Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

I know that alot of nova teachers read this...

I, and most of the people i know havent been working since october 1st. If everyone did this, the company would have gone bankrupt a few days later. Why are people going to work and prolonging the misery?
Lack of something better to do?
Devotion to the company?
Morbid fascination with the process?
Wanna bone students?

Im spending my time setting up a new company and looking for jobs, i suppose its advantages for me that most people still seem to be going, but i could be sitting pretty on employment insurance and working on the website for my new company if you fools would jsut STOP WORKING FOR FREE AT A COMPANY THAT WILL SOON BE BANKRUPT!

I have nothing but contempt for the japanese staff, who after i explained that if i dont get paid (which im sure i wont) i have no money to pay for rent, food, bills, or even a fricking ticket home! Meanwhile, 95% of the j-staff go home to mummy and daddy where their bills are paid, food provided and they are in a fine position to job hunt for as long as they need... After explaining all this, their only comment was that I could go to jail for soliciting students (to put bread on my table).

I have no time for stupidity. That also goes for the foreigners that continue to go to work in this environment.

STOP WORKING! SINK THE S#ITTY HOLE RIDDEN SHIP YOU IDIOTS!!

-Mod (Shiga)

I dunno. Its against the contract, specifically stated. I figure its not as illegal as not paying staff tho.

Oh, some advice?

I called head office and said i cant work because im stressed about my next paycheck not coming and about all the new teachers that nova keeps brining in asking me questions (as im an experienced instructor) and me not being able to provide answers as their is no communication from head office or management.

I then went to a doctor, told him, and he gave me a medical certificate valid until after pay day. If we get paid, fine, i'm covered. If we don't, fine, doesn't matter anyway. You can all do the same thing if you are worried about not going to work. Im sure you have enough savings until pay day if nova doesnt bite the bullet (this payday). And when it does, its only 5 days till employment insurance.

Great link to the Japan economics blog. THOSE guys really seem to know what they're talking about, unlike Saruhashi and the rest of management at Nova. I think by now it should be abundantly clear to all who've been paying attention, with the exception of those so self-diluted that they refuse to see the writing on the wall, that Nova is DEAD! Finally, the mysterious investor(s) have been revealed as nothing but a last ditch effort to prolong peoples hope that the company would survive. Kind of like people who refuse the pull the plug on someone who's already brain dead. Well can't say it was fun while it lasted because it wasn't. Of course there are those out there who I will miss working with and joking around with during breaks. I can honestly say that I met some pretty cool people during my time at Nova, of course there were more than a few loads who should've been swallowed, not to put too fine a point on it. For those of you still volunteering at Nova, you really need to wake up and smell the coffee that's burning in the coffee maker and stop going in because you will not be getting paid this month or anytime soon!

I disagree! all regular instructors will be paid.....

Sahashi is closing the deal on something bigger....

His will! ( not future tense)

You are more than welcome to disagree. You are also more than welcome to put a dead cat on your head and walk aroung town dressed in a cardboard box while singing "I'm a little tea pot". Neither idea would be less rational. Your choice though.

Mate, if anybody was in an interview and they were stupid enough to say they were toppatsuing everyday, they deserve to not get the position. Its called LYING. Its something everybody does in an interview and a resume. If you don't, ur at a severe disadvantage, and if an employer thinks you aren't, they probably arent worth working for.
As i stated in my post, i've given notice for a lengthy absence and have proof that i was 'ill'. Im not 'arseing about' at work, and am working all day everyday to set up a new venture.
I dont care about the Japanese staff anymore. My BT had to stop some co-workers from ripping 1 of our staffs throat out because she was still lying to customers and taking 3 and a half grand in tuition fees last week. Mind you, anyone stupid enough to join nova right now deserves to lose their money, but that doesnt change the fact she was telling people 'Nova is fine, its a big company and the problems arent as bad as the media is saying'.

