Hello,
I'm working at a small Eikaiwa and my employers have recently threatened to either not renew my contract or even fire me. The reason is that they want me to attend a weekly meeting that is not in my contract, requires me to come in an hour early for no extra pay, and only lasts 5 minutes - and I haven't come the last two weeks. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but I don't like being bullied or having my time wasted for no good reason. Even if this sort of corporate coercion is common in Japan and in Eikaiwas, I've heard of other schools that pay overtime for all meetings.
I'm eager to try a new job, so my only real concern is that it might look bad on my CV that I was fired, thereby costing me some job opportunities - especially since this is only my second year of teaching experience overall and my first year teaching in Japan. A colleague who has his own English school has offered to give me an endorsement as a former employee, but I don't know if that will be enough, as his school is even less well-known/established. Having said that, there's no guarantee they'll give me a letter of recommendation even if I "behave" for the rest of my contract's duration.
Other details: My visa's good until this Fall, when my contract ends, so I'll need to find new employment by then at the latest. I'm learning Japanese and plan to take the JLPT N3 or 4 in July (I need to look at the sample questions and make a decision in the next few days).
Based on your experience, what advice would you give me? Am I right to be concerned about getting fired and the effect it will have on my resume? Or should I call their bluff?
Thanks in advance,
K.
I'm working at a small Eikaiwa and my employers have recently threatened to either not renew my contract or even fire me. The reason is that they want me to attend a weekly meeting that is not in my contract, requires me to come in an hour early for no extra pay, and only lasts 5 minutes - and I haven't come the last two weeks. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but I don't like being bullied or having my time wasted for no good reason. Even if this sort of corporate coercion is common in Japan and in Eikaiwas, I've heard of other schools that pay overtime for all meetings.
I'm eager to try a new job, so my only real concern is that it might look bad on my CV that I was fired, thereby costing me some job opportunities - especially since this is only my second year of teaching experience overall and my first year teaching in Japan. A colleague who has his own English school has offered to give me an endorsement as a former employee, but I don't know if that will be enough, as his school is even less well-known/established. Having said that, there's no guarantee they'll give me a letter of recommendation even if I "behave" for the rest of my contract's duration.
Other details: My visa's good until this Fall, when my contract ends, so I'll need to find new employment by then at the latest. I'm learning Japanese and plan to take the JLPT N3 or 4 in July (I need to look at the sample questions and make a decision in the next few days).
Based on your experience, what advice would you give me? Am I right to be concerned about getting fired and the effect it will have on my resume? Or should I call their bluff?
Thanks in advance,
K.