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jamo22
Joined: 30 Apr 2007
Posts: 47
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 Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:59 am Post subject: Heart-English school recruiters |
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Has anyone signed with these recruiters before? Are they good to work for?
They place alt teachers in the Ibaraki region. http://www.heart-school.jp/en/index.html
Anyway, they seem pretty above board to me.
Another query, how is this region after the tsunami and Fukushima incident? Would you consider it relatively safe to live there keeping in mind it's proximity to Fukushima?
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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Heart has, and has always had, a rather sleazy reputation even when compared with other sleazy ALT dispatch companies.
I take it that you aren't in Japan and are thinking about applying. My advice is to learn your rights before you leave home. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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I was with them last year, and didn't have any problems with them at all. The only thing that bugged me was the pay, but that's my fault, and I knew that going in.
Yep, payrate is the only prob I had and even then, it wasn't until I was about to leave (after the earthquake/tsunami) because my savings wasn't meant for that. When I hurt myself last year, Heart helped me out considerably, like getting me to school on time and driving me around and taking me tot he doctor. |
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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| ssjup81 wrote: |
| When I hurt myself last year, Heart helped me out considerably, like getting me to school on time and driving me around and taking me tot he doctor. |
What kind of health insurance did the Heart enroll you in? Did you know that if you were really were so injured that you could not go to work, that the government would pay you 2/3 of your salary? |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
| ssjup81 wrote: |
| When I hurt myself last year, Heart helped me out considerably, like getting me to school on time and driving me around and taking me tot he doctor. |
What kind of health insurance did the Heart enroll you in? Did you know that if you were really were so injured that you could not go to work, that the government would pay you 2/3 of your salary? |
I forgot now, since I'm back over here, but I know it when I see it. As for what I did, I was wading in the river and cut my foot, which is why they drove me to school and accompanied me to the doctor. I could walk fine, actually, but they insisted. The worst of it was on days I already had off anyway.
Last edited by ssjup81 on Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Did the injury happen during work hours, or on the way to or from work? |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
| Did the injury happen during work hours, or on the way to or from work? |
Away from work as it was a normal day off (Sunday). I joined the Art Club for a trip to the mountains, and the students urged me to wade with them in the river. It was fun.
I wasn't scheduled to go back to work until Wednesday, so that's why I was saying that the worst of it, I was already off anyway.
Edit: Oh yeah, just thought I'd add on that seems that whenever I do get sick enough where I should be at home, it's usually always during a time where I'm already off. Even as a kid, I was cursed with that, hence my perfect attendance on most occasions, unless I played hooky and was one of those rare times where I actually got away with it.  |
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| About your health insurance, did Heart automatically take the premiums out of your salary or did you pay them yourself to the city office? |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
| About your health insurance, did Heart automatically take the premiums out of your salary or did you pay them yourself to the city office? |
I'm trying to remember. You pay that monthly, right, if you do so through City Hall? |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
| About your health insurance, did Heart automatically take the premiums out of your salary or did you pay them yourself to the city office? |
What exactly are you trying to prove?
He didn't have a bad time with them and nothing you say or claim now is going to change that. |
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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If you are an an employee, your employer should automatically take health insurance premiums out of your salary. They're also legally obliged to pay at least half the premiums.
If you were paying monthly at your city office, Heart took you for a ride and I'm not just talking about them driving you to work when you were injured.
If you were paying for private insurance, which is only okay to top up the insurance your employer has enrolled you in, Heart was taking you for ride.
It's extremely common for ALT dispatch companies to run this particular scam. They know your rights but are counting that you don't know their rights. What that means is the Mr. Wakabayashi has a lot more in his wallet every month than if his company followed the law. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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Personally, even with the health insurance stuff, I didn't have a prob with the set up. I'd rather have some insurance, than no insurance like here at home. I mean, I had to file bankruptcy for medical bills here before I left for Japan last year since I couldn't afford private insurance and because all of my previous employers never offered it, even the teaching assistant job I had. They found a "loophole" to get out of even offering it. Pretty cruddy, and what they were doing was more shady than the school I worked for in Yamagata.
They had me sit with an autistic child, even though I wasn't licensed to, they had me work extra hours, without pay, and got out of paying me OT and, of course, benefits. But at least in Japan, I had affordable access to some kind of care. Didn't bother me at all. Now I'm back home, no insurance, and paying out of pocket for doctor's visits. People usually ask, "Wendy, do you miss Japan?" Of course I say, "Yep, sure do. I could afford to see a doctor whenever I get sick."
Off-topic, just felt like sharing that. ^^ |
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yamanote senbei
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 435
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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The loopholes only count if you don't check to see if they really exist.
What most people don't know is that if their employer enrolled them in the correct insurance, they'd also receive coverage for some of their missing salary if they were so sick or injured that they couldn't go to work.
I'm sorry to hear that you aren't insured back at home. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
If you are an an employee, your employer should automatically take health insurance premiums out of your salary. They're also legally obliged to pay at least half the premiums.
If you were paying monthly at your city office, Heart took you for a ride and I'm not just talking about them driving you to work when you were injured.
If you were paying for private insurance, which is only okay to top up the insurance your employer has enrolled you in, Heart was taking you for ride.
It's extremely common for ALT dispatch companies to run this particular scam. They know your rights but are counting that you don't know their rights. What that means is the Mr. Wakabayashi has a lot more in his wallet every month than if his company followed the law. |
I paid something, but I think it was for the public insurance. I just paid up the entire thing for the year in one setting since I'd had the money saved up.
Like I said, saving was easy over there....until the earthquake/tsunami thing where I ended up spending more money than usual, like for traveling and such since the trains weren't running. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| yamanote senbei wrote: |
| The loopholes only count if you don't check to see if they really exist. |
The loophole was that I was only allowed to work 30 hours a week, no excuse, but they would always randomly ask me to help out with stuff or do other work, but since I cared about the actual kids, I let it go and just did it. I didn't speak up because I needed the work.
| Quote: |
| What most people don't know is that if their employer enrolled them in the correct insurance, they'd also receive coverage for some of their missing salary if they were so sick or injured that they couldn't go to work. |
Well, with the exception of my first month there (caught a cold; something I hadn't had in years) and December (laryngitis), I rarely ever got sick. I was paid for the days I missed too. So, not sure how that works. I also got OT hours while with Heart and they were complaining to me for not having more of them. During the Speech Contest, since I didn't write down my extra hours if they didn't seem like extra hours, Heart complained that I should've put down the hours, and even reimbursed me that time after it was brought to my attention months later. It was added to my final paycheck.
| Quote: |
| I'm sorry to hear that you aren't insured back at home. |
I'm used to it by now. I just pray I don't get injured and need to go back to the hospital or something, where I will have no choice but to file bankruptcy again.
As for reg doctor's visits, I just pay out of pocket. Just went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago for a check up. Cost me over $1100 for the visit. This is why I'm not too picky with the insurance stuff Japan offers, but I do know that private probably would've been nicer to have had, though. |
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