Your contract Rules Administrative Issues

1. Your contractRulesAdministrative Issues

2. EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTbetween YOU and your Contracting Organization (CO) • For all other JETs working for a municipality, your CO and host institution are usually the same; •  i.e. the BOE in the town or village that you work at. • Contact point - Shane and Watanabe San • For ALTs who have entered into a contract with Gifu Prefecture, the official CO is the Gifu Prefecture Board Of Education; • Your school is your host institution. • Contact point  Tammalings and Endo Sensei Your host institution is responsible for your basic needs and your salary!

3. Employment Conditions • Statement of Agreement – please read thoroughly and understand this document • Know your obligations and entitlements • Duties; working hours; paid leave; sick leave; bereavement leave etc • If you do not understand something, please talk to your host institution for clarification • Keep a copy of your contract at work & at home • You may recontract if your host institution agrees • (in some cases, up to 4-5 years) • Recontracting intention is usually required by November the year BEFORE (keep your eye out for this paperwork), and your final decision by the first week of February the SAME year • PLEASE FULFIL YOUR CONTRACT WHERE POSSIBLE • - Last year 2 JETs decided not to fulfill their contract. One BOE has therefore decided not to take JETs antmore.

4. Your payslip

5. Example salary increase if reappointed 3rd year gross annual salary will increase to 3.9 million yen, and if a 4th and 5th year contract is entered into, 3.96 million yen.

6. Remittances • Go Remit – 2000 yen https://www.goremit.jp/index/en (Plus intermediate bank fees) • Western Union http://www.westernunion.co.jp/en/index.php Fees are based on the amount you send 1-10,000yen (990yen) 10,001-50,000 (1500) 50,000 – 97,000 (3,000) • Your Personal Bank Varies based on your bank (My bank about 3500) Plus intermediary fees • Japan Post Bank 2500yen (plus intermediary fees)

7. Tax in Japan for JETS Income tax • Not always automatically deducated from your salary – check with your CO • US and Irish tax exemptions are only for 2 years only and still require you to submit a tax return to your home country • All JETs should be in the practice of checking whether they are free from home country income tax payments while abroad Residency (inhabitant) tax • Not always automatically deducated from your salary – check with your CO. • If you seem to be receiving more ‘take home pay’ than your JET colleagues, it could be because the CO is not deducting your inhabitant taxes. If so, you might need to save this money each month for when the bill comes in June • Calculated in June each year by the municipality in which you live, based on your previous year’s salary (calendar year) • If you change prefectures / jobs on JET on your own volition (ie. You have a partner in Tokyo / ask for transfer), you may be required to pay all of your residency tax yourself

8. Your JET number 2014******* • Write it down somewhere where you will NOT lose it. • This number is required for important occasions such as: • Making claims under your accident insurance • Applying and submitting tests for the JET Japanese course • Recording your attendance at conferences • Voting in AJET elections

9. HEALTH INSURANCE • Compulsory participation - you pay half the premium, CO pays half　（appearing on your paycheck is the half that you pay) • When you go to the doctor/hospital, you only have to pay 30% of the cost for most treatments • Does not cover preventative medicine, unnecessary checkups • For overseas treatment, pay upfront and bring all paperwork and receipts back to claim • This covers your dependants too • Carry health insurance card with you at all times

10. Jet Programme Accident Insurance Policy • Covers illness or injury in Japan caused by accident, not pre-existing conditions. The remaining 30% of your medical bill can be claimed back (remember 70% is paid by the national health insurance) • Your host institution pays the premium • Can also be used as travel insurance for up to 30 days whilst travelling back to your home country • But electing to travel overseas for treatment, you may not be covered (read notes) • You need to know your JET number to make a claim • A deductable of 5000 yen applies • Does not include things like damaged / lost luggage, dental, treatment received more than 180 days after accident, family member’s treatment

11. Employment Insurance • You are also enrolled in this by your CO (required by law) • Entitles you to unemployment benefits if you are deemed eligible after completion of the JET Programme and remain in Japan on a valid visa status (requires registration at Hello Work) See the Gifu Jets blog for more on this • (Search “unemployment”) • Pension • Your CO pays into a pension as you work. There is also an insurance component to this pension, which can be accessed if you sustain serious injury or death whilst paying into the scheme. • Also required by law

12. Overtime – no official monetary compensation. • It is possible to get *daikyu in some circumstances; • *If you are asked to work outside normal hours, please discuss the issue of compensatory time off beforehand! Keep written record of extra work & get it signed by supervisor. • Salary – please keep in mind that our salary conditions as JETs are considerably better than that of the average Japanese citizen – be gracious if approached by colleagues about this delicate issue. Do not disclose your salary to 3rd parties. • Sick leave – depending on your host institution/CO, you may need a medical certificate (shindansho); • Please use your holidays before the end of your contract – leaving early can significantly inconvenience your employer. • Try to save some of your holidays for an emergency – in case you have to fly home for some unexpected reason

13. Japanese people (regardless of vocation) collectively take time off at three times each year. • End of year / New Year (up to about 1 week) • Golden Week (late April, early May, grouping of Children’s Day, Greenery Day, other public holidays) • Obon (commemoration of deceased ancestors) • Aug 13 – 17 (M-F)

