Hi there,
There is a fairly long and involved back story, however the crux of the issue is this:
I am a 'manager' at a small Eikaiwa. I have been in the role since January (10 months), although I was not official on the company pay roll until April (7 months). The role is seishain and my contract calls for a 90 day notice period. The role is substantially different than I believed it to be. Specifically, the contractual overtime (minashi) has been excessive (50 hours per month) most months, and there are serious issues in multiple parts of the business. There is also some issue with possibly illegal or at least unethical business practices. As a result, I have suffered some physical and mental health impacts. Additionally, from December I will have increased childcare responsibilities when my spouse returns to work.
Consequently, I sought new employment with more suitable hours and with a different work environment (international school – I have worked with other schools previously and it was much better). I accepted a position yesterday commencing December 1st and served 5 weeks notice to my current employer (ending November 30th).
My employer responded that they accept my resignation but raised that I was breaching the contractual term. They also said they think they will close the school as a result. The school operates at a loss already and they have discussed closing with other management staff (Japanese) previously.
So the question is, should I be concerned? Is it bluster/emotional manipulation (good chance)? I realise this may be bordering on legal advice, but has anyone been in this position?
by WaywardNihon