I work at a small family-run eikaiwa. I live a 6 minute walk away from my school and I sometimes go home for lunch or if I have a longer break and have nothing to do. I stay at school and buy lunch at a shop if I have work to do. If I do go home, I check messages from work and can come back quickly if needed.
The other day I was told that I need to ask one of the bosses if I want to leave work for more than 15 minutes at a time in case I have to cover a class. But the thing is that I always make sure I am checking messages and can come back quickly.
We do not get formal breaks at my school – we just take breaks whenever we have time. I almost always take 20 minutes or less per day and rarely go home for lunch because I’m too busy. I’m working 42.5 hours a week and have 27 classes a week which I have to plan for.
I’m thinking it’s not really reasonable of my boss to require teachers to ask permission to be away from school for more than 15 minutes at a time.
Any thoughts?
15 comments
Is it reasonable for your boss to expect you to ask them before you just leave the office for extended periods of time during work hours? Yes. Of course it is. The only time it wouldn’t be is for your lunch break.
If you’re being paid and it is during your contracted work hours, then yes, it is reasonable.
My school won’t even allow me to go out (they will, within reason, but it’s just a hassle). I can still do whatever I want during my 1h lunch time, as long as I am inside the school perimeter, the reason being that they might need my help in case of emergencies.
I could be wrong, but I also believe the school is/will be held responsible if something happens to you while you are out. I believe this also covers the time you are commuting to work, or going back home (outside your actual shift at the school).
So, from an employer perspective, it makes total sense to request that you inform them your desire to go out, your location etc. If there is an earthquake or something like that, having more adults to help the children can be the difference between life and death.
However, I don’t think they can actually force you. You ain’t a slave, but it’s a losing battle in my opinion.
With that out of the way, you should be getting proper breaks, according to whatever law your employer should be abiding. Having a set time and definitions about breaks would avoid situations like this in the future.
Good luck!
Your boss’ request is reasonable. You not getting a formal lunch break is not.
Salaried employees are expected to be on site during work hours. If you are being paid per class then there is no problem.
At some schools there is a card system that you flip over if you’re at work, or on its edge if you’re afk. You could find a picture of one and suggest it, perhaps. Or you could put such a thing on your desk. Or, best bet, you just very casually and briefly start saying “I’m just going out” and not linger for a response, after you get away with it one or two times it’ll become normal
1) Do you have shakai hoken, half of which is paid by your employer? 42.5 hours a week makes me think you should have it. You are also legally entitled to “formal” breaks, but if the atmosphere is chill and you can take a lot of breaks as you like, I wouldn’t rock the boat. See #4.
2) Did something happen to spark this discussion/issue? Like did you leave and NOT check your phone and missed a lesson that they wanted you to cover?
3) How are you so busy when you only teach 27 classes a week? Are these classes 90 minutes long or what? Are you custom planning every single lesson without the aid of a textbook? Just sounds really inefficient to me.
4) Taking everything you claim at face value, the overall situation does sound like an imposition on yourself as an employee and I would not be afraid to start demanding your legally entitled rights if you are truly unhappy with this situation. Beware, though, that if certain aspects of your job are relaxed and you enjoy that (i.e. you can work 7 hours straight and go home an hour early rather than be forced to take a lunch break), that will most likely end if you start getting technical. This is tricky b/c in my experience “small” businesses often give a lot more in exchange for compromises than a large corporation. You just gotta look at your situation and decide what you think is best.
Breaks, no problem. Lunch, I heard they can’t force you to do anything. Law says you’re free to do anything during that time and being forced to do anything (including staying around) is considered work.
Ask for permission or just give them a heads up/let them know you’ll be out? Something like “hey, I’m gonna have lunch at home, I’ll be back in 30 minutes”…?
Seems fairly reasonable. If everything else is okay at the company, doesn’t seem worth to die on that hill.
Are you on the clock?
If so, yes, it is reasonable to be at work when you’re paid to be at work.
The Labor Standards Act describes breaks.
Disclaimer: Not an education professional, but as I WFH I must exercise iron discipline during working hours and definitely do not mess about on Reddit.
If I’m understanding correctly that you don’t actually get a proper lunch break but have to just grab it when you can during breaks in the class schedule. and tha your boss is saying you can’t freely leave during your “lunch break” then yes they are being unreasonable, and actually breaking the law.
According to article 34 of the labour law, If you work 6hrs or more you are legally entitled to a 45min break. If you work 8hrs or more you are legally entitled to a 1hr break.
That break time must be given all at once, unless there is an alternative agreement that has been made by a labour union or individual representing over half the employees.
Your employer must allow you to be completely free during your break times. (i.e. they are not allow to give you work to do or dictate that you stay on the premises)
Original text from the Japanese labour law:
第三十四条 使用者は、労働時間が六時間を超える場合においては少くとも四十五分、八時間を超える場合においては少くとも一時間の休憩時間を労働時間の途中に与えなければならない。
○２ 前項の休憩時間は、一斉に与えなければならない。ただし、当該事業場に、労働者の過半数で組織する労働組合がある場合においてはその労働組合、労働者の過半数で組織する労働組合がない場合においては労働者の過半数を代表する者との書面による協定があるときは、この限りでない。
○３ 使用者は、第一項の休憩時間を自由に利用させなければならない。
You really should say something to your boss about how it’s illegal that you don’t get a formal lunch break.
But the other thing about you needing to tell your boss that you are leaving during your paid working hours, which isn’t a lunch break, is pretty reasonable.
I think you’re legally entitled to a 1 hour break and you shouldn’t be a pushover by only taking 20 minutes per day.
Is it asking for permission or are they just asking at least kind of communicate and coordinate when one is going out.
I think depending on how you take it, some people look at it as “needing permission” but some might just look at it as professional courtesy.
If i was in your situation i would simply say either a) i go home to eat quickly when i have time or b) you give me a full lunch hr like you should.
My employer once tried to hit me with some of that shit on my first week. My advice is say no from the get go in those situations where they are enforcing rules that they shouldn’t.
In regards to my situation, was not being allowed to go out on lunch break for more than 10 minutes incase emergency etc. I flatly refused, stated my lunch break was 1 hour and left to go outside for the full hour. I can’t believe my co workers abide by that b/s and they said ‘oh the boss will hate you’ etc.
Couldn’t really care less if the boss thinks im disobediant, i am a grown up not a child and as long as i’m getting paid, my boss doesn’t need to be my friend. I feel like sometimes they just get away with this nonsense because its very much a ‘do as your told’ work environment.