14. At work

15. Which are you? Senior High School Senior High School ALTs are placed at one high school, and teach 5 days a week there. As a Senior High School ALT you are employed by Gifu Prefecture Board of Education which is your Contracting Organization (CO). Your base school is your Host Institution. Your supervisor is likely a JTE (Japanese Teacher of English), with whom you will have a lot of direct contact. City, Town, or Village (Municipal) Board of Education This means you will be hired by the Board of Education (BOE) in your city, town, or village, so your paycheck will come directly from them and they are your Contracting Organization. You will spend most of your time based in a junior high school and may make visits to other schools in the area. You may spend a day or two at an elementary school, or sometimes go on a weekly basis. You may also teach adult night classes, and this will be written into your contract. Your supervisor will likely be a local Board of Education Office Worker, overseeing more than one ALT. Co-ordinator of International Relations You will be under contract with the Gifu Prefectural International Affairs Division working in either the International Affairs Division itself or in the International Centre, both in Gifu City. There are 8 CIRs in Gifu and you could be interpreting at the French Embassy to talking to a Chinese Primary School about art. You are likely to have two supervisors, one responsible for your work and another in charge of JET responsibilites.

16. Example School Annual Schedule of Events JHS Summer Holidays

17. Example School Annual Schedule of Events SHS

18. The JET: A Public Figurehead • As JETs you are considered to be public servants  expected to set an example; • You will stand out in your community • NO DRUGS • NO DRINK DRIVING– don’t get in a car if you know the driver has been drinking • NO LEGAL TROUBLE • one way ticket home and other serious repercussions – jail, interrogation, prosecution • Reflects badly on the JET Programme and your home country

19. Protect Yourself from Legal Issues • No posting, sending or otherwise making available photos, video, images, names, addresses, academic performance, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. of students, teachers and staff, without explicit permission from the parent/guardians, teachers, and other authorities • Failure to follow the above conditions violates the JET contract and the law→ potentially resulting in termination! • Exercise caution when using facebook, blogs, etc. • Avoid insults, slander, offensive remarks→Exercise etiquette! • Disciplineof students: • Japanese teacher’s responsibility • No corporal punishment • No exchanging personal email addresses or phone numbers, or other personal contact info with students • No giving a ride to a student

20. Gifu Prefecture Ordinance for the Sound Upbringing of Juveniles(Under 18 Years) • No sexual harassment, sexually related dialogue or acts, showing students sexual (naked, etc.) images, etc. • No providing a location for or serving as a mediator of any of the following: • Inappropriate sexual acts or harassment • Tattooing • Imbibing of alcohol, smoking No accompaniment of a juvenile outside of their home between 10PM – 4AM by any person, without good cause Imprisonment and / or heavy fines may apply in these cases (http://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/kurashi/kosodate/seishonen-ikusei/suishin/jyourei.html)

21. Health Check(Kenkou Shindan) • You are asked to participate in this basic health check twice a year • It is the responsibility of your employer to keep you informed of your health • If you have problems with certain testing – • do not be afraid to mention it. • Results are based on the average Japanese body shape / build. Naturally larger framed foreigners are commonly reported to be ‘overweight’.

22. BMI Differences

23. Communication barriers Sample Western View: Sample Japanese View: Spoken language Spoken language Rules and guidelines often unspoken; problems often dealt with indirectly Rules and guidelines should be stated; problems should be dealt with directly Bachnik, J. “At Home in Japan.” http://athome.nealrc.org/what.html

24. Read the signs !(without getting paranoid) • Noncommittal “answers” to your ideas and questions (things are rarely decided on the spot, but collectively. Carefully follow the chain of command) • 2. Repeated “mentioning” of something (yes, this probably means someone has something to say, but won’t say it directly) • 3. Physical attendance (Sometimes just ‘being there’ counts more than anything) • 4. Being available (Flexibility is very highly regarded, especially for JETS)

25. Enkai Etiquette(Work function / party) • 歓迎会 (Kangeikai) ーWelcome • Wait for the Kanpai! (I never do this  ) • Don’t pour your own beer • Speeches • Nijikai – Post enkai • Sanjikai – Post-post enkai • Seiza for formal situations • (Nobody really cares)

26. Japan & alcohol There is an idea held by some people that drinking helps break down barriers allow co-workers to relax and open-up. These events are commonly rather heavy-drinking in nature, usually concluding with one of your Japanese coworkers very red-faced and loud. Accessibility: Alcohol is sold in machines on the street, in the corner store and at the supermarket! What, you don’t drink more?? Do not feel as if you HAVE to drink. As non-Japanese, we are often stereotyped as ‘heavy drinkers’… You are well within your rights to refuse, however try to do it politely. If you do drink, be careful of the different types of alcohol and the possibility that your body absorbs it differently. Living by yourself in a foreign country, amongst colleagues that celebrate their week with ‘a few drinks’, can often lead to a change in your drinking habits. ‘Binging’, getting home safely but driving first thing in the morning when alcohol is still in your blood, and becoming reliant on alcohol at home during the long cold winter, are all activities to try to avoid where possible. By all means, have a drink and enjoy yourself ! But know the laws and be careful NOT TO DRIVE. Alcoholics Anonymous: ０３－３９７１－１４７１　(English)