Hi,
I’m here on a 5 year Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa with about 3 years left on it, and am working as a full-time employee (æ£ç¤¾å“¡).
I’ve started a new job last spring, but absolutely hate my boss, and am pretty sure the feeling is mutual. She complains that I’m no good at my job, but I feel like she’s micromanaging me and so picky about small details that it’s an unfair judgement. Honestly, I can’t tell if I’m the problem or if she is. The only reason I haven’t been fired is probably because it’s pretty impossible to fire people in Japan.
Anyway, all this to say that I’m super stressed and hate this job and boss so much I want to quit, even if I don’t manage to line up a new job before then.
I know it’s usually not a good idea, but it would free me up for interviews, which I currently don’t have time for.
Also, I understand that it could be problematic for my visa, but I’m at a point in life that I don’t care too much about staying in Japan much longer. But I’m also not quite ready to buy a plane ticket home and finalize leaving Japan.
Would it be feasible to quit my current job without a new job lined up, and then job hunt after?
Specifically I’d like to know;
-If I do, do I need to sign up for National Health Insurance?
-Will I have to leave Japan after 3 months if I don’t get a new job?
-Would it be possible to get remote work for a non Japanese company and stay in Japan?
But any advice welcome!
TIA
18 comments
Yes, you need to sign up for NHI. If you show that you’re actively interviewing, you can stay beyond 3 months. I’m not sure if there is a max duration limit on that. No, you can’t stay with your current visa if you work for a foreign company in JP.
Hi I came to say that I’m in a similar situation and so I appreciate you asking the question!
I know it’s overwhelming so I hope we find the correct answers and get peace of mind
It would sure be a shame if you fell sick and were unable to go to work on a day when you also have an interview lined up..
Quitting before securing a new job is frowned upon here. Especially if you have been in your current company for less than a year.
If you do quit prior to finding a new job be prepared to defend your decision during an interview.
Also keep in mind that saying anything negative about your current employer will hurt your chances of getting the job you are after.
My advice would be to find a recruiter/ consultant that will help you navigate some of the challenging questions questions you will be asked regarding your decision to leave. Being prepared for these questions will ensure that interviews will stay focused on your experience and qualifications rather than your reasons for leaving.
>do I need to sign up for national health insurance?
Yes, you will. And national pension too.
>will I have to leave Japan after 3 months?
As long as you notify immigration within 14 days after your last day. And then physically job hunt in Japan for Japanese employers (keep evidence of job hunt/hello work) and continue to pay your dues (taxes and insurance) then you’re all good until your visa expires as immigration deem job hunting for jobs with Japanese employers the same as working.
>get a remote job for a non-Japanese company.
No. That is not ok. Your work visa only allows you to work for employers domiciled to Japan. If you do that you will be breaking immigration law. You can ask immigration for permission. But unlikely they will provide it.
Get fired and then get job seekers benefits
It’s easier to get hired when you are already working then when you’re not, especially in IT
I did the same thing but worse—visa was about to expire. But I’m fine, and you’ll be too
When my friend was job hunting, she just took mornings or days off when she needed to interview – if as you say it’s so difficult to fire you, even if people complain about it it should be fine to do that. I think it would generally be better to try to line something up.
However, if you do quit yes, you will need national health insurance for while you’re unemployed. The 3 month rule is on the books but in practice as long as you can prove you’re actively job hunting if asked, there’s usually a lot of leeway to let you stay longer, like 6 months or more.
I was in a similar situation during covid, I quitted that job and started searching for a new one. Took me about 4 months to find something, after the first 3 months I had to go to hello work to explain my situation and extend the time here searching.
As many already said I don’t recommend this.
Anyway what kind job are you doing now?
Not a good time to quit.
Quitting without a job lined up will only make your life more difficult.
Current employment status is a common question during job interviews. Not having a job can be impact your chances at being hired and can also lead to being lowballed regarding salary. In addition, you will not immediately be eligible for unemployment benefits.
And yes, it would be necessary to sign up for NHI.
Unless you’re at your wits end and are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I would highly recommend sticking it out at your current job until you find another potential employer. “I hate my boss” is a common problem and not worth placing yourself in a position of uncertainty and insecurity.
it’s your manager’s responsibility to make you grow and set realistic expectations. Your ability was assessed during the recruitment phase.
There’s a chance your manager should not be a manager.
Conclusion: distance yourself from all this, keep getting paychecks and do interviews during your working hours.
Don’t. Voluntarily leaving employment means our unemployment insurance payments will be delayed by 3 months.
Can you get a sick leave? You will be officially employed and you can search for a new job
The question is can you afford to quit without a new job lined-up.
You won’t know what shit life would throw at you while you’re in-between jobs.
I also have a super micromanager boss (female and Japanese). Her type are used to being ‘right’ (in their mind) and having no push-back.
I pulled her into one-on-one meetings twice to tell her that her behaviour is just making me make more mistakes and taking away genuine learning and improvement time. She started getting better the second time, and my work performance also improved. She still has bouts of insane micromanagement fairly frequently, but it’s better than before and I enjoy my work a bit more than before.
I’d suggest confronting yours politely first – you have nothing to lose if you were planning to quit anyways.
Go on mental health leave, collect money from insurance until you join the new company.