Job Discussion Forums

starteacher · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 237

This figure 29.5 hours has been floated everywhere, but what does it mean ?

How does insurance work with this and how can legal loopholes be skipped by employers not paying shakai hoken ?

Are the 29.5 hours only class lesson duration ? How about the 5-10 minute breaks in between classes ? And the 1 hour lunch (btw, is 1 hour lunch a mandatory setting for all employers for working conditions ?) is this included as part of the 29.5 hours (hence 5 hours a week lunchtime).

How about travel time from main office to other branches/schools outside of teaching at the main office ? Is this included in the 29.5 hour figure.

Can someone clarify this ? I think employers should wake up to the fact that they can be sued if they are breaking the 29.5 hour barrier, but first it needs to be clarified.

Thanks.

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

Your employer can count what he wants to say that those are your working hours. Anything less than 29.5 per week (3/4 of FT) technically qualifies you as a part-timer, so he does not have to offer you shakai hoken (and make copayments).

Travel time, prep time, interviewing students, between-class breaks, etc. are often NOT counted by the employers who want out of this obligation. They may only count the number of hours your butt is in a classroom, even if you are physically at the school and on its grounds from 8 to 5.

Sadly, it's legal.

When has lunch ever been counted as a work hour, BTW?

More here.
http://www.generalunion.org/law/healthandpension.htm

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:

Angelfish · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 131

Generally speaking, you should be doing a maximum of 25 hours teaching time (depending how long your classes are). If you teach a 45 min class, those extra 15 minutes out of the hour are not counted as working time, even if you are talking to students, checking homework, whatever in that time.

Non-teaching duties are normally supposed to take up the remaining 4.5 hours. This can include but is not restricted to:
Lesson prep
Lobby talk (depending on your students you could end up doing a little or a lot of this, if this takes you over your non-teaching hours, your head office staff will just tell you to cut it out, which we all know is nearly impossible to do)
Interviewing and model lessons for new and prospective students
Poster making
Cleaning
Paperwork
Online and telephone meetings
Daily school staff meetings
Handing out flyers

If you are not teaching 25 hours, you are expected to make up that time with extra non-teaching duties.
Basically, you'll be working a 40 hour week, paid for 29.5, but you will still be earning nearly twice as much as your manager, who works a 50+ hour week, often 6 days a week and gets constant grief from HO. If you try and hold to your 29.5 only, you're gonna look like a crapbag to said manager. If working 40 hours for a 29.5 hour contract is something that's gonna bug you and drive you up the wall on a daily basis, then don't work for an eikaiwa. You will not be able to change it.

It's not exactly "legal" legal, but it's legal in the sense that there's pretty much nothing you can do about it. It's not that they're trying to screw you out of money for hours work, it's purely to avoid paying the Shakai Hoken (which you would have to pay half of anyway). If they did decide to opt into SH, you can bet your hours would go up to 40 without any recompense in pay.

In a nutshell, it's good for people who want to stay short-term and not pay a pension. Bad for people who want to stay long-term, become a full member of society.
Come April 2010, it's gonna be bad for everyone who needs to renew their visa.

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

Angelfish · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 131

Cool Teacher · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:50 pm Post subject:

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

basilbrush · Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 61

F**king 29.5 hour nonsense upsets me so much! Also, it changes from company to company, some actually only have you working 29.5 hours.

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

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

GEOS said that it was "teaching hours", while the actual work hours were 12-9, 5 days a week (hint: 45 hours). Good stuff.

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

rhoadesd20 · Joined: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 8

Sorry, another question haha.

I know for Shakai Hoken, if you were not enrolled in it previously, but were in Japan, when you do enroll you have to pay back payments for the time you were in Japan but not enrolled, correct? (not sure how far back they make you pay).

If you are on the other plan (not the Shakai Hoken, but the the other government one, sorry the name escapes me), then you get a better job/position and enroll in Shakai Hoken, do you still have to pay back payments?

Cheers

starteacher · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 237

Thanks for the replies.