I just discovered the joys of '固定残業手当' (Fixed Overtime Allowance, FOA*, a.k.a. 見なし残業) after working 20 hours overtime and seeing nothing in my monthly paycheck. I had seen that in my contract when I signed, but it didn't dawn on me how it actually worked until now because I usually never work overtime.
*FOA is when a company assumes the employee will work a certain number of overtime hours (e.g., 20 hours per month), and pays for those hours in advance as a fixed amount.
I have read that companies here use FOA because it 1) simplifies payroll processing, and 2) makes employee salaries appear higher.
I believe my company uses FOA for the second reason because my company does a couple of other things that seem shady.
For one thing, we only get one bonus a year (in April) and it's only 15万 after taxes, etc. are taken out. My salary (including FOA) is about 600万円.
For another thing, instead of paying on the 25th of the month, like most companies, it pays on the last day of the month. Why? I believe it is so the company can earn 5-6 days more of interest before the funds are paid from its account.
Am I over-thinking this? Might I be working for a so-called 'Black' company? Or is it just 'cheap'?
by Digital-Man-1969