I work for a dispatch company and they’ve almost always said no even when you request a day off months in advance. They refused me to take a day early before winter break so I could come home and ever since then whenever I had something important to do I just call in sick on the day so they won’t say much. I’ve heard others get denied even when they had to take care of immigration issues, marriage, etc. because they’re not emergencies.
Thinking of taking May 2nd off for golden week but seems like it’s too obvious to call in sick on that day. Any advice on what to say or do?
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I’ve been approved for those days. Unless the BOE scheduled mandatory “training” on that day, which was often. In that case, leave denied.
They love to dick you around though. I’ve had friends who had leave approved and then after booking a trip/hotel/concert were told they actually had to come in and warm a desk that day.
Just call in sick, who cares? Borders are closed, dispatch jobs are a dime a dozen.
As a former dispatch ALT, I was able to take days off when requested with a few caveats.
-More than double the classroom time required by MEXT
-Timed my absence to have little impact on scheduling and classroom
-Always brought snacks from my small town to the staff at the branch during trainings.
This was in the Tohoku area so things were a bit smaller and the community was a little tighter knit. But showing the staff that you care about your work and them as well means a lot in how they schedule things or how lenient they are.
I doubt there’s any magic formula. They deny holidays as a matter of course.
If this is not a school day where they would need to replace you with another teacher, there is no reason not to allow you a holiday.
But the only way to guarantee the day off is to call in sick, and turn off your phone afterwards so they can’t call you back to yell at you.
The downside is that you’ll have to tolerate the yelling when you get back, and they may threaten not to renew your contract. Do you care? If you care, then you probably should just resign yourself to working that day.
If you do call in sick, don’t feel overly guilty. You owe them nothing. They treat you like dirt, so you may as well do the same.
Just do it man. Think of your contact point as your personal secretary. Don’t ask them for days off. Tell them when your going to take your day off and have them make all the arrangements.Japanese love our non-Japanesisms.
In regards to denying you paid leave to go home, is that crossing the international border?? Think about it that they want to deal with the corona situation and you unexpectedly being quarantined at a designated hotel.
Anyway with one day off on Golden week you like to request, I don’t have an answer for you. Because neither sides (your employer and maybe…) are no good.
I don’t mind about real sickness and I can be understanding if employer gives a foreigner a crazy hard time – for example, foreigner must still go to work soon even if hospitalized.
I always use to frame the email as a **notice** that I am taking a holiday, not a request. I usually still got a call about it but it was clear by their voice over the phone that I was more in control than I would have been if I were *asking*. I was never refused a day off when doing this, but I’m not sure how it would work with other companies since I only have my limited experience to go off of.
WTF? Your PTO days can never be refused.
Still, there might exist a company policy about when you request them.
All the time.
I have done it a few times …. But …. I am pretty sure a Japanese teacher wouldn’t think of doing it …. Just don’t do it too often and preferably you have been a good teacher (haven’t caused any trouble)