When taking a day off.

25 comments

1. That’s unfortunate that you have such terrible bosses

2. Can confirm, not true. Op has a shit boss. The company I work for seriously values me and I’m not gonna say I can do what I want but I can do what I want within reason.
   OP, i’m sorry you’re in the situation you’re in but it’s not the only situation that you could be in. You could possibly be in a situation that was much better for you. In my opinion you should start looking for other solutions to your problem.

3. Holy fuck, the gaslighting in this thread.

   The guy has a shit boss. Lots of shit bosses are out there. Good for fucking you if you don’t have one, but why piss on someone who needs to vent?

4. Not every boss is like that

5. I haven’t felt bad about taking a day off since I was like 20… I realized at that time that companies are able to exist because they all exploit their workers. Ever since, I’ve been trying to do as a little work as possible😂

6. You are legally entitled to your PTO and making you feel bad for taking it is power harassment. My recommendation is take any records on this that you can, throw them at your prefecture’s labor board, and bounce asap. There are much better places out there.

7. Usually the franchise companies are better with this kind of thing. Find a new job.

8. Japan.

   Better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

   “Kaze.”

   That’s all you need to say.

   They use it too.

9. OP has a shit boss, but so do I and many people here. I had bosses like this in the UK too. Bosses are just shitty sometimes

10. Sorry your boss is like that. If one of my employees can’t make it in I cover their shifts. And I am more than happy to make accommodations if they tell me in advance. As others have said it may be power harassment or maybe just lack of employees to cover lessons. Either way your boss is still bound by rules. Use them.

11. I remember I wanted one extra day off to extend my holiday and I told them 6 MONTHS ahead of time, and it was a day where I didn’t have many classes, just one private lesson. It was rejected and 6 more were added to that day.

12. I did this once to interview for another job. Best decision of my life.

13. It’s exactly the same in the UK so I’m already used to it. Only difference is that in Japan it’s definitely more, do first explain later kind of atmosphere

14. This makes me appreciate my manager even more.
    She alway lets me take my day off. Even when upper management said I couldn’t, she encouraged that I take the requested day off.

    I guess going to work 99% of the time and not being late really helps build trust and commitment.

15. Two thoughts.

    Employee absences are part of the cost of doing business.

    Employees are covered by Japan’s labor law – you inform your employer you’re taking a paid leave day. It’s polite to give notice and there is no requirement to explain why you take a paid leave day. You just say “private reasons”.

    By law, employers have to ensure employees take at least five of their allotted paid leave days each year (note that employers can determine the days).

16. I take days off whenever I want lol

17. I remember my boss saying if I have to take a day off they’d have to cram more lessons in to make up for the loss. Told him if you do that I’m off mate and that was that. I felt Eikaiwa was so much more hands on than being an ALT.

18. You just work at a shithole. That’s a huge assumption that damages the relationship of places that actually care about their workers.

19. OP, find a new job.

20. Always play the”i am sick today” card! Always.
    Here is the matrix
    1 day: I am sick
    2 to 3 days : I am sick I have stomach flu
    A week : I am sick . Got fever I think it’s covid.
    Two weeks: I have Covid

    I have learnt that being honest bites you in the ass hard.

21. This is Japanese shame culture. Don’t feel bad about it. I once had a similar boss. If you tell them that you need time off, then they are responsible to find a good replacement and they have some culpability in approving the day off. However, if you just call in at the last minute because it is an “emergency,” your boss is less responsible to find a quality substitute, and he has zero blame in your decision. They also know Westerners take more time off than Japanese, but unless you are such a burden that they wish to fire you, there will be no consequences for you.

22. Have you heard about the General Union? It is your right to take time off that is allotted in your contract. F em

23. I took time off work at a small dispatch company with a single owner in Osaka. Told my boss 24+ hours in advance each time I was going to take days or hours off. She was pissed, tried to guilt and gaslight me over it, but never refused.

    My boss later used a clause in the contract to say I was *absent* all those times and charged me double my hourly rate for not showing up. Took ¥30,000 extra off my salary for the month.

    When I demanded an explanation, she said, “I’ve got meetings. Busy.” Never talked about it. Told her I booked a meeting with the Labor Bureau. She said, “I see. Sure, let’s talk. I’ll let you know when we can meet.” Never heard from her again about it.

    I enjoy living in Japan. I enjoy teaching. But I fucking hate almost every employment situation.

    You should have to pass an ethics test to be able to employ others. Maybe we’d have fewer monsters in charge of companies.

24. Back when I was with dispatch, our direct supervisor who was also a foreigner who used to be an ALT would pressure us into not taking the paid day off and tell is to do whatever it is we need to do on weekend instead. I of course said that I would be taking the day off.

    I would later find out my direct supervisor would be the one subbing in for me and I knew why he was trying so hard to make me not take the day off.

25. Even at interac, the greatest evil in japan, had no issue with me taking days off on normal school days. Your boss was just a huge dickhead