After two years to the company as a full-time permanent employee with an overtime clause in the contract, I was approached with a proposal to resign, accompanied by a
“tempting” offer of two months’ pay. However, I declined this proposal. Despite my decision, I encountered persistent harassment on a weekly basis (threats of termination, petty work rules), even during my paternity leave, until the day of my termination. I challenged them to prove these allegations but they never responded.
Remarkably, just two months after refusing the proposal, I was called in a meeting with HR and asked to take some time off so I can concentrate on “thinking through” the proposal and was asked to leave the company premises and surrender company property. A couple hours later, I was summarily dismissed, with the termination letter ludicrously citing my non-agreement to the initial proposal as the reason.
The company is a prominent gaishikei in the finance sector, had no representatives present in Japan from legal, HR, or management during this ordeal. I sought legal counsel and reached out to a labor union for support. The labor union, although it will require some time to review and take action, offers hope for a favorable resolution, it seems they are not interested with finance people. Labor lawyers have already assessed the situation and confirmed the strength of my case, as there were no performance issues on record—my performance reviews were consistently above average, I received salary raises, and was awarded bonuses twice.
I have recordings of all email, and meetings as suggested by colleagues.
What is the worst and best possible outcome of this?
I am thinking of just moving on and find a new job ASAP but this has devastated me as I have a family to feed. Half of me wants to fight for injustice, the other half just wants to move on.
Edit1 (May 1): This morning, I received a substantial amount wired to my bank account. The sender is the Gaishikei. Based on my calculations, it roughly equals six months’ worth of my monthly salary. We are currently awaiting the Gaishikei’s response. My lawyer will contact them to convey our intention to return any funds exceeding my final payment.
Edit2 (May 1): I’m truly grateful for everyone’s contributions. I sincerely hope that no one has to endure this ordeal, but if someone is indeed going through a similar situation, I hope they can glean something valuable from it. In my extensive 20-year career in finance, I’ve never faced dismissal or been requested to resign.
by Delicious_Battle_140