally, and if you get screwed, find another job (not too hard really) and sue the jerk. Your visa is yours. Unlike Korea, where I have a bit more leniency for runners (also, the ESL field here is much more dirty and corrupt) due to immigration laws here.

poof · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 161

In Korea, you can only stay in the country for as long as you work for the employer who sponsored your visa. Japan's work visa is more flexible. I know people who did runners from their job and stayed in Japan. They just switched cities. Still, I'd always be scared that I'd be spotted in the street by someone from my old company - I guess you'd better watch for foreigners wearing big dark glasses!!

I would also agree that it's never (usually) worth doing a runner. You should always try to use the option of giving notice before you try a runner.

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

Cshannon · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114

Big John Stud · Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 513

womblingfree wrote:

when the company will not be able to attempt to dock your wages

How about not getting paid at all?[/quote]

In Japan a company does not have to pay you at all. Yesterday after a meeting a bunch of us English teachers went out for coffee. Two of the English teachers were surprised to find out they had worked for the same company at different times. Both were not paid their final salary. Both said they had gone to the Labor Board. The Labor Board did nothing. They said, the company never pays the final salary to an employee leaving.

ALTRIA Central in Nagoya tries to get their employees to sign a form so they can keep 50,000 yen of the final pay. If the employee doesn't sign it, they keep the money anyway. I went to the labor board, but ALTRIA finally paid me the rest. I am not sure if the labor board did anything.

Bottom line is that in Japan, the labor board has no power. Companies don't have to pay you the final salary.

Cshannon · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 114

luckbox · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 180

Big John Stud · Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 513

[quote="luckbox"]Curious about this claim. I'm assuming you meant ALTIA Central (not ALTRIA?).

Is the 50,000 figure meant to serve as a security/cleaning deposit for ALTIA employee's apartment? If ALTIA acts as apartment guarantor, would they not therefore have the right to hold this cash, pending an apartment inspection at the end?

One reason I ask is that ALTIA - from what I've read and heard - is one of the better ALT dispatch firms out there, and this sort of alleged thievery seems out of character for them.

I'm wondering if the Labour Board threw the case out because of what I mention above. I've heard quite a few horror stories on both sides, of companies ripping off employees, but also of employees leaving their apartments as though a typhoon just swept through it.[/quote]

Yes you are right, please excuse my typo!

ALTRIA was not the guarantor! The BOE provided the apartment. The Labour Board did not throw the case out. ALTRIA had paid me the 50,000 and so ended up paying me in full. However, Japanese labour law states that a company must pay an ex-employee in full one week after the final working day. ALTRIA didn't pay me in full until a month after my last day working for them and yet there was no penalty.

I love Japan and I love working as an ALT because of the positive impact I have on so many students. My last day at the school I was teaching at for ALTRIA many of the students cried, and many of the teachers gave me gifts. I would like to work as an ALT for many more years, but if Japan doesn't start enforcing the labour laws, I am afraid it will be soon time to leave. It is so frustrating what these dispatch companies get away with!

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

I was a JET in the second year of the program back in the day.

An American girl did a runner literally 6 hours after arriving. There were over 1000 Westerners gathered in the very-upscale Keio Plaza with every Western amenity and she still freaked. Took a taxi to the airport and was not heard from again. What did she imagine it would be like? Kansas?