ESL Teaching - Jobs, lesson plans - View Single Post - 31 Bad Flavors: International School of English in Aobadai Yokohama

Ganbaru · Tue 25-Mar-08, 03:09 AM

To begin, I would like to affirm EVERYTHING that was said in this original posting. As a former ISE employee I strongly advise all people to stay away from this place for your financial and mental health. As a short addendum to the previous posting, I would like to add four bonus 'flavors' to ISE's repetoire:

1) When an ISE payday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you will not get paid on the previous Friday (which is the norm in the rest of the world), you will get paid on the Monday following the weekend -just hope it isnt a three day holiday.

2) The Japanese Labor Code clearly states that all employees are entitled to 10 paid vacation days per year. In the ISE contract, it is clearly stated that ISE will 'afford vacation days according to Japanese Labor Standards', but you are only given 5 days per year (and very scant holidays).

3) At the time of my resignation, Mr. Lee had written in a fine of 50,000 yen per month of uncompleted contract in the event that you choose to leave Japan or ISE early. Please know that this is 100% illegal. No employer is legally able to write fines into a contract that penalize employees for leaving early.

4) My personal favorite!!! There was an article in an old Metropolis magazine (the most popular English magazine in the Tokyo area) all about the formation of labor unions for teachers caught in unfair or unethical/illegal working situations. When this issue arrived at ISE, a friend and I picked it up and read it with interest at lunch. However, when we returned to ISE an hour later the magazines were nowhere to be found!!! While I dont know exactly what happened, I believe that Mr. Lee fears his employees joining a union as this would force him to conform his business practices to the letter of Japanese law and treat his employees as real people, not just things to be manipulated.

If, after all this, you still choose to work for ISE then please know that you were duly informed of what your experience would be like. Personally, I wouldnt advise anyone -even someone looking for work- to apply, but as the saying goes "to each his own". Good luck in your job search and work experience!

Tue 25-Mar-08, 03:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ganbaru ESL Newbie Join Date: Mar 2008 Occupation: Teacher Location: Posts: 1	Re: 31 Bad Flavors: International School of English in Aobadai Yokohama To begin, I would like to affirm EVERYTHING that was said in this original posting. As a former ISE employee I strongly advise all people to stay away from this place for your financial and mental health. As a short addendum to the previous posting, I would like to add four bonus 'flavors' to ISE's repetoire: 1) When an ISE payday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you will not get paid on the previous Friday (which is the norm in the rest of the world), you will get paid on the Monday following the weekend -just hope it isnt a three day holiday. 2) The Japanese Labor Code clearly states that all employees are entitled to 10 paid vacation days per year. In the ISE contract, it is clearly stated that ISE will 'afford vacation days according to Japanese Labor Standards', but you are only given 5 days per year (and very scant holidays). 3) At the time of my resignation, Mr. Lee had written in a fine of 50,000 yen per month of uncompleted contract in the event that you choose to leave Japan or ISE early. Please know that this is 100% illegal. No employer is legally able to write fines into a contract that penalize employees for leaving early. 4) My personal favorite!!! There was an article in an old Metropolis magazine (the most popular English magazine in the Tokyo area) all about the formation of labor unions for teachers caught in unfair or unethical/illegal working situations. When this issue arrived at ISE, a friend and I picked it up and read it with interest at lunch. However, when we returned to ISE an hour later the magazines were nowhere to be found!!! While I dont know exactly what happened, I believe that Mr. Lee fears his employees joining a union as this would force him to conform his business practices to the letter of Japanese law and treat his employees as real people, not just things to be manipulated. If, after all this, you still choose to work for ISE then please know that you were duly informed of what your experience would be like. Personally, I wouldnt advise anyone -even someone looking for work- to apply, but as the saying goes "to each his own". Good luck in your job search and work experience!