Because of poor management and restructuring, my job has suddenly become at risk.
I signed a seishain contract with my current company (IT) and have been working for over 1 year now. Recently, my team suddenly got notice that we were to be dissolved and wait for further notice. Something similar has happened before and they placed me on a different team, doing the same type of job. However this time, I was given two options:
1. **Be project-based and work for external clients**
\- This position is usually for engineers and I am a designer (web/branding/visual).
\- Would be limited by my skillset and low level of Japanese
\- If not matched to a project for a month, my salary would be reduced to 60%
\- Would need to work on-site as opposed to completely remote
2. **Voluntarily resign from the company**
\- Would be able to stop working immediately
\- Would be paid through the following 1 month (August)
Clearly I have no future at this company anymore, and I’m leaning toward option 2, but would like to negotiate for more even though my contract does not stipulate severance pay. I’m worried about being able to find another job. Has anyone else gone through something similar? I’m wondering if the first option they gave me is even legal since it is so different to what I signed for. Would appreciate any advice!
6 comments
Don’t accept option 2, whatever you do.
Do not sign off on anything accepting the lowered salary for option 1. They can’t lower or change your base salary without your consent.
They’re trying to convince you to quit to avoid having to compensate you for leaving. Make them compensate you – but start looking for a new job immediately.
Remember – it’s easier to find a new job while you still have the old one. It gets a lot harder when you’re unemployed.
Don’t sign anything that makes you reduce your pay or resign, as they need your consent to do that.
lol the laws and customs in Japan are pretty crazy that makes it so it’s almost impossible to fire someone. So instead they have to do nutty things like transfer you to a job position that you have no skills and experience for to make your life miserable enough so that you will quit.
Depending on your contract, companies can relocate and reassign you as they see fit. If you’re not on assignment you would be on the so called bench until your next project comes up. During that time you would receive kyuugyou hoshou – leave of absence compensation.
To me it sounds like they want to get rid of you and are using every trick in the book.
Ask for your paid holiday to be paid out and a few months of monthly salary as compensation. Also, make sure they make it a resignation due to company reason. That way you get unemployment benefits from day one and don’t have to wait 3 months.
Luckily there is currently an abundance of jobs in your area.
I work in recruitment. Feel free to pm me if you want any concrete advice.
>**Be project-based and work for external clients**
This isn’t *necessarily* bad.
You have the potential to pick up a great deal of additional experience across a number of often very different projects.
All while having the security of a “base”, where you’re still considered a full-time employee with all commensurate benefits.
I did this for years at my previous place of employment, bouncing around Tokyo from project to project (as a front-end developer). Some lasted a few months. My last one was a three year contract. Most were around a year.
常駐 – “In Residence”, essentially.
For the most part my experiences were good.
There were a few projects and teams where I didn’t quite mesh unfortunately, but that’s to be expected under the circumstances.
The most stressful part, for me, was having to rework my commute every time, once the contract was due.
But that was a result of having additional family commitments along with living a not inconsiderable distance outside of Tokyo.
But if you’re young, flexible and unattached, it can be a really great way to pick up a vast array of rich project experience in a relatively short time.
See an employment lawyer.