Hey guys, I currently teach at a small Eikaiwa in the Kansai region. I won’t go into much detail in case my boss looks this up on the Internet (maybe not she’s very old) anyway. I wanted to leave Japan around September or October, because I don’t want to be in Japan anymore. I was going to put in my resignation in last month, but some drama happen with my coworker, who was acting kind of weird at work.
To make a long story short, he was an alcoholic, he had schizophrenia, and he didn’t update his passport for the last two years. Plus he didn’t change his address when he moved from the house I currently live in that the school provides for you over a year ago. He didn’t pay his phone bill for over 5 months and the phone company tried to sue me because they thought he still lived at the same address that I currently live in but my boss took care of it.
Anyway, I posted a job posting on another Reddit community, but I took it down because my boss told me too she was wondering how she was getting so much emails. ( I didn’t mention this site to her).
My boss is a little bit upset that I didn’t mention to her that I wanted to leave in September. She told me at the moment she doesn’t want to hire 2 new teachers because she simply put it that she will close the school next year around March of next year because not enough children are being born in Japan is what she told me. Though she just requested that I stay until March and that she’ll pay me extra because she’s worried if she hires another teacher they will be as irresponsible as my last coworker.
I’m not sure what to do. I don’t mind staying, but I really want to move to Taiwan. I’ve been trying to go there for the last couple of years but couldn’t due to Covid (but it’s open now😄😄😄😄).
I would prefer it if she just hires a teacher temporarily for the last couple months before the school closes because I really wanna move to Taiwan. I don’t dislike my boss. I really like her a lot. She’s very helpful and caring, but I don’t know I just want to know what you guys think about it.
What should I do? Should I stay or should I leave?🤔
10 comments
When’s the school year start in Taiwan?
If it’s the same time as Japan I would stick it out, and start selling my stuff so that by the time March rolls around I will have barely anything and a job hooked up.
If it’s another time of year I’d aim for that. Basically I’m saying it depends on when all of the jobs will be available
This is a business arrangement, which means that you have the right to act in your own self-interest. I guarantee you that if the roles were reversed, she would have zero issues with letting you go without first consulting you if she wanted to close the school and retire. You can do the same.
Her hiring issues are also her own problem. Honestly, if eikiawa owners don’t have the basic business skills necessary to interview and hire decent employees then they should not be in business in the first place.
I have no sympathy for eikaiwa owners who hire rando gaijin without ESL qualifications and then act all surprised and shocked that they don’t know how to teach and are irresponsible and unprofessional.
I think it all boils down to two things:
1) Does your staying here until March serve you well?
2) How much is “extra”?
This is an employee employer relationship. leave aside the “friendship” or any good relationship and think about the reasonable aspects of this arrangement.
You have asked to leave in September which is perfectly reasonable and much more notice than you need to give. Reasonable. Her being upset about it is completely irrelevant.
You are a reliable employee and she wants to keep you around which is reasonable. She wants to continue the school until March. She’s offering you more money if you stay until March. That is also a completely reasonable request.
Now all you have to do is negotiate how much extra money she will pay you, and decide if it’s worth it for you.
You have to decide for yourself, but honestly, if she is willing to pay you a decent amount more, that’s a good chance to get some cash together for the next leg of your journey, and unless the hiring time is terrible for a job in Taiwan (Google tells me that the school year starts in September) I’d consider it personally.
Don’t leave to another country without a job lined up. If you stay with this lady you can get everything planned out and ready for your move. Ask for more money, more than she is offering. Say she’s leaving you without a job too when the school closes and you’re doing her a huge favor and want to be paid for it.
Then spend all this time preparing for the move like the other poster said and finding a job so that it is a smooth transition.
Turn your 30 days in via and email.
Then talk to them. Fuck em.
If the extra pay is good enough, and the timing for the school year in Taiwan can work out, I’d stay. If she’s closing the school in less than a year then it would be very difficult indeed to hire a new teacher. She might have to close the school early. (Of course you’re well within your rights to say “That’s not my problem”)
I… I think you should stay. It sounds actually kind of like your boss has your back. Taiwan’s not going anywhere.
Of course, you can do whatever you want and leave. You are not obligated to stay. But as another user stated, “Taiwan isn’t going anywhere.” It will still be there waiting for you in March.
Karma is real and you will be rewarded for your good deed. Maybe somewhere down the road you will want a reference from your boss. Maybe you will return to Japan. You never know. I returned to live here in 2015 after leaving in 1999. Never thought I’d be back.
Your other option is to be straight with your boss. Tell her that you want to leave, but you are willing to help find a replacement. And, if you can’t find a replacement by, say the end of August, then you will stay.
But since she’s been kind to you and had your back, as you say, I wouldn’t leave her hanging. But that’s just me.
Do what you want not what your boss wants.
If the roles were reversed would she do the same and go the extra mile for you?
If yes, then stay.
If not, leave and enjoy the life you choose to live on your own terms.