Job Discussion Forums

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Recently I was hired by the city's Board of Education to teach Jr. High Schools in the area. I will be teaching a month on and a month off, alternating between two schools.

I've already had to concede to joining the national health and pension system, which really torques me -- as I've been doing just fine without it until now... But they explained it to me simply: you are a civil servant, and as such, you must subscribe to these services.... End discussion.

Well, anyway, that's besides the point. The issue here is, the "school nurse" at the one Jr. High school informed me today that apparently, next week all staff are required to undergo some sort of medical checkup... Which is more or less fine by me, except for the fact that it is supposed to involve some rather "invasive" procedures -- which you would not normally undergo in North America as part of a routine examination. Now, overall, I'm a very healthy individual, and the only time I ever need to see a doctor is when I want a good drama fix on TV... I'd pretty much have to be dying to go see one voluntarily...

As such, if I tell them to "shove it" and that I'm not going to do that part of the examination, do they have any recourse? After all, they're not really my employer, are they? I'm an employee of the BOE.....

Further, does this sound at all familiar to any of you? Has anyone here had to go through BS like this? If so, I'm curious to hear about it...

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

Sounds wierd to me but as this is Japan, I can't really see how you can avoid jumping through this hoop. As a civil servant you are probably just expected to be civil and servile Wink

Celeste · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:33 am Post subject:

All civil servants are required to do the medical. This includes everyone who works for the BoE from ALTs to the superintendant. Even the mayor has to do this. It gets more invasive the older you get. I have been a JET ALT for almost 2 years and I have done 2 of these already. It's annoying. It's embarrassing. It's absolutely required. (There will be a chest x- ray for sure, weigh in, height measurement, eye test, pee in a cup to check for proteins in your urine, a hearing test, the doctor will listen to your heart and lungs. They will ask about your medical history, and your alcohol and tabacco consumption. If you are over 30, you get a blood test. Men over 40 get a prostate exam and women over 40 get a pap smear.)

ironopolis · Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 379

I was about to post what celeste has posted.

However, "invasive" is NOT how the majority of Japanese people would see it. They look on it as an great advantage and very re-assuring to have a thorough health-check every year. Indeed, I've met lots of people who either themselves had or someone they know had some serious illness detected by one of these checks that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Personally, I don't think their system is flawless, but you really should bear the above in mind if you're considering objecting to it. Given how most people here view the medical check, if you make a big deal of it you may be thought of as very ungrateful. Another possibility is that people might think you've got something to hide.

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

Up until this year I worked at a national university and had a yearly medical done at an authorised hospital (was kind of voluntary but i think most people went for re-assurement) and last year was required to have an internal exam where they insert a camera looking for cancer polyps in your intestine.

Not very pleasant but rather educational in a way when you see what your bowel looks like from the inside.

Cant really say no IMO but you can ask if you can get it done by a male doctor at a hospital rather than the school nurse if thats what bothers you.

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

Iwantmyrightsnow · Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 202

Actually you are legally entitled to refuse the examination. Can't quote it right now but it is in the legal books.

But

1. If you don't take the examination they have the legal right that you produce the results of a medical examination from a doctor of your own choice, and at your own expense.

2. It probably isn't the right way to start off with the BoE.

I refused on a few grounds. The big one being lack of confidentiality. This was a problem in th 90's with people being fired for having aids even though they new nothing of it. Completely illegal but it happened.

In my case, a previous employer came up to me and said that I had a liver problem and must be an alcoholic! Not true - A bout of Hep B (when I worked with disabled people prior to widesspread immunization) scewed the results.

So when I started at my next employer i wouldn't take the examination out of principal. I was never asked to provide my own examination results as we came to a sort of compromise. Each year my boss would schedule me for the examination and each year I would fail to take it. Sometimes he would set up another appointment and still I wouldn't go. He understood my reasons and just scheduled the appointments; his higher ups never asked for anything more so he never did.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

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

I work at a private university and our yearly medical checkups are voluntary. Last year I had the full meal deal done to me and it wasn't so bad. However, every person in the office perused my results before giving them to me. I was not impressed and won't take it again.

Iwantmyrightsnow · Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 202

Smooth Operator · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan

I'm a 'civil servant' too. I have had about 4 checks in that time, and they have always been sealed, if that means anything...

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Ok.... Thanks for the answers guys... But like I asked before, do you think a) it would be a problem if I refused only the PARTS of the examination that I found objectionable? And b) since it is technically illegal to fire someone if they find something on said medical test, what can/will they do let's say if they find that your eyesight/hearing isn't quite up to par.... (Despite the fact that my hearing is as good any normal individual of my demographic, I am technically deaf in one ear... Through compensation I have no problems other than being annoyed by stereo headphones).... Smile

-p.s. that's not the part of the medical test I would refuse.

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

What are you planning to refuse? Urine test? Why?

johnslat · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 9:56 pm Post subject:

Dear Glenski,
Probably doesn't want to stay up all night studying for it.
Regards,
John

ryuro · Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 91

Why should he have to take ANY of the tests- it's none of their damn business!

This is one of those aspects of Japanese culture that I absolutley REFUSE to subscribe to the "when in Rome" principle.

I too was a 'civil servant' when I worked for a public institution for a number of years and FLAT OUT refused to join either the pension scheme or take the medical.

My superiors went through all the typical motions... "you're a civil servant... everyone has to... it would be very bad if you didn't... blah blah blah" do what I did, just ignore it all. When they schedule the appointment, just don't go.

In the end I did write a simple letter of "apology" to the president explaining my reasons but if you just ignore it they really won't do much- I know a number of people who deal with this issue in this manner.

Why don't I want to take take the medical- I've nothing to hide before anyone out their assumes that- again, this is just one part of my 'westernness" that I simply can't suppress. It' s the whole priniciple of the thing- they really have no right to that info and despite what ayone might say about it being "sealed" I know of several colleagues whose records somehow found their way into the hands of their managers- it's ridiculous!

The Japanese management and admin will love to play that "but your a Japanese civil servant card" and yet there's NO WAY were afforded the same rights and protections of a 'real' Japanese civil servant or basic employee. They'll just as easily turn around when our contracts expire and give us the boot with little or no explanation so I've NO PROBLEM being a little bit of an "ugly gaijin" when it comes to this particular issue.

Sorry got kind of ranty but this issue kind of hits a nerve with me. Anyway, good look.

Cheers,
ryuro