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solarmist
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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jademonkey
Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 180
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 Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:07 am Post subject: Re: Everything you want to know about official Nova hiring(N |
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solarmist
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| Having been through all this I can say that with a couple exceptions (such as saying that it is illegal/impossible (?) to get national health care, keeping a professional relationship only with student, and the JMA information) I haven't found anything that surprises me about the hiring process of Nova compared to what I would expect with any other large company. |
It is not illegal to get national healthcare, nor is it impossible. About half of the teachers at my old Nova in Kichijoji had Japanese NHI. I can't precisely remember how to get it, but it is certainly not in any way impossible.
As for disallowing Nova instructors to fraternise with students outside class, that's frankly illegal, either implicitly or possibly even explicitly (i.e., restricting certain groups from associating with others). Nova does not have a single legal foot to stand on with this rule and they have no legal recourse to enforce it.
And as a side note, legally all Nova teachers are part time. That's how they get away with having the teachers work national holidays without having to pay them extra.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?2+10130
[/u] |
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solarmist
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:13 am Post subject: Re: Everything you want to know about official Nova hiring(N |
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It is not illegal to get national healthcare, nor is it impossible. About half of the teachers at my old Nova in Kichijoji had Japanese NHI. I can't precisely remember how to get it, but it is certainly not in any way impossible.
As for disallowing Nova instructors to fraternise with students outside class, that's frankly illegal, either implicitly or possibly even explicitly (i.e., restricting certain groups from associating with others). Nova does not have a single legal foot to stand on with this rule and they have no legal recourse to enforce it.
And as a side note, legally all Nova teachers are part time. That's how they get away with having the teachers work national holidays without having to pay them extra. |
Right, that's why I made those notes. Their contract specifically states those points even though its illegal. Unfortunately for us, the Japanese legal system doesn't care very much and these kind of abuses go on all the time.
Also, I've heard that Nova employees that sign up for national health care get bullied in some ways.
I kind of knew about the part time thing, but what is full time in Japan, 30 hours?[/quote] |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| NOVA says that you cannot enroll in Shakai Hoken, the health and pension insurance through your employer. This is because any new foreign teachers work less than 30 hours a week (many aren't even in the building for 30 hours). Everyone is eligible for Kokumin Kenko Hoken, which is essentially NHI for part-timers and unemployed people. It's through your local government. They also have the pension but that's optional. |
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jademonkey
Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 180
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Inflames wrote: |
| NOVA says that you cannot enroll in Shakai Hoken, the health and pension insurance through your employer. This is because any new foreign teachers work less than 30 hours a week (many aren't even in the building for 30 hours). Everyone is eligible for Kokumin Kenko Hoken, which is essentially NHI for part-timers and unemployed people. It's through your local government. They also have the pension but that's optional. |
NOVA is very much invested in not enrolling their staff in shakai hoken because they would have to pay for some of it and they wouldn't want to make sure their employees are sufficiently insured when they could fix them up with the dodgy, New Zealand based JMA.
I was working there when they shortened all lessons to exactly 40 minutes, and we were explicitly told NOT to work during the time between lessons, which of course is another scam because of course you have to work between lessons to correct and plan your next lesson. So if you're "full-time", you work 40x40= 26 or so hours a week, and thus ineligible for shakai hoken. There was even a memo telling us only to work the 1 minute bracketing each lesson. Why? So Nova doesn't have to pay to have its staff covered in decent insurance. Yes, it does help you that you don't have to get it, but my god, do you really want to work for a company that thinks like that, bending over backwards to save a few yen at the expense of employee healthcare?
However, if you hold a spousal or residency visa, you must enrol in shakai hoken, I believe. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| if you hold a spousal or residency visa, you must enrol in shakai hoken, I believe. |
The requirement to enroll in shakai hoken is not dependent on your visa type. It is dependent on the type and size of company, plus your work hours.
There is no such thing as a residency visa. Did you mean Permanent Resident status (not a visa type)? |
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flyingkiwi
Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 211
Location: In the Golden Gai in Shinjuku, arguing with Mama-san over my tab
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 2:25 am Post subject: |
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Yes, it does help you that you don't have to get it, but my god, do you really want to work for a company that thinks like that, bending over backwards to save a few yen at the expense of employee healthcare?
