Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

If I understand it correctly, Shane has paid the key money on an apartment, and it decides to bill the teacher 20,000 yen more per month than other people have to pay, just to make up for this key money???? Excuse me, but that is outright bogus business practice.

Please tell me this is what you are saying.

If so, I will come back with what I said before (reworded). Employers who recycle their apartments have no right to charge teachers in any fashion for key money that has long since been paid. That includes charging a higher rent.

[Khyron]

[Glenski]

Thanks for the info, Khyron. Very enlightening.

[Khyron]

[azarashi sushi]

I have never worked for Shane or NOVA and don't plan on doing so, nor would I want to live in one of their apartments, so I have no reason to defend them.

Provided it's not illegal to sublet apartments and everyone goes into it with their eyes open, they are providing a useful service. You don't have to worry about going around to real estates, getting guarrantors and coughing up key money, deposits and renewal fees. And, as with any service, you have to pay for it.

I don't know about Shane... When I first came to Japan I lived near some Nova teachers and saw the company apartment they were living in. It was a huge three bedroom apartment with a large lounge, kitchen and dining area. I don't know what the market price was, but anyway, in the time I was there, there were only three people in it for a very brief time. Sure, when there were three people in it, the company would have probably been making money on it, but when there were only two or just one, I'm sure they would have been losing out. Also, teachers were under no obligation to stay in the apartment. With one month's notice, they could basically come and go as they pleased. Again, this is another service which you pay for. With AEON, although they subsidize the rent, you have no choice but to live in their apartments.

Not wanting to sound like some hardcore capitalist, but put yourself in their shoes: If you were running a business and/or providing a service, you'd want to be making money (or at least breaking even) rather than losing money, wouldn't you?

Sorry if this was a bit off the topic of Westgate and Shane.

[Glenski]

azarashi,
I agree with you and that viewpoint. However, if a company like NOVA can't find places that offer individual rooms to its teachers, then it has to learn to bite the bullet on the rent it asks for the shared apartments. Capitalism aside, there has to be an element of common sense here, too.

[alexcase]

My theory with Shane is that there is a hidden business philosophy that each and every part of the company must pay for itself. That means that the money they get from accommodation must not only pay for the occasional purchase of fans and toasters, but must also (I reckon) pay for the staff in the office who deal with that kind of stuff. In the same way, is it any coincidence that they get you working extra morning classes just before you go away on the (reasonably generous) holidays, or is that supposed to pay the company for the time you aren't there? If it is so (and it's just my theory, I haven't even heard trickle down management gossip that it is true), it isn't the most inspired of business philosophies but that and only taking payment one month at a time from the students has stopped them going under while some other schools have disappeared. Survival is something I suppose, not sure I could run a business any better in the present Japanese eikaiwa market.

Anyway, totally agree with the corrections of Liz's friend above, but totally forgive her for getting a bit dramatic when she had had too many oolonghais and a friendly face from outside the company to talk to her.

Back to the original question, I know one person who worked for both and he said there wasn't much to choose between them but if you want to stay long term I guess Westgate is not an option anyway.

TEFLtastic blog- www.tefl.net/alexcase

[originaloli]

I'll be starting with Shane next year, so some thoughts.

The working conditions are pretty shoddy as laid out in the official documents. However, this is true from what I can see of all the bigger schools. I'm not going to defend them outright but the problem is Japanese working culture and practice, not Shane. I wouldn't take a job like Shane's back in Europe but I'm not in Europe. A pity really. It's similiar to the visa system which is BS too. I've no axe to grind against Japan as such, i think all countries should have open borders. Unfortunately for most of us, they don't and barely-fettered capitalism rules worldwide. Hence, most places you will get ripped off and treated badly. In the grand scheme of things this job offer isn't so bad. The established system for Japan seems to be: come to a bad school who give you sponsorship (the holy grail) then switch to a better job down the line when you want something better.

Bear in mind the pay raise created by the strength of the Yen too.

[TokyoLiz]

Update - my friend decided to return to her home country. She was surprised when I mentioned that she was not required to be on site between lessons, confronted her supervisor who had told her that she was.

What a disappointing experience for a hard-working, earnest teacher in Japan.

I used to wonder why people would take jobs with such crappy conditions. And then I started to meet people who compromised in order to be here in Japan. Family connections, partners, cultural study and other connections bring people here. People figure they can tough it out, or bootstrap. Without the language and contacts, that doesn't happen.

The woman working for the paltry Y230,000/ mo job is working hard to get out. I wish her luck.

[Geetus]

I worked for SHANE English School in Chiba, then Tokyo in 2004/05. Fresh from doing a Cert Trinity TESOL it was my first (real) teaching job. I had been on the JET programme in Fukuoka for one year in 99/00.

I found SHANE good in that it was able to be fully-arranged outside Japan, in fact, by the English language school that hosted the Trinity course. Also, they sent some of their Japanese office-slaves to meet new teachers at the airport. However, finding your way from A to B on the subway is virtually impossible for the fresh teacher arriving at Narita Airport, and taxis impossibly expensive.

I soon came to see SHANE as a post-cert training organisation, rather than a serious education provider. Scheduling was rather higgledy-piggledy, sometimes up to 10 different classes in the 6-hour teaching period. Chiba is traditionally a district hard to recruit to, meaning many days like this - rushed.

I will briefly speak about the three different DOS's I had, before briefing you on the financial shenanigans.

The first DOS was great, professional to a fault, empathetic despite the sometimes impossible task of assigning staff to back-breaking contact hours, and a good sense of humour. However, she up and left suddenly when her district was merged for cost cutting reasons, delivering two districts into the hands of a merciless SHANE warrior.

This fellow was well suited to wielding a stick, and had no real social skills to persuade teachers to work the endless standby and cover days required for a short-staffed district. One teacher who had only been in the country not two weeks was dismissed for not being able to teach to the required standard, then allocated four weeks of continuous cover while he completed the final month's employment! Eyesbrows were raised amongst many of us teachers at the logic of this, as well as the lack of interest shown by this DOS to coaching the teacher concerned to the relative standard, whatever that felt to be.

Finally, at the end of 12 months in Chiba, I managed a transfer to the West Tokyo district. This district had a much better DOS and even scheduling. You will see some postings on this site on how the quality of Shane DOS can affect your stay, bear it in mind.

This is not meant to be a diatribe against Chiba district. It is just that I had such different experiences in the three districts I worked in. After merging, a few problems popped up with the salary payments. Outlines as follows:

1. Sometimes the extra 'standby' hours I worked were not included in the monthly salary calculations.

2. Three times the 5,000 yen 'cover' day bonus was not included at the end of the three month calculation period. Today, I am told teachers on new contracts don't even get this. Be prepared to work on your day off for free, with the real chance of not receiving one pence for your effort.

3. When I moved out of the SHANE apartment, the staff took out double the amount for final power and gas bills. I ended up having to catch a train to collect the refund (not reimbursed via payroll despite requests) as the two district admin offices' payroll systems couldn't, or wouldn't talk to each other...

So yes, you should be careful to check salary payments and keep utility receipts. When mistakes occur at Shane, it generally seem to be at the teacher's disadvantage.

SHANE was a punch-drunk, cash rooting, commercially-charging bull. The horns are down and yes, charging at you. Be aware that the fat little man has a truly gasp-worthy array of tactics to get teachers into working like little trojans for low pay.