Job Discussion Forums

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

Sorry guys, PMs only.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

What exactly is going on?

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

There has been a long post on a private email list about a teacher accused of sexual harassment with no foundation in reality. A group of students has ganged up on a teacher and has got the school to hang him out to dry. His name appeared in the papers and affected his employment at other places as well.

The long and the short of it is (and you dont say if the instigator is an employee of the school or not, or a third party) and unless there is some factual basis to the allegations, such as proof, or at least the employer is willing to hear your side of the story, you may have a case. An employer can not fire you for no good reason, nor can they refuse to renew your contract based on malicious gossip and rumor.

Im not about to conjecture on the rights and wrongs of your case without more information, but if you are being set up for a fall the best you can do is think about setting up a credible defense, rather than letting your employer make you walk the plank because of what you think he has been told. He has not even asked you your side of the story, so you really have no way of knowing what he thinks about the issue. It becomes mere presumption to assume you are already guilty as charged.

Mike L. · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 519

I'd go over to his place and say "what gives?"

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

If I were you, I would bring someone who speaks Japanese fluently to the person's house, and try talking to the person.
I already know from reading a few threads on this board and my friends that the Japanese labour Board doesn't care about the rights of a guijin.
Again you should try to settle this as soon as possible if you want to renew your contract.
I studied in Japan for half a year! I remember someone started a roomer about another guijin that person had a tough time until things got resolved.

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

homer - sorry to hear about this, it must be traumatic and making it very difficult to concentrate on your work. Malice to the point of threatening somebody`s livelihood is not unknown in our own countries but in Japan it is difficult to do something about it.

Are you a union member? Is there another foreigner who lives near you who has some status in your local area. Make sure you don`t just give in to this. Document what you can and contact a sympathetic foreigner, preferably one with good to excellent Japanese. Knowing where you live I can understand the difficulty of your situation.

Hang in there! Take action straight away - don`t make it easy for those of ill will to destroy your livelihood there or slander you. Take another person with you when you speak to relevant people. Good luck.

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

cafebleu is right you need to take action right away, but I think you should seek the help of friendly Japanese. There must be someone there who thinks kindly of you, and doesn't think of you as a guijin.

Who ever is doing this to you probably doesn't like guijin so getting another guijin might make the problem worse!

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

Thanks to Paul, Gordon, and cafe.
I appreciate the comments of others, but I simply cannot comment (yet) publicly about what's going on. Needless to say, things look bleak.

Mike L. · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 519

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

[color=darkred]

PAULH wrote:

Lover wrote:

cafebleu is right you need to take action right away, but I think you should seek the help of friendly Japanese. There must be someone there who thinks kindly of you, and doesn't think of you as a guijin.

Who ever is doing this to you probably doesn't like guijin so getting another guijin might make the problem worse!

Lover,

Whats a "guijin" and when did it become an English word?

when I went to school there some Japanese, specially older Japanese from Kyushu, think that there are two kinds of people in the world, Japanese and none Japanese. I also think foreigner is a worst word than guijin.

Anyway, my point to homer simpson is to get a Japanese person to go with him to confront the guy, and speak on his behalf. This will have a better effect than having a westerner or someone from Korea, China, or Taiwan.