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Is it only NOVA who are like this, or do the other members of the 'Big Four' partake in this practice? |
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Canuck2112
Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 239
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: |
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To Glenski (or anyone else who knows)
I work for a small English school that enforces what they call "TGT" (Teacher Growth Time) during which we're expected to be in the office for a solid 10 hours a day making materials and reading about teaching techniques. We may only teach 3 hours a day but we have to be present for the other 7 (minus a one hour lunch break).
This company does not pay Shakai Hoken and everyone is classified as a "part time worker".
Is this illegal? I checked the debito website but couldnt find anything applicable.
Thank you |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:04 am Post subject: |
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| flyingkiwi wrote: |
| Is it only NOVA who are like this, or do the other members of the 'Big Four' partake in this practice? |
I believe AEON and ECC recently agreed to enroll their employees in Shakai Hoken.
You'd also be surprised how many of the foreign employees don't want to pay their part of the insurance contributions. |
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jademonkey
Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 180
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| Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Quote: |
| if you hold a spousal or residency visa, you must enrol in shakai hoken, I believe. |
The requirement to enroll in shakai hoken is not dependent on your visa type. It is dependent on the type and size of company, plus your work hours.
There is no such thing as a residency visa. Did you mean Permanent Resident status (not a visa type)? |
Haha I really shouldn't be talking about a subject that I don't know so much about...I meant what you said.  |
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japolak
Joined: 14 May 2007
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 12:05 am Post subject: |
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hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I have a question about Nova. It may have been answered before.
does Nova look for applicants that arnt really qualified in teaching?
I think someone here has said before that Nova hired someone who didn't know what a verb was and declined someone that had experiance in teaching. This was probably due to the fact that they dont want there employees looking for other jobs when they arrive.
thanks. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 12:47 am Post subject: |
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| japolak wrote: |
does Nova look for applicants that arnt really qualified in teaching?
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NOVA employ a lot of people who are fresh out of university and others that are on working holiday visas. Generally speaking, very few of NOVA's employees begin work with the company with a view to teaching long-term. It would certainly help to know what a verb is before you start work in an eikaiwa. It may not be essential though. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I work for a small English school that enforces what they call "TGT" (Teacher Growth Time) during which we're expected to be in the office for a solid 10 hours a day making materials and reading about teaching techniques. We may only teach 3 hours a day but we have to be present for the other 7 (minus a one hour lunch break).
This company does not pay Shakai Hoken and everyone is classified as a "part time worker".
Is this illegal? |
This is just my opinion, but if they WANT YOU THERE to DO WORK, then they shouldn't go reporting your WORK HOURS to the government only as the time you spend in the classroom. To me, that makes it shady, if not illegal. Ask someone in the union or on the labour board.
Moreover, 10 - 1 = 9 hours a day of work. Five days a week of this classifies as 45 hours a week, or 5 hours of overtime pay you are owed, I think. 1.25 - 1.5 times regular pay.
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/laborinfo/library/documents/llj_law1-rev.pdf |
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solarmist
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| It seems to me that in Japan it is very much employee beware. Companies do illegal things all the time and even if they get caught, it has to be something big before they face even small repercussions. The government likes to look the other way. Also, as far as I've read the national health care is mandatory, but for foreigners they'll over look the fact that you don't register for it, even if you've been in Japan a couple years then register for it. I haven't read any reports of people having to pay their back premiums. |
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solarmist
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 9:11 am Post subject: |
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In the files I posted it has the full text of the contract and article 11 part 10) it says
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| The Employee shall participate in an Employer approved health insurance program. The Employee is not eligible to participate in the Japanese Employees' Health Insurance and Employees; Pension Insurance Programs (Shakai Hoken). |
I have added the bold and underlining. It is not the Japanese Employees' Shakai means the public (ie everyone in a society).
They're contract is "obligating" employees to break the law.
[EDIT]
I just finished the "Introduction to Nova" packet and it says
| Quote: |
| All Type A [ie more than 30 lessons a week] instructors, as well as type B [ie part time] instructors who hold spouse/dependant or permanent resident visas, are required to enrol in Japanese Employment Insurance. Insurance premiums are deducted from instructors' salaries each month before payment |
So, they're halfway there, they just don't want to have to pay half the health premiums.
Last edited by solarmist on Tue May 15, 2007 10:27 am; edited 2 times in total |
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