Job Discussion Forums

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

I was always told that private lessons are legal in Japan. But my employer recently told me that immigration law strictly forbids it. Is he just lying to me, or is that true?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

He/she is lying to you. There is nothing in Immigration law that forbids people teaching English in their spare time- it is not even a violation of the specifications of your visa, since teaching falls under your "designated activities"! The tax office might be vaguely interested if you are not paying tax on your private lesson earnings, but it's such a small amount of money that they don't tend to go after people.

I would be very wary of that employer- either they are seriously misinformed or they are trying to manipulate you.

cvmurrieta · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 209 Location: Sendai, Japan

I agree with Apsara. Many employers will try to take advantage of a teacher's supposed ignorance.

You probably don't need me to tell you this: be discreet about teaching privates, but do it anyway.

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

Employers tend to tell new arrivals a lot of things which aren't strictly true. It might say in your contract that you can't do privates but unless they find out about it there's nothing they can do. Even then all they can do at worst is sack you. Its nothing out of the ordinary; most full time job contracts anyway forbid other employment unless by express permission. Just do it anyway; everyone else does!

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

He just doesn't want you to steal away students for yourself that he would otherwise get money from.

Be careful, but it's not against immigration rules or laws.

Rhetorical question to all employers:
How do you justify telling employees what they can or cannot do in their free time?
Answer: You can't.

jerkytheturkey · Joined: 09 May 2009 Posts: 38

Gaba enforce a no fraternizing policy. When interviewing with them they asked loads of questions like "what would you do if a student wanted to meet up outside of work?" They didn't mention anything about it being against the law, just something they frown on.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

And, I heard that NOVA had branches with people who actually spied on its teachers outside of the classroom.

Enforcing a policy doesn't make it right.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I suppose if a Gaba staff member saw you with a student outside the school something would be said. Honestly though, there is so little contact with management that as long as you didn't hang out with the student in the station nearest the school I don't know how they would ever know. When I was there it was never mentioned other than at training.

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

Wasn't there a teacher not so long ago who won a lawsuit against NOVA over this? Strange that even when a policy comes up as illegal other companies continue to enforce it. Just shows how unregulated the industry is.

For me it comes down to two reasons -

1. They don't want you tiring yourself out in other work so that you can't efficiently do your contracted job
2. They don't want you do do something that will lose them money, i.e steal a student; bed a student then break up with them, causing them to quit; tell the student over a bunch of beers that you don't prep your lessons and they're paying for bum deal, causing them to quit; or even take a prospective student that would otherwise sign up.

Both are valid reasons, but that doesn't disguise the fact that no one has the right to tell you want to do outside your contracted hours, although many of them still try.