Sending the company bankrupt will do nothing but help my co-workers, and i wish people would start helping themselves. I've got all my bases covered for any eventuality, and i suggest other people do the same (even if it just means securing a loan in the event you have no other choice but to go home).
I just wish that people would wake the f%ck up, but congratulations to you on your new position.

Lying is part of business. Look at any business case study or autobiography of any companys CEO. They have all admitted to lying or cheating at some point to get where they are. Sahashi might be a dick who has fucked us all over, but there is no denying that at one stage he was very very sucessful, and what did he do? Lie. Look at any politician, i dont even need to justify that one.
Most of the lies come out when a company goes bankrupt or it becomes public, but you must be deluding yourself if you think that most people follow or should follow the ethics that you espouse.
You ask if this is what the world is coming to? Find on point in history where people were different. Its a fact of life, people will lie, cheat, steal, beg, borrow, deceive and do anything they can to succeed. People may only choose to do this when their backs are against the wall, some people might do it as much as they can get away with... Right now, most people are in a situation where:
They dont have a lot of savings, either through spending it or sending it home to pay off student loans as i have.
They dont have a ticket home, as nova recommended to new teachers not to buy a return ticket or they have been here over a year.
They dont think they will get paid, and are still turning up to work or working on their future.
They are in a job market flooded with teachers (that abc radio broadcast talked about 800 applicants for 1 position).
They dont have many contacts because they have mainly been socialising with other Nova teachers.
Seems like most peoples backs are against the wall to me...

Dont waste your pity on people 'like me'. I dont need it. Im a realist. If you want to pity someone, pity the new teachers who nova has fucked over the worst. Pity people like one of the new teachers who said to me he would be better off jumping in front of a train than being in the situation he is in now. Pity people like one of the new teachers who was in tears at work not knowing about her future. Pity people like a teacher i know who has been here for more than 10 years and has just had baby. He doesnt have time to look for a new job and needs a guaranteed income because his wife cant work.

In response to the first part of your post, I just say that I strive to live my life in the most honest way possible. It makes me feel good. But I know that most people don't care. They know the difference between good and bad, they just don't care.

In response to the final paragraph, I agree and support it. It's a bad situation, and I do feel for those people.

My objection to the message you posted was basically that you were implying that people are dumb or handicapping themselves if they don't lie. I'd be the poor sucker cut from the country's Olympic team because he was the only one not one drugs. But I have managed to live a fairly decent life (so far) without resorting to such tactics.

Anyone who thinks Sahashi has only got 70 million yen out of this deal is crazy. He can get all the money up front...billions of yen. He may eventually lose control of the company but he has definitely secured enough cash to keep the company going. Staff and instructor payments will probably be late again this month because Nova won't get their hands on the cash until the 25th. apparently.
Many have ulterior motives for wanting Nova to go down the tubes, but I'm afraid it's not going to happen any time soon. Those who leave early will be the eventual losers...no chance of any redundancy pay and probably a very long wait for missed wages.
As an indication, the share price remains in the 35-42 yen bracket. Any company in imminent danger of bankruptcy would have either stopped trading by now or be in 1-5 yen range.

He definitely has not secured enough money for either Monday or the 25th. Everyone is braced for the collapse next week! Resign today, call in sick from tomorrow. Start looking for something new.

there are all kinds of vultures all over the internet who just can't wait for Nova to go down the tubes for their own ulterior motives:to pick up cheap teachers (not so much vultures as the worst kind of leech), claim redundancy pay, not have to work at Nova anymore, prior bad experience with Nova (sweet revenge)etc.,etc.
Even Ken Worsley on his Japan Economy blog has always sounded like he hates Nova for some reason and as such his comments tend to bend the facts in an anti-nova direction.

Please, do me a favor with the self-righteous crap. Nearly every company in the world is "predatory". Defrauded thousands of people ? Complete and utter bullshit. Thousands and thousands have paid for a product and got it. In fact, thousands and thousands have not only got what they've paid for, they've signed up time and time again for the same product. METI's ruling was another piece of idiotic government which didn't take into the account its consequences...that consumers, far from being protected, would have a high probability of losing their money.
There was no fair warning given to anyone about anything. What kind of dullard are you ?

