October 17th, 2007This Is Getting a Little Crazy
Okay, this is getting a little crazy. I knew that working in Japan would be quite a bit different from working in Canada, but I never expected it to be quite like this.
I’m relatively new at my place of work. I’m doing a job that is quite different from what I’m accustomed to doing, and I think the challenge is a great way to break through the thinking habits of database designers and software engineers (both of which require very different thinking approaches). I currently live an hour away from my work, and commute by train on a daily basis. All in all, I can live with the hour-long train ride each way so long as the hours are not too early in the day (getting to Nagoya everyday at noon is perfect for me and my wife’s schedule).
That said, it seems that the schedule for three of the last six work days have been quite erratic. I either start incredibly early, which makes things very hard on my family here, or I start early and work late. Only thrice have I had a shift where I can go in at noon and prepare some decent work, and work until 9:15. Tomorrow, though, is another story.
Tomorrow I need to travel to a different school to teach. Normally this isn’t a problem as there are four schools in Nagoya. I am based at the main school, but have also been trained and taught at the Sakae office (a 5 minute trip on the subway). However, tomorrow’s trek will take me all the way to Toyota City … two and a half hours away if I catch all the right trains at the right time. It’s also city I’ve never been to, with references I’m not even remotely familiar with. Sure, I have some instructions on how to get there, but I’m a master at getting *very* lost. To add some insult to injury, I even get my perfect shift … 1:00 pm to 9:10. This would be great if I were at the main Nagoya school but, if I were to work until 9:10 in Toyota City, I would be forced to spend the night at a hotel. There is no way I could get back home by train and, even if I could, it would be past midnight before I arrived.
Not cool.
I’m starting to see why so many foreigners tend to end their contracts prematurely. At first I had thought it was because we Westerners have a very nonchelant way of looking at a work contract, but after talking to several experienced teachers and seeing this little happenstance occur all within my first week of employment … I’m at a loss for words.
I understand that I’m pretty much an immigrant to this nation, which means that I can get tasked with all the stuff that other people don’t want to do. I also understand that being a new recruit means that I get tasked with all the stuff that other people don’t want to do. But at what point is it alright to turn around and say "Look, I appreciate the work, and I thank you for the opportunities you offer, but I just can’t do it like this!" ?
If I were single and 10 years younger, then coming home at 1 am only to wake up again five hours later to start the next day wouldn’t bother me too much. The "newness" of making money would be enough to motivate me just enough to keep my mouth shut and head down. But when we’re married, schedules like this seriously cut into our family time, and there is no amount of money (no amount that I can earn, that is) that can justify it.
Have you ever had to work in this kind of situation? How long could you do it before either putting your foot down and saying "Please … no more" or walking away? I’ll be talking to my managers about this tomorrow, and I really hope that we can arrange something that is acceptable to the school, as well as my family and I. I’d hate to be forced from my very first job because of something like this 
YES. Been there, done that and to a lesser degree am still doing it now. English teachers in Japan are easily replaced, and are therefore at the mercy of their employers, especially if they sponsor your visa and guarantee your apartment - then you’re stuck. I have lots of advice I could share with you Jason, but this wouldn’t be the best place to do it.
Are you planning to stay in Japan for a few years? It might not be a bad idea to invest in a car.
Eventually Reiko and I will go and buy a car. But since I can’t justify buying a car just to park it at a train station all day, my money could be better spent elsewhere
Nick, it’s certainly nice to know that English teachers are a dime a dozen in Japan as it means I don’t need to worry *too* much if I have an anneurizm and need to spend some time in the hospital. I’d hate for my employer to suffer because my body might be a little frail after years of high-stress jobs
That said, I don’t know if it’s because I’m a very detail oriented person, but I expect Japanese schedules to be incredibly efficient and regular to a fault. I don’t mind working hard, and I’ve never done a half-assed job on anything in my life. Every place I’ve ever worked for (from Burger King to this current place) I’ve worked really hard to make sure I live up to my responsibilities and the customers are happy. I learned from a young age that something not done right is best not done at all. So when I get some really difficult schedules, I don’t get stressed because of how much work it might be, or how difficult it might be to accomplish the goals, but instead I’m frustrated because I can’t physically be in two places at once (or in yesterday’s case, I couldn’t make a 2.5 hour trip in 45 minutes)
Oh well … it wasn’t *too* bad today. I managed to get to Toyota City without getting lost, and even had fun while working
Have you ever had to work in this kind of situation?
Been there. Worked for a small ‘consulting’ that was acquired by Sprint. I was put on a contract whose work location was a 2-3 hour drive from my house. In rush hour. In the summer - with an iffy a/c in an elderly car.
It was made clear that I didn’t have to take the gig. But the powers-that-be would be mighty pleased if I did. So .. I did. That was a long summer.
I spent a lot of time looking for a new job. Problem was the benefits and salary were hard to beat.
After four months layoffs were announced. I got a nice sev bonus, sweated bullets for three weeks and found a better job - with the people I’m still working for seven years later.
I could not have lasted much longer at that last consulting gig so it all worked out rather nicely.
I’m glad to hear that you didn’t have to commute that long for a year or two. While it’s sometimes nice to take a long drive, I would think that spending 6 hours a day in your car would make you wonder if the job was really worth the paycheque
Would it be possible to move closer to Nagoya? If not, maybe you could start looking for a new job that is closer to home or telling your employer that Toyota city is out of the question. Its been a few days now, how did your meeting go with your boss?
Is it possible to move closer? Well … technically yes, but it’s not in the budget right now. After being unemployed for almost three months the money just isn’t there to pay all the fees involved with getting an apartment. That, and I shouldn’t have to move for a job like this. Maybe if the pay was about 70% higher I could justify the initial outlay … but right now it’s just not in the cards.
After meeting with my manager, he apologized for the trip to Toyota and the late return time. Going to Toyota isn’t the worst thing, really (aside from the poor transit system and lack of Non-Japanese friendly signs). It was the late return time that upset me.
Either way, it’s been worked out. Reiko and I plan on getting a place slightly closer to Nagoya next spring, but we don’t want to rush things that we can’t easily afford