Job Discussion Forums

[sidjameson]

I've worked at eikaiwa, big and small, part time at uni and junior high and I have never been paid for a sick day. Is it illegal? I thought it was just the way it was. Haven't been sick from the uni though.

[PAULH]

From http://www.generalunion.org

What are the laws about sick days, days off, and national holidays in Japan?


Regarding sick days and national holidays there is no law (though having national holidays off is the norm), and you must have at least one day off per week (Article 35).
Your company is required by law to offer you a set number of flexible holidays based on the number of years service (days to be used at your discretion). Part timers are also covered by this law and their paid holidays are based on the number of days worked per week and the length of service (Article 39). See the Paid Holidays Chart for further information.
The paid holidays owed to you by your company are separate from the set holidays offered by the company (Obon, New Years). In most cases, days set by the company cannot be subtracted from your own personal holidays but there are exceptions (look at the section on workers' representative).