Job Discussion Forums

dove · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 271 Location: USA/Japan

Time off can be a difficult matter with Japanese companies, even when it's due to you. I remember getting a couple days off and being told to tell the students I was attending a training seminar. You know, lie to them. The manager thought it would look bad if I admitted to taking time off to go sightseeing in Hida Takayama. In this country, there is so much fear of what people MIGHT think. The truth of the matter is that probably nobody cares.

In your case, the powers that be are probably thinking that a typical Japanese worker would NEVER request time off to help a pregnant sister. Therefore, your request is viewed as unreasonable. I hope you can get your time off and keep your job. Keep us posted.

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

You do realize that 'pregnancy leave for sis' means your sister asked for pregnancy leave and was denied, right?

I realize you want to call it some sort of pregnancy leave because it makes it seem all the more egregious. But it's not pregnancy leave. It's regular vacation. The fact that you want to use it to see your sister when she has a baby, is nice, but really has nothing to do with the company. They're being dicks, but they are entitled to do that (perhaps they don't like you?). The company is not denying you any form of pregnancy leave.

Maybe you could call the thread- 'Vacation time to see an important family event denied' or something.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

This is true, the title is misleading. It's not that common for family members to take time off to go see a relative after they give birth, unless you're the husband. And even in that case, in Japan they often give it grudgingly.

LITTLE PEACHES · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject:

just wanted to update...

i have FINALLY got approved to have the time off. I really didn't want to leave and start over again here. So I told them that I would be leaving when I go home for my sisters pregnancy, and after a few meetings of pushing it, they approved my leave! I think it sucks that I had to threaten them to leave and also bring up the standards of teachers in Japan, but I got my way, and it was very civil!!

Thanks everyone for your help, input and advice!