METI to Nova: No more long term contracts!
Posted by Matt Dioguardi on June 13th, 2007
TPR is reporting that Nova will be ordered to suspend part of it’s operations for six months. TPR quotes Kyodo news and Nikkei Net.
The report from Kyodo News reads as follows:
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is set to order Nova Corp., Japan’s largest English-language school operator, to suspend part of its business for six months for having violated the law governing the industry, ministry sources said Wednesday. Nova was found to have lied to consumers about its services when it was soliciting them to become its students, the sources said.
The Yomiuri Shimbun in Japanese is reporting the following:
今回の行政処分で同社は今後６か月間,１年を超える長期契約を結んだり、勧誘したりする業務ができなくなるが、契約済みの受講生は引き続き授業を受けられ、短期の契約は業務停止の対象とならない。
Please get someone else to verify this, but as I read this it means that the part of the business that will be halted will be the long term contracts (contracts extending over a year). Also, either all or part of their ability to solicit for new students will be halted. This will only be for six months.
However, Nova will be allowed to continue to teach students and to make short term contracts (contracts up to a year).
Ken at TPR stated:
Here’s what to do…
If you work for them: Quit now. Do not go to work tomorrow. Never show up again. Get a new job now, before the deluge of former NOVA employees hit the streets. You do not owe them anything. If you’re a foreigner on a visa, that does not mean you have to work for NOVA. When a company is so awful, so horribly managed that the government of Japan needs to suspend part of its operations, I seriously don’t think you want anything to do with them.
I agree that working at any place other than Nova is a good idea. However, I don’t understand the reasoning behind quitting before a new job is found.
I would say start looking for a new job now, but hold on to the current one until you have a new one. Also, if you’re willing to teach children, privates aren’t that hard to find.
June 13th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
[…] 2: Liberal Japan has pointed out that the Yomiuri Shinbun is reporting that NOVA is having its ability to make long […]
June 13th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Matt, I agree that was a bit extreme advice, but the point is really the same as yours as in get out as soon as possible.
August 17th, 2007 at 4:10 am
My daughter has an interview set up for early next week for going with Nova to teach in Japan. Should she go with them. Do you think it will be resolved?
Lorraine Parry
August 17th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
It totally depends on the individual situation.
Possible negatives:
– Less than favorable working conditions.
– Possibility of company going under or not being paid.
– If company goes under there will be many teachers simultaneously looking for an English teaching job.
Positives:
– If a visa can be obtained *before* going to Japan, especially a three year visa, that’s a major plus. Once a person has a visa, they won’t lose the visa if Nova goes under. Getting the visa is the single biggest hurdle a person has to clear before coming to Japan. Once you have the visa, you are not tied to Nova. However, if a person signs a contract, they are bound by whatever the contract says, so long as it is in line with the relevant laws.
Let’s Japan has been posting a lot about Nova recently. I would check them out:
http://www.letsjapan.org/
August 19th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Matt, I would add to that about contracts. Employment contracts are not binding in the sense that one must work for that firm until the contract is up. Labor laws are very clear on this. Employment contracts set terms and condition between the employer and the employed for the time period stipulated in the contract, but given proper notice, the employed is free to move on. Although ‘proper notice’ is not legally defined, it is usually construed as two weeks. Many firms, such as Nova, have contracts stipulating that 30 days notice must be given when leaving a position. This, of course, is what they want, not what’s legally required.