The Girl Without a Contract
Stories from the Front
Jenny was in the gym and seemed fairly distraught. Normally, she was all smiles and one of those people on a mission in the gym. A stark contrast to myself :).
I decided to approach to see what might be going on. I worked with new teachers every year to get them oriented, and through that process, I was often helping people with non-work related problems.
“Jenny, you doi’n ok?”
“Yeah. I am just really bummed out.”
“Why?”
“Well, I went to HR today and told them I would be leaving in June. They were really angry about that.”
“Well, I mean, you would be leaving after only a year, so that is not very common. Most people stay three to four years.”
“Yeah. But, HR was mad because I was breaking contract. I had no idea I was breaking contract. I still don’t understand, they got kind of angry and scheduled a meeting for next week.”
At this point I realized Jenny had never read her contract thoroughly.
“Jenny, do you know the terms of your contract?”
“You mean how much money I get?”
“No. I mean the length of the contract, the pension pay out, the final payment scheme, the taxes you need to pay, the steps to get reimbursed for certain expenses, how your flights work, etc.?”
“What?! All that is in the contract. I remember they sent an email and told me the salary, I said ‘Yes’, and then signed everything else later.”
“Ok. But did you notice a PDF in English and Japanese? It would have been about 20 pages of contract language.”
“Yeah. But I just went to the last page, printed that, and signed it. I didn’t read the whole document. I knew they paid for flights and gave me a decent salary.”
I set a time for Jenny to meet with me and another staff member the next day. I wanted someone else there to help ask and answer questions. Jenny was shocked at the following:
The length of the initial contract
When school actually started and stopped vs the days the students were at school
How the early resignation process worked and the penalties involved
How she could get reimbursed for flights and keep the air-miles (that is a winning move I hope everyone is doing)
The pension system and how the final monies are paid out
The local government paper work that allows you to get an annual tax reimbursement (for her that meant about $2000.00 a year)
Jenny immediately emailed HR and told them she made a mistake. She explained she would be working her full contract.
Jenny is a smart person. She is an excellent teacher.
We have all these terms of services thrown in our faces daily in order to engage in basic human communication and entertainment. It is really shocking what we are agreeing to give up in order to share cat photos and anonymously insult strangers.
I firmly believe this has made people trust the paperwork too much, and they are often blind to the long worded attachments that can change the course of their lives.
Take a deep breath. Grab a beverage. Read your contract this week with fresh eyes. See what you might be missing.
Certain information in this story has been changed to protect those involved in, but the story is true. These stories are designed to give everyone pause, and reflect on their situation. If you have a story, please send it to: info@tonydeprato.com .
All submission will be posted anonymously.
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Why is this SubStack called, Pancake on a Stick?
Pancake on a Stick is the single funniest story I have ever heard in my life. In about a year from now, the event will be reenacted and recorded. I named the SubStack after the story, because every time I think of the name, I smile and laugh. This helps with my writing and tone, and makes me always remember the most important things in life.
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Most social media is dead to me, but you can find me on LinkedIn and Youtube.
LinkedIn (A bastion of boredom but mostly on mission)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdeprato/
Email
info@tonydeprato.com
My video series on Expat Recruitment is BORING but useful Listen or Watch and you can master this process.