Any Gaijins has any Horror stories while working for a Japanese Company?

Question

There are a few selected bunch of gaijins that work for japanese companies, NOT as teachers, but regular company employees. I want to know what problems or obstacles you faced in your company..... Also, i heard in South Korea , that many english teachers working at "Hogwans" were illegally terminated before their contracts ended.. please elaborate on this too

thanks shaolin..like you know something...hahaha. not pissed at your answer at all...

shaolin i see u can handle some BIG words...hahahaha

Answer 1

I am a "sei shai in" for a very big typical Japanese company. My horror stories could go on forever, but here are my top examples.

1. Cylo and compartmentalized attitudes and structures that slow down productivity and progress. Working on IT based systems for global use, one department is very reluctant to commit to another department. "Its not our area," "oh we should discuss with other groups," I just wan to tell them, you are the project manager, YOU can make the decision that gets us the business!"

2. Nemawashi and tatemae, as an American I sometimes think people are just lying to each other. After sometime, I fugured that they were giving me the answer I expected, not their real answer opinion. After I nemawashi or talk to every person about the same thing, but on a one on one basis, I could get the real answer.

3. Yes means No but no means no. In preparation for large key account and meetings between our potential customer's decision makers and top management we just cannot come up with the right way to say or no. Major customer asks "Can you support X, Y & Z?" Our response is "Sorry, No." It kills me, and I suggest, a different answer such as, "Technically possible and could be implemented in version 2.X"

4. As a gaijin, upward and lateral movement is tough. It takes political allies and friends in management. HR will enforce their hard HR policies. Only the general manager or someone up high can make it happen.

Answer 2

I've worked at several Korean hagwons, so I can comment on this point. Like you I was wary of working in Korea because of the many horror stories that come out of Korea from expats returning home or forced to work elsewhere. My experience is that you should definitely be cautious when dealing with *all* of the private Korean English schools, a.k.a. hagwons, and quite a few of the public English schools as well.

The early termination of contracts is one of the tactics used by some Korean employers to easily avoid the mandatory severance pay issued to E2 visa holders (I'm not sure if this rule applies to the other myriad types of work visas in the ROK.). Before the 12-month contract is completed, the employer may fabricate a reason to fire the employee, and in doing so, he or she doesn't have to pay the former employee severance pay. However, there is an ever growing community of expat workers in Korea who are using the justice system in Korea to fight this kind of illegal practice, but probably only a fraction of the many who are getting ripped off. By the way, Korean employers are infamous for these kinds of tactics, so I repeat - be wary. The best insurance to avoid this kind of thing happening to you with a prospective employer is to speak to other current or former native English teachers of the school.

Answer 3

What some shady operators in the ROK do is intentionally hire teachers who lack visas. When it gets near the end of their contract, they report their own employee to the immigration authorities and the teacher is deported. That way they save paying the last months pay and completion bonus. I guess anyone who is working illegally is kind of asking for trouble, but it's still a very sleazy tactic to rat out your own employee to save money.

Answer 4

Oh convinced, do not opt to exhibit own information about my boss, yet i visit merely say doctor's are human beings too and they have their issues the picture of every person else does. merely because they pass to college for 8-10 years does no longer advise they're exempt from the united statesand downs of life!

Answer 5

Yes: there were some gaijins who were lazy, culturally inept, unethical, and constantly bad-mouthed the Japanese culture and Japanese people.

Was this the kind of answer you were looking for? Me no think so.