Job Discussion Forums

kana · Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 13

Sorry if someone has already asked questions about this before and if I am repeating the same question someone has already asked. I started working at a private juku recently and the boss told me not to sign up for the pension. It is a small school, but the person I replaced recieved a letter in the mail saying that he owes the government of Japan 330,000yen for two years of unpaid pension. I don`t want the same thing to happen to me. What should I do?

Ryu Hayabusa · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 182

How long have you been in Japan for?

If you've been here for only a few months, go down to your ward office and sign up for Kokumin Hoken. It's government health insurance. In most places, a person doesn't have to sign up for pension (Kokumin Nenkin) when the sign up for Kokumin Hoken. I'm paying only 1000 yen per month for my government health insurance. I'm not paying into the Kokumin Nenkin.

Next year, when my premiums go up, I'm going to sign up for Shakai Hoken. It's the corporate health insurance and pension plan.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:52 pm Post subject:

Ryu Hayabusa · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 182

I hope I haven't been mistaken all this time, but from what I've read and gleaned from conversations with others, is that a person can opt out of Kokumin Hoken (and Nenkin) and switch over to Shakai Hoken at any time provided that they show the ward office proof that they've switched over.

This is what I was told by countless trainers at ECC when I first arrived. I think I read similar things here in this forum, too.

Anyone have any experiences otherwise?

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

kana,
You have a habit of starting threads and then not sticking around to answer follow-up questions. I hesitate to answer this post of yours for that reason.

If this is your first job in Japan, then you have to understand that your employer may only count your classroom hours in order to determine whether he should enroll you in shakai hoken (insurance plus pension) or let you sign up on your own for the kokumin kenko hoken (citizens' health insurance) and nenkin (pension).

I suspect he is doing the latter. Legitimate but sleazy.

If this your first year here, there are no backpayments you would have to make, so don't compare yourself to any former teachers there. Tell us -- is this your first job in Japan?

If it is not, have you been on any sort of insurance or pension plan of any kind prior to this job?

If you HAVE been here a while, then you should have signed up for either of the 2 plans I described above. Failure to do so means you WILL owe backpayments into the kokumin plan.

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

Glenski is right, Ryu Hayabusa. You can only switch to shakai hoken if your employer is willing to make the 50% contribution towards the premiums- something that many will not do. Since you weren't signed up for shakai hoken from the start, unless pressure is put on your employer to start making the contributions it seems unlikely that you will be able to switch.

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Ryu Hayabusa · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 182

During training for my current position, my company was trying to get people to sign up for InterGlobal. They said that the law states that a person needs to be have health insurance in Japan. They deliberately didn't mention the fact that the coverage needs to be through Shakai Hoken or NHI. That being said, my company also said that if a person wants, they could be signed up for Shakai Hoken but that it would be prohibitively expensive. So, yes, my employer is willing to pay into Shakai Hoken if I'm willing to.

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

Ryu Hayabusa · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 182

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

Your premiums on kokumin insurance may very well go up over 20,000 after the first year. Pay a friendly call on the ward office and confirm. I suspect the figures will be close. And, when you turn 40, the formula changes so that you have to pay even more.

Look, if your employer is "willing" to put you on shakai hoken, why doesn't he from the first day, when it is required by law? Answer: he is using a loophole of counting your work hours (<29.5/week) to claim you are PT. He would have to increase your hours to start you on shakai hoken (one of the Big 4 eikaiwas has this policy, thanks to the union).

"Prohibitively expensive" is a lame excuse. For whom is it so expensive? The employer? The employee? Doesn't matter in the end. If they follow the law, it has to be paid. That's just life.

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

Was my question ignored or did you answer it and I'm just too stupid to figure it out? Shocked

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

You're supposed to be enrolled on national pension as well. If you try to get a new visa after April, then you'll have to show proof of both.

At some point, you may get a summons to Tokyo (maybe it's to Osaka if you're in Kansai) to either pay what you owe on the pension in full at the meeting, or negotiate how you will pay it. Or, you may not.

tsunatuna · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Japan

I see. Thanks for your answer.
Can anybody tell me what would happen if I sign up for a pension plan now?
I haven't been here full 2 years yet, would I have to pay back for 2 years nevertheless or was that just for NHI?

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

You'll have to pay back from the month you arrived in Japan. So it will be a less than two years worth. But it's only one of the two, so it shouldn't be all that bad.