Self-righteous? This has nothing to do with personalities...but companies acting as Good Corporate Citizens.

Losing 80 percent of what you paid for on cancellation, without being told beforehand, constitutes FRAUD.

Thousands and thousands have CANCELLED that service and have been RIPPED off with false and illegal charges (Supreme Court case back in April, remember?). Of course, many customers of Nova were able to gain some English skills and were able to improve their overall competency. But that's not the point.

Consumers are now being protected by being INFORMED. That's how consumer protection works. Some consumers will lose money, certainly but the fact that the general public will no longer have a predatory company maliciously misrepresenting a service for the foreseable future, is the best consumer (and employee) protection I can think of.

What kind of dullard are you NOT to be revolted by what has happened?

supposed evilness? I mean c'mon...Nova is evil. Sahashi is evil. there is no question. A company that continues to take rent, insurance and other deductions from their employee's paychecks while not actually paying for any of the above is undeniably evil. blatant stealing = evil.

no pay until 19th. well, they said "scheduled" for the 19th.
take your paid holydays. now.and leave.

"The supposed evilness of the company has been blown out of all proportion".

Oh lordy lord where does I start with this one? How about the consistent lying by upper management to Japanese staff, students and instructors. And if they are not lying they are keeping tight lipped. Legally we call that misleading and dceptive conduct through act and omission. How about the fact that many people's lives hang in the balance? Surely, no one will die but what of the lives we have built here, the relationships we have formed etc? They don't give a shit!

How about stealing teachers money who pay their rent to the company in good faith. It's not enough to cream a tidy profit off the top. They have to STEAL the whole fucking lot. I know technically they will not be charged criminally and it will be a dead end civil dispute against a bankrupt company but it is plainly THEFT!

Some cunt(s) made a conscious decision to take that money. The consequences were obvious. Thousands of trusting teachers would be on the street in a strange country.

Please tell me what the 'proportion' actually is! We are owed 1 1/2 months salary at this point and they both legally and morally obliged to pay at least one month of that on Monday. We are half way around the world without a sgnificant amount of our [hard?]earned wages. They don't even have the decency to inform us of what is going on. They just try to pull the proverbial wool over our eyes.

What am I missing here? Pull your tongue out of the monkeys arse and maybe you will get a moe "proportioned" view of how bad this company really is.

Nova's sanctions are well deserved! Until today I was an inadvertant part of the NOVA monster. For the past few days I have apologised o students on behalf of my company because they lack the morals to sincerely do so. I have been embarrassed and ashamed of my company's actions and regret being a part of a process which will no doubt cause significant hardship to many student who have been so kind toward me.

I have refused to have anything to do with the sales process as I am adamant about not being involved in bringing new students into the company. While I could merely dismiss them as ignorant fools who deserve to lose their money for not paying attention to their surroundings, I feel it is important to remember that these people are willing to invest a substantial amount of both time and money to learn our language. We as teachers are in postion of trust. Do not recruit new students and do not shred documents for NOVA unless you know what they are. I for one am glad to no longer be associated with a company that is even more evil than a pr*ck like me!

I, like many others received the letter from good old Monkey Bridge that pay would be in on Friday, but to me thats not good enough. I see it as a stalling plan to keep teachers working for free. Just wait for the letter on the 19th saying that pay will come on the 25th.

I have told the staff and head office that I will not be in until I get paid and everyone has been really understanding about the whole issue. I did however tell the staff two days in advance so they could work around the problem. I find it really disturbing that so many teachers can act the way they do without any consideration to those they work with. SURE, things are pretty Fu^ked up, but the only ones your hurting right now is your fellow staff.
All I'm saying is that you should think before you lash out. Just think about who will feel the brunt of your angst the most.