Japanese workaholics

[Ichirou]

So yesterday and this morning a typhoon hit us pretty hard over here in the Tokyo/Saitama area, so much so that a bunch of train lines closed up (leaving me stranded getting back home after work, but luckily I was able to catch a ride with a co-worker who lives near me).  You'd figure, with this typhoon already having killed one person and having caused all this havoc, they'd cancel school, right?  That's what they would have done back home, anywa.  But this is Japan, so -  No way.  I had to come to work this morning in what I would have qualified back home as "tropical storm weather."  My train was delayed, I got to school late (and soaked, since the wind was so strong it broke my umbrella), and apparently so many students were late in coming to school that they cancelled the first period of classes and started with the second period.

Horrid weather, though it seems to have calmed down now.

[bagofeyes]

They just continue to do things cause noone has the balls to say 'maybe we should take a slight change from the ordinary and cancel school today?'

[Ichirou]

I think that's it, honestly.  Nobody wants to come off as lazy by saying "We should cancel school today because of the typhoon."

[sonarrat]

That's really not healthy.  There aren't that many valid reasons to miss work or school, but imminent danger from Mother Nature is definitely one of them.

[Ichirou]

Seems like it's calmed down now but this morning was awful.  The thing is, if you don't have a car and don't live close enough to the school to walk or bike there, how do they expect you to get to work when a bunch of the train lines have cancelled operations?

[Van Cruncheon]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

[max_cool]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

vaca-whats??

[brawndolicious]

that american productivity thing was probably broken.  I doubt they subtracted mexican labor or divided the GDP by the mexicans.

don't japanese take no vacations?

[Ichirou]

Japanese take vacations.  Teachers here get 40 days off (we foreigners only get 20, lol).

[brawndolicious]

what does the average worker get (you have to consider teachers here get 3 months)?

[Ichirou]

what does the average worker get (you have to consider teachers here get 3 months)?

Man, I miss the American school system - you get almost three months off for the summer and then like three weeks for winter vacation.

I dunno about the average worker here...

[sonarrat]

I got 1 week of "vacation pay" from my work.  Basically, one free paycheck, and the time off is optional.  I probably will just save it for sick days since I haven't taken any.

[brawndolicious]

no it's two weeks for winter vacation.  I'm not sure they get vacation days any day they want since one of my teachers talked about how she'll take a sick day the day before spring break.

[Ichirou]

Two weeks, plus almost 3 months during the summer, that is still fuck awesome.

[brawndolicious]

yeah for anybody to be getting a 3 month vacation is insane.

[Mr. Gundam]

no it's two weeks for winter vacation.  I'm not sure they get vacation days any day they want since one of my teachers talked about how she'll take a sick day the day before spring break.

I get 14 sick days each year, and 2 personal days (you can carry over up to five days in any school year, or they'll pay you for them), but nothing that's actually considered vacation time. I think I used one sick day last year, and didn't use either of my personal days. I get about two months off during the summer, as I work an extended school year and do summer evaluations.

I'm stocking up on my personal days so we can head back to Japan for cherry blossom season in 2009. I'll take five personal days before spring break for an awesome trip.

[brawndolicious]

oh I see.  now that I think about it I remember a band teacher taking off time combining personal days with sick days because of a family emergency (he was bragging about it because he didn't take any sick days for 9 years).

[Mr. Gundam]

oh I see.  now that I think about it I remember a band teacher taking off time combining personal days with sick days because of a family emergency (he was bragging about it because he didn't take any sick days for 9 years).

You shouldn't have to use personal/sick days due to a family emergency. We're granted paid time off in the event of a death or other serious emergency. There's an actual chart, and you get more time off the closer the person is to you.

[brawndolicious]

yeah I don't remember what he was talking about EXACTLY (it was around 6 years ago) but he bragged about not taking any sick days for 9 years.

[bagofeyes]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

Japanese people are great at spending long hours at the workplace without actually doing anything. It's quite a skill.

[Ichirou]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

Japanese people are great at spending long hours at the workplace without actually doing anything. It's quite a skill.

It's true.  They do it because it's considered bad to leave work early, so they stretch out what they have to do throughout the day so they don't leave until a few hours after they were supposed to punch out.

[bork]

Don't your paid leave days from last year carry over to this year?  I had 28 days and 3 hours of leave, so I used 1 day and 3 hours and took off yesterday and today; no classes yesterday or today, so fuck it.

[BlueTsunami]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

I always scoffed at the "Lazy American" remarks due to this. Don't Europeans pretty much take like a month or two vacations a year? (I think Italy is known for this). Though, I think the 1 or 2 week vacations us Americans seemingly get on average is pretty unhealthy :/

[Tauntaun]

ironically, we lazy-ass americans are rated as the most productive workers in the world, apparently because we shun vacations.

I always scoffed at the "Lazy American" remarks due to this. Don't Europeans pretty much take like a month or two vacations a year? (I think Italy is known for this). Though, I think the 1 or 2 week vacations us Americans seemingly get on average is pretty unhealthy :/

YOU DAMN RIGHT!