Sick Leave weconvon he Confidential Role Information for Kelly Yeu have bece working for the Sole Board ef Education in japan for the past six menthe. You are the enly foreigner working is the eflice and were Mired to asulst wht the English language program in the citys pulatie shoole. Yeu dedided to spesd some time ie feper in erter tepreve your fapanese and to make yourself more markirtable when you retare to Canala te startyour carcer. This is your first time is Japan and aside from the inevitable culture shock you have bad relatively no probletn adjusting to your new sarroonding. You attribate your ease of adfusting to the lapanese culture to the organization back in Canada which hired you. They wore very thotough in briefing you about life in lopan and One aspoct that you find hard to adfost to is the coumitment which the lapanese have for their work. The day begins at 830a= asd offially eads at 5.00pm, but no one ever leaves the office before 7 or 800 pan. De fapanese employes alve work on Saturday, whick you find absard since it infringes on what you costilier to be personal and family time and you know that thetr salaries do not refect the extra time part in oe the wrokicods. Yoe have a sandard North American confract that you were given before leaviec Canada which sopulates your hours, number of vacation days. bew many days sifik irawe youfre chatided ta, etc. Yoo work from Monday to Friday, 8.30 to 5.00 p.m, bot stay tater if you have legitimate werk to do (which is practically never). No one has ever acked you to stay after 5 pm. and yoa huve never bera requested to come in on the weckend. You know that you recrive what coeld be coauldered preficreatial treatment bat the condioions of your employment were carefilly outlind is your ccetract, and the people in your olfice seems to be following them to the letter widh neiter yos floe. The enly prrvon in your eflice whe rpeale Enctish ts your superviser, Me. Higathy and since your japasese is not very cosd you rely ee Kim for all important effice commounications. Mr. Higahils what you coenlider to be a tradiabal millle agnt fapueste man. He works late every aight and often goes out with the ether mes in the elfee ta dicuss besiness at the local sake establizhmeats. He serms to havo very cohservative valoes and frowns upoe innovation ce change. His wife stays home to run the houstiold and raise sheir two childrets, and Mr. Migosh doesnt think that women whould be in the work forte after murriege. you itartad practicine Kende, a jackese atyle of fencine he was very pleased and you boped he wouid drop the inaie ons and for all You dost ininal trying or adopties some of the lapanese to te etarine in fopas forcere -2* Lut Mondry you wobe ip with a severe fever and sere throut. You called in sick and were tull by ence a pile if papen an hib drik. Around mid-morning, the office accountant comes to your desk with forms for you to sign. In spite of your limited Japanese, you are able to understand that these forms had to do with your absence and that you are signing for two days of your paid vacation time. You assume that she has made a mistake and try to explain to her that you were not on vacation, but were sick and that your contract allows you to take sick leave. The accountant appears to not understand, and motio) 5 for you to sign the papers. You go over to Mr. Higashi's desk and tell him about the misunderstanding. To your surprise he tells you that there is no misunderstanding and that this is standard procedure in Japan. He tells you that since you work for a Japanese company, you may as well start behaving like a Japanese employee. He tells you that Japanese employees normally do not take their allotted paid vacation time each year because of their dedication to their work. He also says that when Japanese employees are sick, it is not uncommon for them to deduct the time off from their paid vacation and not use their sick leave out of respect for their employers. Mr. Higashi says that this is what you should do. You are so dumbfounded that you go back to your desk without speaking. Back at your desk you cannot believe what just happened. You know that your contract allows more than twenty days of sick leave and this is the first time that you have been sick. Your contract says nothing about having to bring in a doctor's note, but you think that it should help to strengthen your case since it proves that you really were ill. You realize that your supervisor wants you to "blend in" to the Japanese way of doing things, but this is a fine time for him to start and besides, you have already planned a big vacation in the spring. If you lose two days now, you won't be able to go on your trip. The accountant has already come back twice to have you sign the paper and you have sent her away both times. You have approached your supervisor again on the subject and he is still adamant on the fact that this is the Japanese way of doing things and that it is time for you to "Do as the Romans do". You try to reason with him but he refuses to talk to you. There is no way that you are going to sign the paper for paid vacation. Your contract says that you are entitled to sick leave and you have a doctor's certificate to prove that you were. You know that you aren't being unreasonable; you just want what is rightfully yours. It is more than the spring vacation at stake; it is the principle of the matter. 1. 2. a. 4 isser OFNINE PONT AGGrTPONT mesist ANC pant 1. 2 3 4 My irteres Whar I realy care abal. What aremy wanks, needs, concern, popessend fea n, Note this is nat thesame as 1. 2 3. 4 1. 2 3 4. maks aintol your ares poits (1 mant) 1. 2. 1 4 5 mans 1. 2 3 in 7r(1man) 1. 21 1. 2