Job Discussion Forums

[Benkyo]

I imagine some former GEOS employees are still in the situation I was during Golden Week. They've been to Hello Work and been told that before any unemployment insurance proceedings can begin they must wait for their rishokuhyou (the 'Separation Notice for Unemployment Insurance' mentioned in the letter from GEOS dated 4/30) to arrive. All the standard advice being given to ex-GEOS teachers says the same.

I assume many people took that at face value, and are still waiting for the documents that GEOS state may arrive as late as 5/15. Perhaps they have also made fruitless calls to GEOS in vain attempts to get those documents in the time-frame required by law.

However, after successive visits to Hello Work and some dedicated digging by the wonderful staff there, I found out that they can short-circuit this process as the paperwork grinds its way through the layers of administration dealing with GEOS' liquidation.

Registering us for unemployment insurance proceedings before we have access to the necessary documents is an unusual procedure that many people will not be aware of and will not ordinarily be informed of.

For any former GEOS teachers waiting for their 離職票 (rishokuhyou) to arrive, you should go back to Hello Work immediately, even without the documents:

It is actually possible to start your registration for unemployment insurance now, without the document. My 仮受付 (kariuketsuke) started on 5/6, so by 5/12 the registration will be done. Between 5/13 and 6/2 my rishokuhyou should arrive, at which time I'll attend the Hello Work orientation meeting, and 6/3 will be the first payment date.

You can start receiving your insurance significantly earlier than if you wait for the documents to arrive. Please let others know!

I hope this is of some use to someone out there.

Cheers,

[fox1]

Have ex-GEOS staff been paid their final salaries? Have you received these severance documents, whatever they are exactly?

If yes and yes, what did you do?

[Benkyo]

I received the application form for unpaid wages today (6/21).

I received the severance papers about 6/1 and took them in to Hello Work, but that was mostly a formality as I received my first unemployment insurance payment on 6/3 as scheduled.

[fox1]

good news! but where did you get the unpaid wage form from, and how?

[Benkyo]

GEOS sent the unpaid wage form by registered post, already filled out apart from some bits to sign.

Somewhat surprisingly, the application includes a figure for our missing retirement bonus, which seems to assume an overall 'C' rating for the evaluation bonus.

I think I'll give them a call to confirm that before sending it back, but regardless of the numbers it's only an application so I'm not holding out much hope of getting anything from them yet.

[fox1]

thanks for replying Benkyo and so fast. when you say GEOS, what does that mean exactly... i mean, i understand the company was gutted.

Are you calling the same old numbers for the same Tokyo office...? i called the "Designated telephone line for ex-employees" and just got a continuous robot.

By the way, i think you are the most reliable answerer i've come across!

[Benkyo]

The letter came on GEOS stationary from the following address:

104-0061
東京都中央区銀座1－15－2スイムビル3F
（株）ジー・エデュケーション　ジオス管理部

In English that's:
Tokyo, Chuo-ku, Ginza 1-15-2 Suimu bldg. 3F
GEOS Replacement Payment of Unpaid Wages (Actually G-Com, GEOS administration department)

I haven't been in contact with GEOS or G-Com for almost a month now, I've just been dealing directly with Hello Work. The claim forms did come with a letter that mentioned they are hiring. The letter had the following telephone numbers regarding that, that you could probably call to find out which numbers you should call:

Shibuya G-Com office: +81 3 5468 6591
Chad Lafferty, Hiring department: 03-3562-8221

[fox1]

thanks Benkyo.

[Benkyo]

No problem. Please post a better contact number if you come up with one, I'll need to get in touch about the claim form sooner or later too.

Cheers,

[Benkyo]

The correct number is 0335628221. That will get you through to the person handling all this on the GEOS/G-Com end.

Apparently the 'C' rating for retirement bonuses has been applied to everyone, was set by the administrative trustees and isn't negotiable. All we can do is send the forms back and hope for the best.

Any money (if any) from the GEOS liquidation will take at least 30 days to come through.

[minime]

I haven't received my paperwork in the mail, but I have contacted them and apparently things are being processed or something.

However, I'm curious about the "severance pay" or the "retirement bonus".

Someone here mentioned that everyone had a "C rating", I don't even know what that is, but they aren't giving me anything. Is it because I worked for less than a year?

If anyone has any info or got that "bonus" then please share!

Thanks!

[Benkyo]

If you had been employed for about 10 years(?) you probably had a more generous bonus that wasn't performance dependant, but anyone employed for less than 7 years in a teaching position almost certainly had a similar contract to mine.

Check the last page of your contract. There should be a chart detailing how much money you'd be entitled to when you left GEOS. I think it went like this:

the basic entitlement:
<1 year : 50,000
1 year+: 100,000

bonus, based on performance etc:
'A' rating: 10,000
'B': 8,000
'C': 6,000
'D': 4,000
'E': 2,000
multiplied by a figure based on how long you worked.

Nobody had such a rating while employed, it was supposed to be worked out after you sent your notice. All irrelevant now though, since everyone was given a 'C' rating.

Whether or not you had to be employed for 6 months or a year to get remuneration from the government I'm not sure, because it wasn't relevant for me.