Which NOVA contract do I take?

15 comments

1. None

2. Employee is the lesser of two evils, but neither is the better choice by a mile.

   Also heres a better [explanation](https://generalunion.org/4192/) between the two.

3. From the various posts and discussions I have seen and had, enployee is the way to go. Just go go in fully researched and prepared for the job and its issues. I worked for NOVA back when it was considered semi ok. The job was never great but the students I met and the friends I made from then are good memories with some people still in contact

4. Never take independent contractor status. As you noted, both contracts are shite, but IC is worse because you have no guarantee of hours or pay, they can drop you whenever they feel like it, and they don’t have to offer paid holidays or insurance/pension. Paying for those on your own works out to be more expensive in the long run.

   At least as a full employee, you have rights under the law.

5. The pay of the IC is not worth it unless you 100% intend to leave Japan after the first year and never come back (even if you intend on leaving, you might want to stay a second year or more. So why risk it).

   Nova straight up lies to new hires when summarizing the IC contract to them. Honestly i thought they stopped it because its basically illegal what they’re doing.

   If you have any questions feel free to ask.

6. None? Teaching english is a dead end job. If you like to live in poverty, be a slave, and have mental health issues after 6 months then take one.

7. Employee Contract 100%. You get 10 days paid holiday for the first year.

   With the Independent Contract, YOU have to pay Nova if you want a day off / sick etc..

   I worked with this Australian girl in Osaka, she had to pay Nova for the time off so that she could attend her father’s funeral.

8. Which side of your face would you like to be punched in? Probably the same answer.

9. Hey, I also sign mine on Monday. I’m taking the employee contract because the independent contract reads like a bad scam.

   Everybody here saying “lesser of two evils”. Teaching in Japan at entry-level Eikaiwa/ALT is either JET or not-JET. If you can pull a direct hire ALT gig you’ll do better than dispatch or eikaiwa work. But the Golden standard is JET until you age out. And by then you should be well on your way to getting a university gig through a masters degree/teaching certificate in native country or by switching over to China where the CCP is offering well-paid university gigs with great holiday benefits to anyone brave enough to live there on just a bachealor degree.

   NOVA is fine. You’ll only make 220,000 annually (more with side gigs and OT) but you should be living relatively cheap in a sharehouse, with Japan’s low cost of living if you enjoy a seafood/vegetable diet and the wonder of Amazon for getting clothes and goods 50% cheaper than at Japanese malls you’ll still be able to save most of your paycheck unless you feel like living it up each weekend. Even then, you could go blow 20,000 yen on drinks, food, and women every Saturday and still have a little bit left over for the painkillers you’ll need on Sunday.

   Don’t get stuck doing entry level work for a decade. It’s what made all these folks so jaded. And don’t waste your time worrying about saving money on this kind of salary. Keep working towards better opportunities either through furthering your education (even if you’re in your 30’s or 40’s, it’s never too late) and by building professional relationships within the community. The goalpost is a comfortable direct-hire teaching gig and hopefully naturalized or spousal citizenship for retirement or landing a university gig.

   That’s my advice. It might not be good or accurate advice, but it’s how I’m living my life.

10. Not sure how much it’s changed since 2020 but the paid holidays and fear of doing their own taxes is what made people I know take the employee contract. Also if there are still doing the major holiday long unpaid breaks Obon and Christmas be ready to lose about half your salary for those months. My friends went from about ¥210,000 to about ¥130,000 before taxes. If you’re using company provided apartment don’t try to make seem professionally cleaned when moving out. Not matter how much or little you clean they’ll still charge you ¥40,000 cleaning fee.

11. You’re better off teaching at KidsDuo

12. People probably won’t agree but as an independent contractor I think you pay less tax. Also, you will be responsible for your own health insurance and pension, and paying tax, and I know that many areas don’t force you to pay pension or health insurance, so if you are healthy and young, it seems like not paying health or pension is better, if you don’t have a family.

    I know people that didn’t pay health insurance or pension for 20 years, were never chased or harassed by either employers or the government, and that seems like a better option for many.

    With mynumber, things might be changing.

    If you are planning to stay in Japan your whole life, it might be better to follow the rules because it could come back to bite you, but if you are here for a year or two, then I would go independent.

    I am not sure of the advantages of being an employee.

13. Employee is the way to go. With the new income tax changes coming in, you’ll be paying more tax, which will cut your pay, and higher pay is the only benefit of the ID contract. Nova treats IDs like employees already, but you have no workers rights, no paid holidays, and Nova doesn’t match your contributions to your pension or health insurance.

14. May the gods have mercy on your soul.

15. OP’s next topic: Which shit sandwich should I eat?