Top 3 Excuses by Japanese Employers When They Ignore Contractual Obligations to Foreign Employees (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–29 … My Adventures in Japan)

in #japan6 years ago

“Japanese rules are made to be bent. ... Until you snap.”

Fortunately, the aformentioned “ignoring of contractual obligations” is not very common in Japan, and when it does occur, it often involves only minor points.

(That is to say, you will receive your monthly salary on time, you will be granted your allotted vacation time, and you will have an apartment provided if the contract stipulates that.)

We’ll just bend the rules a tiny bit … until you snap

However, there are plenty of cases where the rules in Japan are bent just a little, then just a little bit more, and then probably quite a bit more.    

So, if you’re working as a teacher ... instead of preparing for your lesson, you may have to clean the toilets in the school facilities. Or instead of teaching only the contractual limit of 20 hours per week, you may be scheduled to teach 21 hours this week, and maybe 22 hours next week.   

If the manager can get away with it, you might even be scheduled to teach 23 or 24 hours in the following weeks. Maybe 25. Probably more.

Without being asked if you’d mind working those extra hours, and without being paid for them.

We just have to bend the rules a bit more. Snap!

Such unacceptable behavior occurs often enough in Japan. And when it does, and when you raise the issue with the powers-that-be in your Japanese company, the chances are that you will hear excuses such as those above.    

(For purposes of clarity, I have paraphrased the above excuses. But they remain 100% accurate.)          (Image source)

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  (right-click on title)

Top 8 Reactions of Certain Japanese Scumballs When Caught Red-Handed Doing Something Stupid, Immoral, Repulsive Or Illegal
Top 4 Insane Japanese Criminals
Top 3 Ways that Overworked Single Ladies Spend Their Days Off
... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   (right-click on title)
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   (right-click on title)
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   (right-click on title)

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   (right-click on title)
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   (right-click on title)

Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.
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These are horrifying experience. I just find it hard to imagine how tortuous it will be working under these kind of conditions. Anyway, thanks for the revelations. These series are really educative and expository.

This was an interesting read.

Glad you liked it.

I have lived in Japan for over 20 years. I have worked for several massive companies (not English schools) and have not seen the abuse of power you are suggesting. However, I am in a specialized field and not general labour.
I do know this does happen to some foreign general labourers. And a recent news article about foreign interns working beyond legal over-time, and mentally abused, is shocking but not surprising.
I have also been an employer of both Japanese and non-Japanese staff. The labour laws here are enforced, but if you are a small company it seems like its worse. If you are a large company, I feel you can get away with anything, and just bow when caught breaking the law.
I had one former American employee go to the Labour Board and they came to visit me. When asked why I didn't pay that former staff, I said he caused me a huge amount of money in refunds to a client, and that I was not going to pay him. That LB person said I must pay him first, and then seek for damages. I ignored the LB person's constant requests, and the problem went away. Bit of a joke.
I had one Employment Office staff call me at tell me that if I didn't pay them, I would be thrown in jail. I went to meet this jack-ass, and made a rather strongly worded statement loudly in his office. He also backed down when I said that I have already consulted a lawyer (true) and that what he was saying is a lie. He dropped his threats...
I hate dealing with Japanese bureaucracy. But I love being in Japan otherwise.

Thanks for your input and insights.

I lived and worked in Japan for a long time, so I witnessed and heard of quite a few stories of horror. At the same time, I know that there are also many places with wonderful work environments. To a certain degree, it all depends on who's in charge – a decent person, or a psychopath.

And while this particular post reflects rather negatively on an aspect of Japanese employers and maybe society, I must say that I had many, many positive experiences in Japan.

I worked at Honda Motor Co in Tokyo and my direct manager was ok. He treated me slightly differently than the Japanese staff, but my job was something no one else could do. I have to admit, I took advantage of my 'difference' whenever I could :) . The rest of the people in my office did overtime every day. I was told to leave at 6pm (It may be due to my much higher-than-average salary too).
When I was an employer, I did not encourage overtime, and treated my staff fairly and with respect. They gave me respect in return.
But you are right, its all about who you report to. I have seen first-hand some idiot managers (not in my department) but also slacker-employees.

And you are from Canada. I would laugh if we know some of the same people. I am from Toronto but lived in Edmonton, Sackville NB and Montreal as well.

Wow. I didn't know that about Japan. I always thought these kinda shit happened in China and Taiwan and even South Korea, I never thought Japanese would do that too...Good to know..

It happens. I have friends who have worked in both Japan and South Korea, and in both Japan and China, and from what they've said, the Japanese might be the worst when it comes to the above.

I'm not sure about the Chinese and the Koreans, but the Japanese have devised very "clever" ways of saying things indirectly. So, they can essentially say "Fuck you" very politely and very deceptively. You may not even know that you're getting fucked, until your totally fucked.

Fuckin' eh, I thought, so I said, Fuck that! And left.

I'm so surprised. Thank you man and where are you now?

Now in Thailand.

I left Japan in 2005. Went to Toronto ... New Delhi ... Singapore ... and now Thailand.

Where are you?

Cool. I'm in Taiwan

I heard it's a decent place to live. And maybe I'll take a trip there someday ...

Definitely a good place to live, very convenient, very safe, not expensive and people here are very nice to western people.

I almost moved there in 2008, after I applied for a job in Taipei. But I had a better job offer in Singapore, so I went to Singapore instead.

However, I did a bit of research into Taiwan, and came away quite impressed.

Also, I had one student in Japan who was from Taiwan. I used to joke with her that Taiwan was not the "real China." But she convinced me that it was realer than the PRC, since Taiwan had never destroyed its heritage and culture with any insane "Cultural Revolution." Since then, I've been a bit more intrigued by the country.

Very nice and informative article.. Beautifully drafted... Well Done.

Will there be any consequences should they worker refuse all those extra time without pay? If washing a toilet is not part of my job description, I have eevery right to turn it down should I be asked to do such. It's very absurd to be asked to do something that is not part of your job and the worse part of it is that you're doing it for free

There might be consequences. As I indicated in my previous post (link below), employees are never really fired in Japan.

So, if a foreigner refused to do a certain task, s'he might not be fired, but maybe just cruelly tortured psychologically – relentlessly – until said foreigner decided on her own to resign from the company.

And then, everything would return to the perfect blissful state of harmony that the Japanese appreciate so much. Ha ha ha!

https://steemit.com/japan/@majes.tytyty/top-3-reasons-that-japanese-employees-are-never-fired-notes-from-under-the-tatami-mats-28-my-adventures-in-japan

This post has received a 5.35 % upvote from @boomerang.

Nice post

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Very good posts, good luck always in steemit business

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