Job Discussion Forums

gallerygirl · Joined: 24 Feb 2010 Posts: 12

I did get an offer for an ALT position beginning in April, however...the company technically never interviewed me. I am not sure what criteria they chose me on, but I'm not naive enough to think it was my resume or experience alone that did it. I should be seeing red flags with this one, right?

There are other concerns I have - the pay is 240,000/month, which I assume is the normal wage for non JET beginner ALTS. Also, in the contract it says that in addition to teaching, I would be obligated to participate in numerous other activities, such as overseas language trips, club activities and oral language festivals. It didn't specify however if this would fall under the regular working day schedule, or if it would be outside of regular office hours and considered over time.

Sick days and vacation don't kick in until after 6 months of employment.

Also, there is a stipulation in there that I would have to have lunch at the school I'm working at, preferably with the students, and also subscribe to their lunch plan. Is that usual? Because in my mind, a lunch break isn't a lunch break unless I get to do what I want during that time period, and usually that means stepping away from the office and clearing my head.

Any feedback would be appreciated - thanks!

seklarwia · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:10 pm Post subject:

In many public school ALT positions the lunch time thing is quite common. Many ALTs, especially in elementary school are required to have lunch with the students. But then most of the Japanese staff have to eat with and supervise the students, too.

Under many BOEs students in ES and JHS are required to eat school provided meals which are supposed to be nutritionally balanced. All the teachers in these schools eat these meals in school since they have to lead by example and cannot bring their own lunches in.

So is that part sketchy? A: Not really. But if you don't think you can do this, don't take the job. But be aware that many ALT positions will require this kind of thing and even if you find a job that allows you to leave for lunch, often the lunch hour isn't long enough to go out and get anything decent to eat.

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

gallerygirl · Joined: 24 Feb 2010 Posts: 12

gallerygirl · Joined: 24 Feb 2010 Posts: 12

fluffyhamster · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:36 pm Post subject:

Can I ask, is this a private school that you'll be working at? I mean, the 'oral language festivals' and 'overseas language trips' sound quite gung-ho hardcore (and you should perhaps inquire as to how much those possible trips might set you individually - and/or as part of "the group booking"? - back, or are they paid-for/heavily subsidized as part of the work? etc etc). Me, I'd probably try to get out of the language trips certainly! Could crash-land on a desert island and end up the obvious odd-one-out in a Lord of the Flies-type scenario... Smile

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

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

I'm sure there are some employers out there who offer sick days. Not really standard though.

I'm interested to know if there are countries where employers will give you your paid holiday allocation right from day one, since gallerygirl seems surprised she has to wait 6 months. When I worked in NZ it was exactly the same as here, you didn't get to take any paid holidays until you'd worked for 6 months.

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

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

ssjup81 · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:44 pm Post subject:

In my case, once, I had to work a full year before I could get any paid vacation days. No sick days, though.

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

G Cthulhu · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:50 am Post subject: Re: Is this sketchy?

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

My ALT dispatch contract was almost 7 months and didn't have any vacation days, are they required by law to give me some number of them after 6 months? If I don't take them, are they required to give me the daily value of them on my last paycheck?

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

Bread,
From the labor laws:
(Annual Paid Leave)
Article 39. An employer shall grant annual paid leave
of 10 working days, either consecutive or divided into
portions, to workers who have been employed continuously
for 6 months calculated from the day of their being hired
and who have reported for work on at least 80 percent of the
total working days.
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/laborinfo/library/documents/llj_law1-rev.pdf
Read the whole Article, though, ok? Some situations may yield different results.

Don't expect to get paid for the days you don't take, though.