# Paid Vacation?



## KaileneDanae (Oct 15, 2013)

Hi guys!

I recently interviewed in Japan, and got offered a position as a graphic designer (my dream job!) I got the employment contract a couple of days ago, and something stuck out at me. I wanted a job where none of my co-workers spoke English (SCORE!!) but since I now have to tip-toe around cultural faux-pas without any assistance, I decided to ask here before I make a fool of myself to my future employer.

So, as per any new hire, I get 10 paid vacation/sick days per year (which I TOTALLY plan to use, despite the Japanese tendency to not use them. I need to visit my family.) However, reading over the contract, I realized that they have determined WHEN I can use them!!

Basically, I get five days off from June-September, then I get five days starting December 31st (and not counting weekends.) Is this normal? I would have really liked to take a 12-14 day vacation during the summer to visit the family back home (counting weekends)... however, this looks like it's going to be a no-go.

Also, since the sick days and vacation days are combined, what would happen if I got severely sick in say... April? Like the Japanese, I plan to tough it out unless it's really really bad, but hey. It begs the question.

This seems totally weird to me. Is it normal though?


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## larabell (Sep 10, 2007)

Congratulations on landing the job.

It's not unusual to receive a few extra days in the summer (for Obon) and around the start of the New Year (since many companies shut down for up to a week). But, at least in my case, these are in addition to the normal sick/vacation days which I can take any time I need to. I'd be surprised if you were unable to take sick days in April, since that would defeat the main purpose of having sick days -- which it so you don't feel compelled to come in and infect your co-workers.

It's also not unusual for sick days and holidays to be combined. My employer calls that "FTO" (Flexible Time Off) and it seems more companies are adopting an FTO policy rather than grant separate sick time that many somehow feel compelled to take whether they're really sick or not.

You might ask your new employer whether the summer and New Year days are included in your FTO time. You should also get around 10 fixed holidays, many of which seem to be based on the birthdays of dead Emperors. It's quite likely that the Obon and New Year days off are something everyone gets over and above whatever vacation days you've accumulated. That would pretty much match what my company does (though policies on time off work can vary from company-to-company).

I don't think you would be violating any cultural norms just by raising the question. After all, they gave you a copy of the contract so you could read it. Just tell them you're confused about the wording in those particular sections and someone in HR should be able to clear things up.


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## KaileneDanae (Oct 15, 2013)

larabell said:


> Congratulations on landing the job.
> 
> It's not unusual to receive a few extra days in the summer (for Obon) and around the start of the New Year (since many companies shut down for up to a week). But, at least in my case, these are in addition to the normal sick/vacation days which I can take any time I need to. I'd be surprised if you were unable to take sick days in April, since that would defeat the main purpose of having sick days -- which it so you don't feel compelled to come in and infect your co-workers.
> 
> ...


THANK YOU.
I realized that in my silly haste to get through the long email, I skipped over the word さらに (furthermore.) Because the "furthermore" was accompanied by an additional 10 days, I wrongly combined the summer/winter vacation with the mandatory 10 sick/vacation days when it was actually an ADDITIONAL 10 days. Score.

Gosh, I'm so excited to get over there finally. It's been my dream to work as a graphic designer in Japan since I was 15. Seven years later, and it's actually happening.


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